Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1912-05-17
NO INSTRUCTION
FROM TAzEWELL
Delegates to Norfolk Conven-
ton Will be Free to Vote
For Anybody.

""e"Si' OouHty democrats ms
in convention here Tuesday, in the
Court House, and named eight dele.
gates to the Norfolk convention. all
of whom will be uninstructed as tc
the county's choice for President. Ar
effort was made by several of the
leading Democrats of the county to
have the delegates instructed for one
of the four Democratic candidates
for the nomination, but was defeated
by large majority.
In the absence of County Chairman
Higginbotham the meeting was called
to order by S. j. Thompson, as tenn
porary chairman. Mr.. E. King Croc-
kett, of Wittens Mills, was elected
permanent Chairman of the meeting.
The first question to engage the at
tention of the large body of Demo-
Gratis was resolution offered by Mr..
w. II. Werth to find the sentiment
of the meeting in, regard to the
strength of the the four candidates
for the Presidential nomination
Clark, Harman, Underwood and
Wilson, the resolution stating that
the vote of the audience should be
taken on the candidates in their al
phabetical order. Mr.. Worth spoke
at length in behalf of his resolution
stating, among other things, that an
attempt had been made to prevent
instruction of the delegates in many
of the Virginia. counties, and that
Tazewell was not an exception to
his rule. That the representatives of
the so-called interests were at work
to prevent instruction of the county
delegations to Norfolk, in order that
they might be influenced after get
ting to that city to vote for a candi-
date whom the interests wanted for
. the Presidency.
Judge Graham replied to Mr..
Werth in lengthy and we'll taken
speech. in which he resented the
charges implied in the gentleman's
remarks. Judge Graham began his
remarks by demanding of Mr.. Werth
the definition of the word "Progres.
sive, - inasmuch as MIR. Werth had
used the word in his resolution and in
his remarks about his choice of the
candidates. "The resolution offered
by MIR. Werth is shrewd one," said
Judge Graham, "it's real meaning
being that whoever received the
majority vote in this convention,
became thereby the choice of the
Democrats of the county, Judge
Graham offered a substitute resolu-
tion for an uninstructed delegation
to the state convention. He said
further: 81 have no axe to grind by
offering this resolution. am no
politician, have never been candi-
date for office, and never will be.
The delegates should go uninstructed,
untrammelled, or might say un-
shackeled. l favor either candidate,
any one of whom can defeat Taft or
Roose elt. am for the man who can
lead us to victory. l ask you who
can beat Taft or Roosevelt? (several
in the audience said Harmon. be-
lieve any good Democrat can beat
either of them. Don't matter how
menacing Roosevelt may be or his
teeth may look, we can beat him" :"
Judge Graham was in the act of in
Producing resolution binding all
Republicans present TO abide by the
action of the convention, when a
heated discussion arose over what
somebody said about mint juleps and
the Ananias Club, and the resolution
was forgotten.
Captain Tynes volunteered the In
formation as to the meaning of "Pro-
gressive, reading from Everybody s
Magazine, that Progressive is one
who favors the initiative. referendum
and recall. Captain Tynes also spoke
briefly in defense of Senator Martin,
who had been attacked by one of the
speakers.
Judge S. M. B. Coulling, Demo
crat from childhood, spoke in behalf
of the Graham resolution, and paid q
high tribute to its author, in which
he eulogized him for his conduct ir
the war, and his honorable and use.
full life ever after.
MIR. S. D. May, who had been sit
ting quietly in Judges chair, watch
ing the fun, arose as soon as an op
portunity offered and proceeded t,
place the Tazewell papers in the
Anan;as Club for misquoting him il
the last Democratic meeting heI,
here, in which he was charged will
saying that Bryan was the creates
living American. Mr.. May argue,
for an uninstructed delegation to tin