Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-25
DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE
FAILS TO GET QUORUM
No Action Taken Looking to Holding
OF State Convention Before
Summer Primary.
BsENTEEs ARE CRITICIZED
Described as Effort to Avoid Carry.
Ing Out Instructions Of Roanoke
Convcntion-AirS. Valentine Asks
for Woman Suffrage Plank.

Nineteen m members OF tho State Dem
ocratic Committee responded last night
to tho call OF state Chairman Rorer a.
James for meeting to be held at
Murphy's Hotel for the purpose OF
taking action on the resolution adopt-
ed by the Roanoke convention request
ing the committee TO call a State con-
ycntion prior to June |. TO frame
platform covering party issues. Since
II took twenty-siN to mako quorum.
the meeting adjourned without action.
For nearly an hour the members
noundered help1essly in a sea OF indie
cision stirred up by l. +. Whitehead of
LynchburE. who was In favor OF scrap
ping all prccedents and transactinE
business with tho fraction OF quorum
in attendance. When Secretary j. y.
Brcnaman called the roll a second time.
and II was still! evident that there was
no quorum. MIR. Whitehead moved that
no statement of the number present he
made. and the committee proceed TO
business.
Chairman James displayed a DISPOSE
ton 10 respect the rule that only
motion to adjourn can be entertained
In the absence Of a quorum. and ruled
Mr.. Whitehcad's motion out of order
Thereupon Mr.. Whitehead moved that
the members present declare fifteen TO
be the legal quorum Of the state Dem
ocratic Committee. When Chairman
James declined to entertain this motion.
Mr.. Whitehead appealed from the de-
cision Of the chair. and the proceedings
slipped at once into the opera bouffe
stage.
WHITEHEAD FINALLY
WITHDRANS HIS MOTION
Clyde W. Saunders of Richmond. pro-
tested vehcmently that the motion Was
out Of order, and Captain William NJ.
McAllstcr, of Bath. solcmnly assured
the members that never in all his
twenty and more years OF service on
the committee had he ever heard Of a
proceeding so totally scnseless and un-
parliamcntary Bonlbarded on all
sides. MIR. Whitehead finally withdrew
his motion. although the chairman in
dicated his Willingness to allow the mi
nority present to vote on the motion
TO appeal from his decision. in order
10 see II he had the body's moral sup
port"
Mr.. Whitehead found time. however.
to criticize the majority that was alb
sent. for defeating the will of the Roa
noke convention by staying away. The
committee. he said was morally bound
10 call the convention. The fasco
ended with the adoption OF a motion to
adjourn. offered by Mr.. Saunders. Chair
man James said after adjournment that
he has not yet decided whether or not
he will make another effort to get the
committee together to act on the Roa
nolie resolution.
Under the rules Of the committee. il
throc of the five district members are
present, the attendance from such dis
trict is counted as the full five. TAX
inE advantage OF this rule. last nights
meeting mustered only twenty three
still three short OF the necessary quo
rum.
MRS. VALENTINE PLEADS
FOR SUFFRAGE RESOLUTION
Between the first and second roll
calls, while the committee waited
hopefully for late arrivals to FIJI UP
the quorum. the members heard an ap-
peal from Mrs. 3. 3. Valentine. prcsi-
dent of the Equal Suffrage League OF
Virginia. Mrs. Valentine reminded the
committeeman that the last Democratic
National Convention had ratified plank
indorsinE the extension OF the vote to
women. State by State. and that Presi-
dent Wilson had himself later inter
pretcd the plank TO be solemn obii-
cation on the Democratic party TO sup
port woman suffrage.
The speaker expressed the hope that
should State convention be called
the party in Virginia Will follow the
lead of the national convention and in
sert suffrage plank in the State plat
form. at the same time recommending
an amendment TO the State Constitution
looking TO the Acknowledgement OF Nir-
Einia's women.
The women OF Virginia hope that
the action taken at the St. Louis con-
vcntion is not Just another empty
promise" said Mrs. Valentine. We
plead with you men Of Virginia not to
Prussianize this state by establishing
an unbending male autocracy. and by
disrcGardinG the promise made at St