712 



WEST VIRGINIA. 



Democratic, and both in favor of the national 

 Democratic nominees for President and Vice- 

 President of the United States, being calculated 

 to enable the Republicans to carry the State, 

 the State Executive Committee of the Conserv- 

 ative-Democratic party proposed to the State 

 Executive Committee of the Readjusters the 

 formation of one common electoral ticket, com- 

 posed of Readjusters and Conservative-Demo- 

 crats in equal numbers ; to be supported by the 

 Conservative-Democrats and Readjusters alike. 

 The plan finally failed of success, by reason, it 

 seems, that the Readjusters insisted on making 

 its ultimate execution depend on conditions 

 which the Conservative-Democracy could not 

 assent to. 



The National Democratic Committee, in an 

 address " To the Conservative voters of Vir- 

 ginia," issued late in October, takes notice of 

 the above-mentioned compromise of a fusion 

 ticket proposed by the regular Conservatives to 

 the Readjusters on terms of absolute equality, 

 and defeated by the refusal of the latter to ac- 

 cept it ; officially recognizes the electoral ticket 

 nominated by the Conservative- Democratic 

 Convention of May 19th; urges upon the peo- 

 ple of the Old Dominion the hearty and unit- 

 ed support of the May ticket ; and concludes 

 with informing them of the fact that the Na- 

 tional Republican Committee, who had previ- 

 ously intended not to make a canvass in Vir- 

 ginia, now, deeming the discord among their 

 political opponents irreconcilable, " announced 

 officially their resolve to make an active and 

 determined campaign." Upon this action of 

 the National Democratic Committee, the chair- 

 man of the Readjusters' State Executive Com- 

 mittee, who was also regarded as the chief 

 leader of the party, issued a manifesto which 

 contains, among others, these declarations: 

 "We the Readjusters are fighting for a higher 

 prize than any abstract title to democracy " ; 

 and, " We organized to govern this State in 

 our own way." 



The Conservative - Democratic ticket was 

 elected by a large majority, the vote having 



Females . 

 Natives.. 

 Foreign . 



stood as follows : Whole number of votes polled 

 in the State, 212,693: Conservative - Demo- 

 cratic ticket, 96,912 ; Readjuster ticket, 31,674; 

 Republican ticket, 84,020. The remaining votes 

 were scattering. 



As to the election of State Representatives in 

 Congress, the Conservative-Democratic nomi- 

 nees were elected in the first, third, fifth, sixth, 

 and eighth Congressional districts; the Read- 

 juster nominees in the seventh and ninth dis 

 tricts ; the Republican nominees in the secotx 

 and fourth districts. 



By the census of 1880, the population of Vii 

 ginia is 1,512,203, classified as follows in 

 gard to race, sex, and origin : 



Whites 880,876 



Colored 631,827 



Males 745,547 



The increase of population within the last 

 decade is about twenty -three per cent. ; the 

 aggregate number in 1870 being 1,225,163 

 whites, 712,089 ; colored, 513,074. 



The population of Richmond, the principal 

 city in Virginia, has been likewise gradually 

 increasing, as appears by the following table : 



1830... .. 16,060 



1840 20,153 



1850 27,570 



1860 37,707 



Among the foregoing items the last one 

 represents the estimate of the Board of Health. 



The growth of Richmond is also steady in 

 reference to her material interests, especially 

 the manufacturing and industrial establish- 

 ments of all sorts. In 1879 the number of 

 these establishments at work within her limits 

 was 565, employing 14,193 hands, an increase 

 of 2,463 over the previous year; and the sales 

 of their products amounted to $23,486,640, or 

 $5,535,590 more than the sales of 1878. In 

 1880 the increase over 1879 was 137 more 

 establishments, with 2,739 more hands em- 

 ployed, and $1,218,243 more in the proceeds 

 from sales of their products, although the 

 prices in 1880 were generally lower than in. 

 1879. 



1870 51.088 



1874 60,705 



1879 8ii,000 



WEST VIRGINIA. The Republicans of 

 West Virginia met in State Convention at 

 Wheeling on May 12th, for the purpose of 

 choosing a delegate from the State at large to 

 the National Republican Convention that was 

 to assemble at Chicago on June 2d. For the 

 ne delegate at large, C. P. Keys (colored) and 

 A. W. Campbell were put in nomination as 

 competitors, and, after a long contest, partici- 

 pated in by large numbers on either side, the 

 decision of it was finally remitted to a vote by 

 counties, which resulted in 933 for Campbell 

 and 530 for Keys. Mr. Campbell was then de- 

 clared the delegate at large ; Mr. Keys was, on 

 motion, declared the alternate. 



The following platform was adopted : 



The Kepublicans of West Virginia : in convention 

 assembled, hereby renew their allegiance to the Ke- 

 publican party of the Union, and reaffirm its time- 

 honored principle of free government a government 

 of the people, by the people, and for the people. Es- 

 pecially do we reaffirm the foundation principle on 

 which our Government rests, and which we hoped the 

 civil war had settled, but now too often called in ques- 

 tion, that the United States of America is a nation and 

 not a league or confederacy of States. 



We hold to the great saving truth of humanity, 

 that " all men are created equal, and entitled to com- 

 plete liberty and exact equality in the exercise of all 

 civil, political, and public rights." 



We demand the protection of all citizens, native and 

 adopted, wherever the flag of our country floats, at 



