VIRGINIA. 



767 



sion of the question of the financial obligation of 

 West Virginia to Virginia to the Supreme Court of 

 the United States for decision. 



4. We are in favor of the development of the ma- 

 terial resources of the State, which, under the rule of 

 the Conservative party and its predecessors, have 

 lain dormant. The mines of coal, iron, and other 

 minerals, the vast water-power, and the many other 

 material resources of the State, which exist in rich 

 profusion on every hand, need but enterprise and 

 capital to develop them, and thus make Virginia one 

 ot the greatest manufacturing States in the Union. 

 To this end, we arc in favor of such liberal legisla- 

 tion as shall tend to encourage the investment of 

 capita) in mining and manufacturing operations, and 

 of general laws for incorporation, together with such 

 a liberal spirit on the part of our people as shall in- 

 vite men of enterprise to come and dwell among us. 



5. We are in favor of reform in the administration 

 of justice in this State, and an enforcement of the 

 State constitution in this respect, which will secure 

 impartial justice to all, irrespective of race, color, 

 condition, or political sentiment ; we favor the elec- 

 tion of the President, Vice-President, and all other 

 officers of the Government, as far as possible, by the 

 direct vote of the people. 



6. We approve and indorse the noble and humane 

 policy inaugurated by General Grant's Adminis- 

 tration, whereby all international disputes shall be 

 made the subject of arbitration, thereby preventing 

 the dread havoc of war. 



7. That the Federal courts shall be accessible in 

 all the States, to alt citizens on appeal for redress of 

 wrongs, or protection of rights, in cases where, up- 

 on a proper showing, equity demands it. 



8. We demand reform in State laws in order to 

 ecure fair election, by the abolition of partisan su- 

 pervisors, to enable every voter to exercise the right 

 of suffrage according to the dictates of his own con- 

 science. 



The Democrats, under the title of the Con- 

 servative party, held their State Convention in 

 Richmond on the 6th of August. It was one 

 of the largest and most enthusiastic meetings 

 of the party held in the State since the war. 

 The following platform and resolutions were 

 adopted : 



1. We, the representative!! of the Conservative 

 people of Virginia, in convention assembled, do de- 

 clare that a contrast of the condition of Virginia 

 under Conservative government with tlie condition 

 of those Southern States which have been under 

 radical rule, illustrates the wisdom of the people of 

 Virginia in the adoption of this plan of policy, and 

 demonstrates the necessity of continuing the powers 

 of the State government in the control of the Con- 

 servative people of this Commonwealth. 



2. That tlic chief purpose of the Conservative party 

 of Virginia is to secure to every citizen of the Com- 

 monwealth, whether native or adopted, of the white 

 or of the colored race, exact and impartial justice, and 

 to promote, by wie and beneficent legislation, the 

 prosperity of our whole people. 



8. That the Conservative party of Virginia, dis- 

 claiming all purpose of captious hostility to General 

 'iratit, will judge him impartially by his official ac- 

 tion, and will cordially cooperate in every measure 

 of his Administration which may be beneficent in its 

 design and calculated to promote the welfare of the 

 people, and to eultivate sentiments of good-will be- 

 tween the different sections of the Union. 



4. We recognize as a fundamental political truth, 

 that upon the intelligence and virtue of its people 

 must rest the prosperity, honor, and permanence of 

 the State ; we point with pride to the successful estab- 

 lishment and progress of the free-school system of 

 Virginia, inaugurated and conducted nndcr circum- 

 stances of peculiar difficulty, for which we are in- 



debted to the wisdom and zeal of the Conservative 

 State government. Liberal provision ought to be 

 continued for the support and extension of the free 

 schools for the white and colored races respectively. 



5. That the interests of a large section of this Union, 

 no less than those of Virginia, demand the speedy en- 

 largement and completion of the James River and Ka- 

 nawha water-line that should connect the waters of the 

 Ohio with those of the Chesapeake, affording to the 

 teeming population of the West cheap transportation 

 of their products to the points of shipment and wants 

 of trade in the East. The completion by the gov- 

 ernment of this great design of George Washington 

 would be an additional bond of union between the 

 communities whose products and commodities would 

 pass over the line of this great national work. 



Beiolvtd^ That in the opinion of the Conservative 

 party of Virginia the internal revenue tax on tobacco 

 and ardent spirits is onerous and oppressive, and 

 ought to be repealed. 



Jieeol-oed, That, in the opinion of this convention, 

 it is as much the duty of everv Conservative to vote 

 against all independent candidates, professing to be 

 Conservatives while running against the regular 

 nominees of the party, as it is their duty to vote 

 against the regular radical nominees. 



Jteeohed, That the Conservative party disclaims 

 any intention to impose burdensome restraints on 

 any section, and pledges itself to correct any errone- 

 ous or mistaken legislation disturbing the harmony 

 and welfare of the tide-water section of the State, 

 believing that all acts imposing a tax on any interest 

 not general in the Commonwealth should be modi- 

 fied and adjusted on principles of equity, and justice 

 to all sections, reducing the tax imposed within rea- 

 sonable and proper bounds. 



Resolutions were also adopted changing the 

 plan of the city and county party organization, 

 and providing for only three members of the 

 State Executive Committee. 



The nominee of the convention for the of- 

 fice of Governor was James L. Kemper. He 

 was horn in Madison County, Va,, in 1824, 

 served in the Mexican War as captain, and was 

 for ten years a member of the Virginia Legis- 

 lature, being Speaker of the House of Dele- 

 gates for two years. In the civil war he en- 

 tered the Confederate service as colonel and 

 attained the rank of major-general. After 

 the close of the war he resumed the practice 

 of the law in Madison County. 



The election resulted in the success of the 

 Conservative party. In a total vote of 214,- 

 237, Mr. Kemper received 120,738, and Mr. 

 Hughes 93,439 : majority for the former, 27,239. 

 Robert E. Withers, Conservative, was chosen 

 Lieutenant - Governor, over C. P. Ramsdell, 

 Republican ; and Raleigh T. Daniel, Conserva- 

 tive. Attorney-General, over David Fultz, Re- 

 publican. The rest of the State officers were 

 to be appointed by the Legislature which as- 

 sembled in January, 1874. The political com- 

 plexion of this body was as follows : 



The completion of the Chesapeake & Ohio 

 Railroad, and its opening for traffic between 

 Richmond and Huntington, the western ter- 



