Waddill's Address

Richmond’s council debates whether to publicly weigh in on the controversial new republican chairman.

The Third Congressional District Republican Committee met Monday 7 P. M., at Judge Waddill's office in Shafer Building upon the call of the chairman, who explained that he had done so at the request of Judge Waddill and Mr. Wray T. Knight.
Present were: Hon. J. W. Southward, (chairman); John Mitchell, Jr., (secretary); Major Joseph Walker, Judge Edmund Waddill, Jr.; and Mr. Wray T. Knight.
Judge Waddill explained that he had asked for the meeting of the committee for the purpose of issuing an address the voters of the District and to refer to the trouble in Richmond City. He thought the voters should know where the District committee stood in the matter. He was of the opinion at the attempt to remove Chairman Allan should be condemned.
He then drew from his pocket an address which he had written and had submitted to no one, not even the chairman, Mr. Southward having seen it.
This address contained a conderanation of Col. Lamb
Major Joseph Walker objected to the condemnation of the state chairman. He counselled harmony, and did not care to do anything which would foment strife.
He did not agree with the state Executive Committee in its action and desired that the District Committee should express their opinion. He was in favor of asking the State Executive Committee to reconsider its action in removing Mr. Allan from the chairmanship.
Mr. Knight was of the opinion that he address was not too strong.
Judge Waddill said he thought they were too mild. If he had expressed his opinion, the address would have been bitter. He characterized Chairman Lamb as having exceeded his authority and been the victim of his own vanity.
The address was read in detail, it being decided that if there be any objection to any of the statements, it would be stated.
Discussion continued until 9 p. m., when Major Walker stated that he would like to hear from Mr. Mitchell in the interest of harmony.
In the meantime that part of the address censuring Col. Lamb was withdrawn and Major Walker decided not to offer the resolutions, asking that the State Executive Committee reconsider its action in removing Gen. Allen as chairman of the City Committee.
Alderman John Mitchell. Jr., stated that he opposed the address because he did not believe that it should contain any expression of opinion with reference to the trouble in Richmond.
He read the party law vesting all power in the State Executive Committee to settle party disputes and that until the State Committee acted otherwise the action was final.
He insisted that no official information had reached the District Committee with reference to the Richmond chairmanship and the subject was therefore not properly before the Committee.
The proper course to pursue was to communicate with the State Executive Committee and ascertain whether or not Gen. Allen had been removed and ascertain the cause.
To act otherwise would be to cause the committee to pass upon a controversy without having heard the statements of either side.
Judge Waddill went to the door and stated that Gen. Allen had just arrived from Washington and that he would come in. He did so and said he had nothing to communicate to the committee.
He did not regard himself as removed, only an assistant chairman had been appointed by the State Executive Committee.
Mr. Mitchell then claimed that this established his contention; namely that there was no official information before the committee relative to the Richmond chairmanship. The committee had nothing to do with the matter and should not express an opinion as to the merits of the case.
He claimed that the District Committee could not review the action of the State Executive Committee inasmuch as the latter was a higher committee than the former.
The subordinate could not properly pass upon or review the act of its superior. This was as true in state as well as party law.
Seeing the other side determined to press the adoption of the address he went into the merits of the case, explained how Gen. Allan had ousted every precinct chairman in Richmond and appointed only those in favor of himself.
Major Walker said he did not approve of this and thought that the other side should have been accorded recognition. Gen. Edgar Allan had left the room upon the advice of Judge Waddill, in order that Mr. Mitchell should not continue to ask him questions and thereby prolong the meeting.
Mr. Mitchell said he was anxious to attend another meeting. Judge Maddill said he wanted supper. At about 10:30 P. M., Major Walker said he'd have to catch the last car going to Manchester and would have to leave. Mr. Southward wanted to take the car to Fulton so that he could walk to his home in Henrico County.
Mr. Mitchell had been talking two hours. Again and again they arose to points of order on him, but he showed to the chair that he was discussing the address and was in order.
He declared that where the minority was outvoted and the majority would not listen to reason but intended to adopt the address any way as declared by Mr. Knight, it had the right of protest, and he was exercising it. He showed how Judge Waddill had been defeated for the position held by Col. Lamb.
He spoke of the newspaper articles against the State Chairman. He explained the forbearance of Col. Lamb, declared that the kicking gentlemen had been airing themselves in Democratic newspapers.
Judge Waddill went in the adjoining office, threw himself down on the sofa after closing the door, and Mitchell talked. He came back, sat down, declared he would stand no more, but would have this thing stopped. Mr. Mitchell coolly enquired of him as to how he could stop him. Did he intend to exercise personal right to dictate in his own office? Did he intend to insult a member of the committee in his own office? For one hour he had waited for him (Waddill) to go to the train, and had listened to the discussion of them all without saying a word for another hour. Had he have known that such trouble would occur he would have offered the committee the use of his (Mitchell’s) office where he could say anything he pleased even up to condemning him (Mitchell).
The speaker then proceeded to discuss party law. He showed where he was in order. It was 12:15 a. m. when he began his peroration and 12:30 a. m. when he finished it.
The chairman was stretched out in full length on the sofa, while the Alderman (Mitchell) discussed the merits of Col. Lamb and told Judge Waddill and members of the committee of his many virtues.
A more woe-begone body of gentlemen were never seen as they listened to the utterances of the speaker.
At the close, Alderman Mitchell was good for three hours longer. He had spoken three and one half hours, being on his feet for that length of time. At the beginning Messrs. N. J. Smith, Jno S. Bethel, J. S. McLaughlin and others were present but they disappeared one by one.
Squire H. F. Jonathan, a friend of Mr. Mitchell called and sat but he left at 11:16 p. m., until only four remained tired, sleepy, and hungry, yet in a predicament which was pitiful and amusing.
Chairman Southward at one time dared that if the member would stop the talking, he would pledge him to move to adjourn but Mr. Mitchell was unwilling.
At the close, the address was adopted by a vote of vote of 4 to 1. It was understood that it would be submitted Mr. Mitchell, but it was not done but on the contrary it was given to the public with a line inserted reflecting upon the state executive committee which was not in the original at the time it was passed. At 12:10 a. m., the meeting adjourned.

“Waddill's Address,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed January 20, 2026, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/1664.