The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-07-30
FROM SPENCER COUNTY.
Judge Davy Laird's Speech-Res0-
lutiOnse
RocKPoRT, July q. 1867.

RocKPoRT, July q. 1867.
Editors Juornal:
The great event of the week tran
spired to-day. The Democratic Coun-
ty Convention was held at Center
vile, some ten miles distant, and, of
course, your reporter attended. Not
withstanding the morning was rather
gloomy, some three hundred persons,
men, women and children, including
a fair share of Republican lookers-on,
assembled in the grove. Some dis
turbance was manifest, for all was not
working smoothly among the unterri-
fed. a part desired to run an indie
pendent ticket, and so were opposed
to the Convention, but the others
were determined to sink or swim
with the party; meanwhile some old
joker tuned up a broken fiddle, and a
regular country dance was inagurated,
and for a time all else seemed to be
forgotten, by a large portion of the
people.
At II :20A A. NJ, precisely, the faith
full few were called together, and in
twenty-five minutes adjourned for
dinner, having done nothing, except
organizing and appointing some COM
mittees. By actual count, less than
one hundred voters took part in
the proceedings. This fact alone tells
n foor4,,1 +a1o 20 %ro,rh1a u-han uo 40
member in the party's palmy days,
how a thousand voters assembled and
selected a successful ticket without a
visible jar in the machinery.
We saw a few men with whitened
locks who used to vote for General
Jackson. A few also of their sons,
who stemmed the tide of battle and
returned with honor untarnished,
only to dig their own political graves
in the great Democratic burial ground.
Dinner is over, and in mournful
conclave the faithful are gathered to
hear reports of committees. All diff
ferences of opinion are harmonized,
and nominations are to be made at all
hazards. Two ballotings gave the
following result: For Auditor-Ben-
jamin Z. Bridges; Commissioner
w. T. Kanzler; Coroner-John Ste
venson. Mr.. Bridges, who is but "a
years of age, lost a leg at Hatchie
River, while a private in the old 18th
Indiana, and is. by occupation, a
school teacher. The others are reli-
able business men.
Judge ID. I. Laird being called for,
made a speech, in which he begged
for subscribers to the Democrat, when
some old fellow who had taken too
much platform internally, muttered,
:. Done-done-splendid." A faint MUIR
muir of applause was heard, but for
speaker it was intended is not
known. However. the Judge, like
some nettled steeds, cannot be curbed
for a short heat. So he began to
speak of the glorious, peaceful past,
the banner Of democratic tri-
umph futtered in the breeze. Then
came the war, which became the ex-
cuse for all kinds Of disorders and
crimes. A divided Union, with ten con-
quered provinces lying PROSTATE at the
feet of five military satraps, with dis
and crime fearfully increasing
everywhere, is what we find after
two years of peace, under the misrule
OF a deSp0tIc, ~traltOrouS, fanatlcal,
disunion party. Born in troublous
times, the cause of all our woes, it
only lives by feasting and gloating
over blood and crime, and rejoicing
over the accumulated miseries, out
ragged liberties, and ruined homes of
ten millions of American citizens"
lust here the old topper interfered
again and began to pray, God AL
help US at which some laugh
cd, and one fellow said Amen" but
the Judge proceeded with his TRADE
FOR thirty or forty minutes, when, see
.ng the few who listened, about to de-
part, he took the hint, and shut off
The impetuous torrent Of his elo-
Iuence. 1t was all the old tale of
high taxes, " many Offices, =" white
mans Government &c, &c. But
enough Of this.
The Committee on Resolutions read
some printed ones. for the sake of
Uniformity, probably, and so the day
in peace. More anon.
Yours, &c, G.. RUNNER.