The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-03-09
The Nominating Convention.
THE NEW STATE oFF1oERs-sKErcHEs OF THE
oANDDATEs-wHo WILL BE ELEcTED-TRE
GRAND SCRAMBLE FOB THE sPons.

: oANDDATEs-wHo WILL BE EIEcTED-TR1
GRAND SCRAMBLE FOB THE sPons.
The convention just now, is a great politica
'wheel within o wheel" which in turn holds
innumerable smaller wheels revolving helter-
skelter-some in combination, some on theil
own hook some for one object, and some fol
another, but all in confusion, throwing out
their vari-colored sparks like the pyrotechnic
splutterings of fourth of July fre-work. Office
seekers are thick as bees around sugar cask.
Every position in the State, from the lowest
TO the highest, has become sudden object OF
admiring contemplation to on indefinite num-
ber Of entities, each one of which considers
himself better than "any other man." The con-
sequent bidding, badgering and backblting;
the crowding in and showing out; the button
holing, lobby-rolling, stomach-moving, pocket
touching influences at work, are as incompre-
henslble in magnitude and effect as the Cretan
labyrinth would be by the light of q tallow
candle. South Carolina never witnessed any
thing like it on the same scale before, and
probably not until after another deluge will o
similar spectacle be seen again.
Il is not our purpose to describe the vast
army of candidates who have been inspired to
play livery servant for the dear people. Their
name is legion, and their color ranges from
the pure Ethiopian black, through every stage
Of brown to the pale-faeed Sir Oracle Of his
party. The task would be an idle one. We
have to oeal at present only with those upon
whom the mantle of greatness is likely to fall
tomorrow night, should they perchance be
chosen to fill the executive and congressional
offices of the State, by the nominating conven-
tion which will then assemble at the Club
House.
OF this convention We know but little. We
presume, however, that in it's elementary char
acter, it will be mainly second edition of the
present assembly. Charleston has furnished
small infusion of fresh representatives; Berke-
| ley may do the same; and Influences are un-
derstood to be at work in Colleton to send
delegation hither who will vote straight through
for the man who pays their expenses down.
Beyond these localities, We suppose qualified
electors" Of the State have instructed the ori-
giual delegates from the respective districts to
.'do the best they can." In some OF the DIS
tricts, like Sumter, for instance, mass meetings
have been held, and nominees selected, for
whom the delegates were requested to vote.
TIE CANDIDATES.
We shall proceed to notice these individually,
with tho PREDATORY remark that the convention
has confined its choice, with one exception
General r. L. Scott), to its own members.
While there are able men outside OF the body,
thoroughly identified with the party and far
more capable of representing it in the various
lepartments OF the State and general govern
ment than anybody in the Club House-men
like R. B. Carpenter, D. I. Corbin, and others
they have been most persistently left out IN
the cold. It is true that for some reason they
lave not sought position, and have BEEN con-.
tent to quietly discharge their official duties;
but there is no sort OF question that had the
convention desired to secure the services o.
the best men in their party, they would have
made room tor them around the grab bag and
given them an equal showing.
For the Office of Governor two candidates
only al in the 6eld-one Northern, the other
O Southern man. The first to whom we shall al
lude is
GEN. R. K. SCOTT.
This gentleman is known as the Assistant
Commissioner Of the Freedmen's Bureau, in
which capacity he has served since the close
of the war. He is native OF Ohio physician
by profession, and about forty years OF age; is
fine looking man, over SIX feet IN height, and
has lost none OF the bon hUnanaie OF his original
profession, by reason OF association with his
brusque comrades of the army. He is said to
be conservative Republican, and during the
last two or three years, has greatly aided thu
planters and others in obtaining means to re-
sumo their former occupation. II nominated
he would be particularly strong on TIE coast;
and although many wolld refuse to vote for
him under the arrangement made on Saturday,
because they would thereby be compelled to
vote for colored man il Nominated, aud for
ordinances which are illegal, ho would receive
q moral support Of considerable weight.
COL. T. J. ROBERTSON.
This gentleman is South Carolinian by
DlrGl-A Ulllf0 VI GdAaOAo 0ASlAASVs OOhi
mencing life as planter, he has gradually
worked into hls presout occupation as q capi-
talist, and, as has been before stated, is tnc
wealthiest man in the convention That he is
pel son Of determined character and NOR |,
courage is best indicated by the fact that, with
a full knowledge of the difficulties Of maintain
ing such position socially, he was one of
tho first in the State to join the Republican
party. Since then he has spent time and money
to build it up. When General Sherman's ar
nv passed through Columbia his known oppo-
sition to the war eliminated in an entertain
ment given to the Federal officers, which
BROUGHT him into universal disrepute, and
created many personal and bitter enemies. On
the other hand there were those in the city
whom he succored in the hour Of need, by
using bis influence to save their property
from the flames and themselves FROM want.
In the convention his course is well known.
Although not an easy public speaker, he has
opposed out and out everything that savored
of reputation of debts, and thereby made
many friends among the moneyed men outside
of tho body, while his general course has been
in the main acceptable to his fellow-delegates.
AS fnanciar, Col. Robertson would probably
he q successful Governor, Tor his money is In