The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-08-08
rrRoM o 1R OWN REpoaTER.I


NioKKasoN's HOTEL, COLUMBIA, s.. c., August
7,2A M-The current interest taken by the
Democracy Of the State in preparing for the
grand contest of the Presidential election is
we'll shown by the alacrity with which they
responded to the call Of the State Central E1-
ecutiye Committee to meet in convention m
Columbia on Thursday, October 6, forthe pur-
pose Of nominating electors for President and
Vice President, of the United States, and for
other purposes. It was not known how much
or how little these words, ssand for other pur-
poses,' were intended to express, but it was
known that it was necessary to buckle on the
electoral armor without delay, and place at
once in.the field the men upon whose electi on
should depend the veal or woe Of the State
Each district made it's nominations Of dele
gates, and the Convention which assembled
last night in the Carolina Hall comprised rep
resentatiyes from every district without excep-
ton, and was true exponent Of the wishes
and feelings of the people Of South Carolina.
! AS the delegates arrived at their headquar-
ters, Nickerson's Hotel, the scene was striking
lypicturesdue. The members (white) Of the
body which callssitseR the General Assembly
of South Carolins were smoking their cigars,
stretching their legs, and enjoying all the
otiuns cum dignitate Of nothing to do, much
to say, and just six dollars day. When the
hacks and the omnibuses discharged their
load, as portly bundles and Noachian trunks
were piled up in the vestibule, these roots Of
all our evil thundered and wondered, and per-
haps thought with the Laureate that some
body biundered. But there was no error here.
The small band Of Carolina Democrats was
ready to be hurled against the Radical guns,
and their onset at least is magnificent, IT, is
not war: One weak,souled alien thought that
the Ku .Klux had at last invaded the capital.
It was rot, however, the K. Z. Klan, but the
O. z. Klan which had taken the town by storm.
:, Informal meetings OF the several delegates
were held at o'clock, and as the cracked bells
sounded s, the delegates were on their way to
the place of meeting. The way was long and
dif.5ult. Brickbats and mud holes were more
abundant than street lamps and orange groves.
vet the goal was reached and the shining hall
was filed. It is not palatial in appearance, it
is Of no known order or disorder of architec-
ture; nevertheless, it is clean, spacious, neat,
andnot ''nigger."
Alta few minutes after 8 the Convention was
called to order by General Wade Hampton,
and, on motion, Ex-Governor Bonham was ap-
pointed temporary chairman. AS the old
chieftain took his seat there was long roll of
applause, which was renewed when his brief
words OF salutation were spoken. The differ
ent delegations were sitting mainly together,
and among them there were noticed the ga
liant NJ. c. Butler, the shrewd yet friendly Gar
lington, the digniAed Gen. Wagener, chair
man of the Charleston delegation, tie Keen
eyed Conner, the portly Burt, the courteous
Mr.. Speaker Simonton, as well as legion OF
other cultivated gentlemen whose names Will
be found on the roll Of the Convention, as they
have already been inscribed upon the roll OF
fame. So.
The preliminary steps in organizing the
Convention occupied more sme than was ne
cessary; but the Committee on Permanent Off
GERS reported promptly, and their report was
! unanimously adopted. MIR. Burt, On taking