Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-07-12

Whlte loyallStS 10 separate the races, Dy piac-
ing the blacks in car to themselves. Said
he, to his Radical petitioners: "Gentlemen,
you are taking these negroes to political
Convention to enforce the idea of their equal
ity with white men. If they are your equals
in Conventions, and at the ballot box, you
cannot ask me to deny them equality with
you here. They cannot be put in separate
car" And so the Radicals and negroes rode,
as they went to vote and live, on the same
level. :.
When this motley crew arrived at the de-
pot, they made straight shoot for the hotel,
and took forcible possession of the wash-room,
the negroes intent upon removing the soiling
evidences of contact with white "loyalty,"
and the whites to indulge in the unfamiliar
luxury of wash, the only inducement there
to being the pleasure of performing the ope>
ration along side of the blacks. There might
have been witnessed the delicious spectacle
of noisy, dirty, swearing, sweating crowd of
mean whites and joyful blacks, reeking with
whiskey and tobacco washing in the same
bowls, wiping on the same towels, combing
with the same combs, and only prevented by
q manly and determined landlord from eating
at the same table and sleeping in the same
beds.
THE NIGHT BEFORE
Tuesday evening was devoted to wire pull
ling, trading, caucusing and other 'cussin,"
this last by the predestined victims of the next
day, who were lead to anticipate their fate,
from the thoroughness with which the Gov
ernor and his allies had "fiXed things" to their
own liking. At about o'clck lot of dele
gates claiming to represent sixteen counties,
mostly by proxy, met at private room within
convenient distance from several drinking sa-
looms. Communication with the base of sup
plies having been opened, the caucus began
to compare notes on the question of platform
and nominations. The latter were readily
disposed of. Stevenson friends, being in an
accidental majority, succeeded in committing
the caucus to his support. 1t was also de-
termined that it was unsafe to give a negro
place upon the ticket. AS juicy delegate
put it, NEGRO voters are bad enough, but ne
gro candidates would be certain death. Let
the darkies keep in the background and do the
voting" That such speeches were expected
is clear from the fact that the blacks were ex-
cluded from the caucus.
On the suffrage plank of the platform there
was q wide divergence of opinion. a few
were in favor Of pledging the party to the
Flick Amendment in terms, but an article in
the Wheeling LntcNigcnccr having shown that
there were 25 900 disfranchised white men in
the State the great ma jority took alarm. They
declared that the cnfranchsment of such
number of rebels, even two or three years
hence, as proposed by the Flick Amendment,
would be fatal to the party. They would not
consent TO deliberate suicide. At the same
time something must be done to bridge. over
the coming election. Therefore; it was
agreed to endorse the action of che Legisla-
turc in submitting the Flick Amendmet to the
people, yet absolvinS the party from all OBJ
legation to support it. This was shown to the
"bitter enders" to be equivalent to thanking
the Legislature for opportunity to vote
down the Amendment next winter, and if the
next Legislature were Radical the clause re-
leasing the party from the support of the
Amendment could be pointed to injustifica-
ton of its defeat. In the meantime, that
class of Republicans known as "liberals" had
a quasi endorsement of their course last win-
ter with which they could content themselves
for few years uEtil a ''let up" could be had
without so much risk to the party.
A number Of the "bitter enders" favored
ignoring the Flick Amendment entirely and
fighting the battle squarey on the old line of
continued prescription. The most OF them in
that the plan proposed committed the party to
cure success in the coming election.
The caucus continued in session until 10
o'clock in the morning. A great many very
bitter speeches were made, and the prospect
of break up was favorable, at several points
in the wrangle. The programme agreed upon
and which was Ultimately adopted by the Con
vention, gave great dissatisfaction to many,
but they were outvoted and could onl ly vent
their discomfort in curses.
NEXT MORNING.
The Major Anderson arriving at an early
hour in the morning, brought down the Pan
handle delegates, and train from the East
conveyed those from several counties lying
along the line of the railroad. The cat-haul-
ing and man@uvering was renewed with re-
doubled vigor Many of the new conIers set
themselves to work to undo the ''cut and
''dried" proceedings of the previous day and
night. For example: some of the Ohio dele.
gates protested against Stevensons nomina-
ton, as he was run by the Hornbrooks. He
had been applied to for the removal of worth
less Superintendent of the National Road and
after the case had been made out, pocketed
the papers in obedience to the dictation of Mr..
Jacob Hornbrook. These protesting dele
gates were taxpayers in Ohio county, and
deeply interested in keeping up the National
Road They emphatcally declared Stevenson
could not have their support. McFadden
and his crowd from Marshall, fought against
Stevenson because the Governor would not
re-appoint McFadden Penitentiary Superin>
tendent, after that officer had been voted out
by the Legislature. Harrison county fought
Stevenson because she believed as Dan Farms
worth's speech last Spring asserted, that
Stevenson was traitor TO the State, and worse
than all, traitor to his party. And so might
be given hundred complaints from as many
delegates, all disgruntled at the time and all
irreconciloable. So with other State officers,
especially Boggess for Auditor. Nothing but
the caucus of the night before, could have
saved the Gubernatorial and Auditorial bacon.
The malcontents roamed the streets, rum