Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1872-09-19
Y. SEPTEMBER 19, 1872.

Ao ! 80
office. Nominations for members Of the Legls-
lature were next in order. After several bal.
lotings, attended with the utmost disorder
and confusion, John Lilley, Charles Sims
and Prince Young, all colored, and all total
ly incompetent and unfit for the position,
were put forward as the nominees of the Re-
publican party for the House of Representa-
tives from Chester county. This is the kind
of reform sthe party" proposes to inaugurate
"within its own lines" The ticket is in every
respect worse one than that elected in 1870.
County Commissioners were next to be nom-
mated. For these positions every delegate in
the convention, who had not already got
something, became candidate. The Chair
man in feeling terms congratulated them on
their patriotic willingness to serve their coun-
try, and invited the six candidates who con-
sidered themselves the most capable to step to
the 'front.' The whole body moved simuta-
neously forward. A ballot was then gone
into, and as no one came near receiving ma
iority of votes, it was moved that James Reid,
Madison Pendergrass and Burrell Hemphill,
the two last colored, who had received the
highest number of votes, should be declared
nominated by acclamation. The motion pre-
vailed. The Republicans themselves are dis
gusted with these nominations.
The business of selecting candidates having
been concluded, Judge Mackey offered Sc
ries of resolutions endorsing the nominees of
the Regular State ticket, pledging the party
to suspend the payment of interest on all the
bonds of the State, to repudiate all the bonds
that have been fraudulently issued, and to do
all in their power to bear Grant and Wilson
on to victory. Yocum here arose and began
to chatechise the Judge as to certain state
ments he had made in regard to the contem-
plated action of the State Executive Commit
tee. elimination and recrimination followed
each other in rapid and violent succession.
The excitement ragged high. Things looked
as if somebody was bound to be hurt. Final
ly the confusion became so great that the
Chairman abruptly adjourned the meeting
without putting the resolutions to vote.
We have made no effort to i've even faint
idea of the shameless indecencies that charac-
terized the days proceedings Language
would be inadequate to convey to the minds
of those who were not present any conception
of the scene. The like of it las never been
witnessed in this county, and tor the sake OF
humanity we trust the like may never be seen
again.
"Bill Validate" a correspondent Of the
Charleston Republican, furnishes the follow
ing additional particulars in regard to the
scenes enacted at the chester Radical nomina.
ting Convention:
"At the close of the nominations, the arre-
pressibk Judge T. J. Mackey left the chair,
took the floor and offered resolutions pledging
the Convention and nominees to the support
of "The Regular Republican State ticket"
After the reading Of these resolutions, Colonel
Yocum arose and refused to be thus pledged,
stating that he had heard committee, COM
posed of members of "The Regular Republi-
can State Central Committee" had been sent
to Washington to demand Of the National
Executive Republican Committee and Presi-
dent Grant the removal of United States Dis
trict Attorney D. T. Corbin, Colonel Lewis
Merrill, U. S. A., commanding the post of
Yorkville, and Col. W. Fl. Brown, D. S. A.,
commanding the post of Chester, and to
threaten that if these gentlemen were not re-
moved, they would turn over the vote Of the
State to Greeley and Brown.
Yocum referred to the signal and merito-
rious services performed by all those gentle
men in sustaining the enforcement acts, by
prosecuting the ku-klux and arresting and
bringing to trial those cowardly night riders.
They, he said, were the men who had given to
the colored people protection and safety. He
firmly believed that the county Of Chester
was largely in favor of Grant, and that no
petty spite would make the people turn from
the man that had extended a protecting hand
in their behalf. He, (Yocum) considered it
high-handed movement on the part of the
State Central Committee to make such de-
mands and threats to crafty the vaulting am.
bition of few designing political tricksters,
and he awaited the action of that dictatorial
committee before he would entertain the con-
sideration of the resolution. Yocum was
loudly cheered. Judge Mackey now arose to
his work, like the professional shoulder-hitter
on his second wind, and berated the carpet
'baggers, the military, &c., slashing away in
his usual high moral buncombe style on the
corrupt carpet.bag administration.
At this point, Colonel Yocum asked Judge
Mackey if he considered Governor Scott one
of the corrupt officials? To which the reck.
less Judge responded in his deepest toned bass,
"I dor' Then, sir, said Colonel Yocum, "why
were you found on the floor of the House of
Representatives lobbying against the impeach-
ment of the man whom you know to be cor
rupt, while I was advocating and voting for
his impeachment The judge, taken aback
by this direct question, replied "that he had
been employed by Governor Scott as a la,gyer,
to defend him." To which the Colonel re.
marked "that he had heard Of mean, low,
petty.fogging, shyster lawyers, who would
stoop to anything for fee, but he had never
heard of professional lawyer so low and
mean as to accept fee for begging and bri-
bing members of "a Legislature to vote for cor
rupt measures, and in support of retaining
openly corrupt men in office"
At this juncture the Convention began to
see the Jud ge's little game Of "brag and bluff"
and called out for Yocum to 'go on" "give
it to him p "say some more p "bring out the
truth, Yocum p hurrah for Yocum !" &C., the
discomftted "lawyer" in the meantime gath
ering up his stil-born resolutions, his old tile,
his gold.headed bludgeon, &c., while cloud
of anger darkened his Mephistophelian brow.
Making his way toward the door the thunder
tones of the double bass were heard to rumble
out 1--WE will have another Convention to
nominate Sheriff." and like the ghost of
Banquo the dark-browed Judge "stalked out
the portals of the court house, bearing huge
load of disappointment and disgust.
The Convention soon after adjourned, the
band playing "Cast that shadow from thy
brow" The delegates, in their enthusiasm,
over their escape from the Judges trap, seized
hold of Yocum and actually carried him out