Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-06-12
Radical County Nominating Convention.

ana tnt HoSt casual observer knew
once that the great Republican part
had gathered together to divide out it
spoils. The complexion aud characte
of the delegates caused taxpayers t.
look alarmed and well they might, 70
a more hungry and cadaverous set O
cormorants never assembled together
| They evidently meant business.
| Long before the hour of meeting
| these ''loiP' citizens assembled in knot
| of three to an indefinite number OIL
Psincess street, near the Court House
d scusSinG the situation, which wa
! vastly edifying to the passers By.
| At 9! O'Clock .he Executive Commit
! tee were called to order by the chair
man, Mr.. G. Z. French, who had tC
call in the services of Esquire Moore
to get the faithful together. Order
was established after threats by the
chairman to clear the house, and busI-
ness proceeded about as intelligently
as could be expected from the materia
in the hands of the chairman. The
object of this committee meeting
seemed to be to examine credentlal:
and verify proxies, work OF rldicu
I0us supereraSatiOE, as the Convention
subsequently contended over these
same questions about as intelligently
and as nOisily as Il parcel of balloons,
but our cOlOred fellow citizens have Il
peculiar fondneSs for technical forms
and their white companions like tC
pander to their little peculiaritles, as
these fellows do most of the voting
after the Convention does its work.
So Mr.. French and his hands worked
away until after dinner, with a recess.
All went smoothly as possible until
the Wilmington delegates at large were
called, then a contestlnS delegation
pnt in an appearance. Several wit
nesses were examined, eliciting nothing
Intelligent. HeatOn moved that the
eight delegates who voted for the del
egates at large be called up as wit
ncsses. Burnev moved to amend
by having these delegates elected
again. Heaton waxed wrathy in
support of his motion and saw
in the effort to oust these dele
gates something rotten and corrupt
Our nasal organ lead us TO the same
conclusion. Heaton seems to appre-
ciata the negro character, for he
sought to convince his sable hearers
by the violence Of his GESTURES and the
strength Of his lungs, and he does
However Josh Russ replied that
Hcaton could not frighten himself and
his friends by his loud talk and violent
language, which, however, was only a
joke of JOsh's as HeatCn was evidently
master of the situation.
During this enlightening and able
discussion, cur hirsute friend. the
Chairman, with stentoran voice and
persuading stick, kept order very
much in the same manner that crus-
ty pedagogue does over his timid
scholars. French has even better
appreciation of our colored fellow
citizens than Heaton has. Anyhow he
kept order. In the issue Burney was
defeated and the Manning delegates
from the city at large were admitted.
First blood for Manning.
There was no further squabbling
until Caswell Township was called.
Here there We're contesting delega-
tions. It was alleged that an ancient
colorcd gentleman, Ephriam Hawes,
who WAS ey-otficio Chairman of the
Township, called the meetingto order,
declared himself and two others dele
gates to the Convention and adjourned
the meeting. Another ne eting was
held and other delegates appointed.
Heaton's love for the party had caused
him to visit this meeting, and he an
noanced, according to n witness, that
he was going to beat old uncle Ephriam,
rs he was Il mere tool of the Demo
Gratis. Much testimony was heard, in
which each successive witness broke
down the testimony of the other, and
they were all honorable gentlemen, at
least they were SO designated by the
very gentlemaniy candidates for
office. One Haywood Johnson said he
was not the Secretary Of Mr.. Havcs'
confusion, but was the Secretary of the
last nonOpoly. We thought this was
a clincher for Heaton. but Price got
up another honest and in elligent wit
ness, and caused him to contradict
himself at least half a dozen times
Heaton proposed to relieve Price, but
Price said he proposed to orelievehimself.
Occasionally the scene would become
quite animated, Price and Archey
Walker would indulge i'll not very po-
lite terms towards each other. Dur
ing the confusion Esquire Moore
rushed upon thescene in the most melo-
dramatic style like n second Richard
i'll quest OF a horse. The hirsute Chair
man put n damper upon his ardor by
demanding his authority for interrupt
ing the meeting. He held up proxy
most defiantly, and the Chairman and
Price wilted, and the future Senator
smiled a smile childlike and bland -
the innocent creature.
Esquire Moore introduced himself
to attention by denouncing ''those old
poIiticianeis which has been defeated,
like Mayor Cannady, whose hat would
hardly stay on his head if he was to
come in here. He proposed to close
the deliberations OF the committee by
the moving announcement that '' we
are hongry." This had its effect, and
the committee adjourned until 2!
o'clock.
With yell of delight the Com
missaryiies leaped into the bar, one
annonnc .ng that ''he had been eachen
to get French out of the Chair" and
Alderman Wilson was called to the
Chair. He VAS very thankful, OF
course, and said his piece with evi-
dent emotion. He surely felt com
pIimented, and it was for him very
great honor. III. E. Scott was asked
to act as Secretary, but like Esquire
Moore, Z" he was hongry," and Heaton
was hOngfy TOO. wise had mao
his breakfast, and he undertook the
unnecessary duty. Heaton spoke, in
dulging in the severest denunciatior
of the Mayor, employing in some deli
cate fish market appelations. He de
clared war against Cannady and pro
claimed that his days were numbered
W. Fl. Waddell addressed the mob
and requested the reporters not to re
port him, a request we most heartily
agree to. AS Wilson could not man
| age the hands as well AS French, th'
meeting was really nothing but
mob.
At 2! o'clock French called his com
mittee to order, and very shortly after
ward they adjourned.
French then called the Convention t.
order. Gerken was requested to &C
as Secretary. The Chairman desire'
to speak of the unfortunate condition
of his party, but time forbade. W
supposed it was because OF his inabiil
ty to do the subject justice. Pric
presented a proxy, when the creates
hubbub began.
The Chairman appealed to til