Wilmington journal., 1876-08-11
Secretaries.
For the JournaI.


For tho journal.
Radical POvVNVoVx in Pcnder.
MIR. EDIroR:-The believing anG
night bowling Of negroes and worse
white men, which for weeks past have
agitated Ponder county, eliminated in
the Radical County Convention here
to.day. In number aud enthusiasm
the meeting was a failure, not one.
tenth being present thst were expect.
ed and those in attendance were priu.
clpally trickste.s who by intrigue had
become delegates to the Convention.
OF course the usual number of white
Radicals were on hand to besprinkle
the blackness and court and hug the
darling negro
But let us enter the menageria: W.
j. Blvine is appointed permanent ring
master, and J. ID. SeIlars to keep the
count. The first scene was an attempt
to settle contested delegation from
the town of Ellington. Bivins being
chairman appointed such committee
as would settle the matter as lie
wished, and Bill McIntire and the 9th
er rightful delegates were rejected.
Old Sherman, the most bear looking
African iii the county, hoped McIn-
tire would say nothing to offend "dis
wise congregation SO dem Dimocrats
kin laugh" Tom Brewington, a very
sensible negro, reared and plunged,
and told how Henry Register bought
''dat nigger Peter McKethan." Peter
arose to reply to the "nannydotes'
(anecdOtes) of Brewington tnd stormsd
the convention with the antics of a
well-trained jack; here fully thirty
were on the floor at one time hollow
ing and mingling their voices in a
deafening howl. The animals were
now all uncaged.
The ring master beloved for "Or-
deri order" but instead of thirty, now
the whole have indulged in general
row-the indescribable scene of about
sixty buck negroes joining in deafen-
ing pow-wow and confusion. ''Piuts"
OF order were raised, the previous
question was called, but nothing but
sheer exhaustion caImed the heated
rage of the nowling demons. When
Walker (Yallow Tasso) nominated
Bivens for the Legislature. Bivins
being chairman of course took the vote
and declared himself nominated. Your
correspondent was in two feet of
DIVIDE "Holl GuS NOJ0 WAS bdhcu Dub
could hear nothing he. said, so great
was the tumultuous noise. But Walker
continued to nominate, and Blvlns
continued to take the vote till the
whole ticket was gone through with.
So Walker, with one or two at his side,
the following ticket:
For Sheriff. NJ Groom.
For Register of Deeds--1 III Brown.
For CoronOr-GeOrge W. Carr, col
ored.
For County Commissioners G.
Register. @. M. ID. Humphrey, S.
Wagstaf1, Elisha Tate. colored, and
George W. Bordeaux, colored.
For Surveyor-Thad Moore.
When the row subsided and it was
fonul that Walker and Bivens alone
had nominated the ticket the bowling
and barking were renewed. hnt the
chairman became mnlish and refused
to entertain any motion till order was
restored. An adjournment was how
ever eff-cted.
From the manner in which the nom
nations were made, and the terrible
dissatisfaction thereat it was evident
that the thing had to be done over
again AT any rate the bellweathers
saw that something must be done to
quiet the dissatisfaction OccaslOned by
the terrible row i'll the forenoon.
Caucussing set in. and ut p. m the
performance began again. The same
disgusting scenes were rehearsed and
the same terrible noise renewed.
Bivens arose. he said, for de sake of
''psase and hominy (peace and har-
mony) desc gemmen (black ncgroes)
mus quit da rowin Or it will 'stroy the
publican party and in two years we
can't find de ia of it." He was
finally hnshed by the uproar and
noise. At this juncture one Humphry,
who had been dong his snorting and
blowing in one corner unnoticed. took
his exit with "g-d d-m such II
mess" Old man Gamburg, init his
pipe, appeared in the dnsky crowd and
made things lively with his double and
twisted brogue; said he: 81 best no
more come to dis sconwention NIT der
d m FOOLS" and the old fellow cursed
ont and took his seat. Sheriff Horrell
gets on his muscle and asserts his
authority as a peace officer, but Bill
Bell drunken negro tells him to go
to HI, and the violent sheriff, though
IL delegate, withdrew from the Con-
vention in disgust. Sam Bell nomi-
mates man whom he said WAS an
honest man, but they cried, "den he
is no publican, needn't nominate him.
Cudjo Larkins (col) now tries his
hand: "gemmen is we got conwen-
tion, or is we tryin to'see who kin be
de biggest fool; n NV Mr.. Chairmon de
cullud man is bin vOtin fur over ten
years and now can't git 10 Office. de
white men in our party gifts de office. L
am tired of votin fur dis white trash. .
Cudjo was running for sheriff but was
ignored.
Thus the matter went on for about
an hour. The same yelling. cursing
and bowling was again renewed. The
..critters" had all become hoarse from
continual following and blowing, their
united hollow reminding one Of lot
of Gagged beasts. This time "Jestlss
Bill Moore, from Wilmington. came
to the rescue. He saw that Bivins
had failed to manage the meeting. and
he essayed to prompt him. Snow put
dat motion, Mr.. Bivins; now set down
Mr.. B.; now git up Mr.. B." were
about the character of his prompting.
Bivins was very obedient.
By continual drumming on the tables
and floor to drown the noise of thos
speaking, the row was somewhat
quelled, and the work of the forenoon