The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-05-08
RESULTING IN A VICTORY FOR
THE SHERMAN MANAGERS.

RESULTING IN A VICTORY Fol
THE SHERMAN MANAGERS.
Followed by ~ split which was After
wards II caIed Partially by "a Conn
promise ON the Basis Of o for
Grant, o for the Treasurer.
and 4 for Blaine.
The people of Jackson have not Ell
loved theluxury ola Radical State Con
vention for four or five years, and tc
such of them who were able to hold
moderate check upon the old time dis
gust which that sort of thing is calcu'
lated to inspire, it was a funny pro
ceeding.
MANY of the leading members
of the delegation arrived on Mon
day, two days in advance of the reg
ular pitched battle between the
Shermanites and GRANTEES. The
Grant leaders plumed themselves
upon the enthusiasm Of colored Re
publicans for the Chief, and the
strength and force and influence OF
their own position. They were power
fully reinforced by the irrepressible
Pinchback, and the invincible Dugan,
from New Orleans, and the ubiquitous
prodigy, Tom Axletree, from Texas
The latter gentleman appears to be
an American Warwick whose main
business is to make and unmake dy-
nasties At present, his chief object
is to take care of the "man of destiny"
which is Grant, and to instruct State
Conventions. He talks like an oracle
with fluency and emphasis, and
sometimes, it may be, that he talks
too much. We have been Informed
that he is in the confidence of the
destiny man-in hourly communities
ton with him, perhaps-but for all
that, his power over the Mississippi
Radical Convention did not appear
to be absolutely supreme.
On Tuesday, they procured life
size picture of the General, and hung
it over a door leading into one of our
saloons, over which, the Grant head
quarters were established. AT night
they stretched brilliant transparency
across the main entrance to the Capt.
tol with the inspiring words:
"U. S. GRANT,
THE PEOPLES CIIOICE!"
emblazoned upon it.
Never was there a more confident
set of partisans than the champions
of Grant. They talked big-they talk
ed emphatically-some of them using
language not taught in the Sunday
Schools-and were ready to set down
on anybody as an idiot who admitted
the possibility of doubt that Gen.
Grant would sweep the Convention
like whirlwind.
Meantime, the Sherman followers,
under the modest but mastery leader
ship of Jim Hill, with his lieutenants
of the Revenue corps, had put out a
Sherman flag in front of the Internal
Revenue office on State street, and
there the Sherman clans gathered and
the plan of battle was matured.
On Wednesday morning the streets
were alive with delegates. The old
heroes of the wrecked party, the COM
patriots of the wreckers and many of
the simon pure Ames wreckers them
selves crawled out of their holes, lifted
up their heads, and wore upon their
faces the same hopeful longing for the
fiesh-pots. The sable SONS of Ethiopia
again stepped around like statesmen,
and discussed issues of government
with the air of men born to the bust
ness. 1t was very full convention.
Nearly every county was represented
The proportion between the pure
Anglo Saxon and the African mixture
in the delegation was about as four to
one, in favor of the mixture.
AS the minute hand neared the
hour of high noon, the patriots began
to nestle down upon the soft cushioned
chairs of the Representatives Hall.
Very soon-amOst to the minute-the
capacity of the Hall was filled. Every
seat was occupied. Capt. George NJ.
Buchanan, of Holly Springs, Chair
man of the Executive Committee, rap
ped the meeting to order, and made
a little speech in which he congratu-
lated the Faithful upon the happy re-
Spouse which had followed an impro-
vised call of the Executive Committee.
He could see in the numbers and char
acter Of the men before him, a hope
full evidence of earnestness and con-
tinued fealty to the party of freedom,
and an augury of its success. Conjur-
ing his brethren to stand by the party
and to consider the cause rather than
the man to be chosen for President, he
announced himself ready to entertain
a motion looking TO a temporary or
ganiZation.
Here the fight opened in earnest,
and for while it was lively, and
promised good deal Of innocent
sport for the unbiased spectators.
Ham Carter, of Vicksburg, in burst
of fiery eloquence, nominated Mr.
Gayles, of Bolivar, for Temporary
Chairman, which motion was second
ed by Gen. George G.. Mckee, in a
speech bristling with figures of speech
and panegyrics upon Grant and the
colored brother. Mckee is a little
out of practice, but his gifts of oratory
came back to him after some wooing
and warming up. "George w.
r, ., 49, 1911 A. ov tor ttxaz