The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-05-19
An Inside View Of the Republican
State Convention.
H C Henry CarrolD, a regular c

H. C. Henry CarrolD, a regular cor
respondent of the \. Y. Times, was sent
to Jackson to report the proceedings OF
the Republican Convention for that
journal, and. coming with credentials,
he was admitted into the inner circles
of the Radical leaders, and was a wit
ness of what was done behind the scenes
as well as in front of them. His report
of the maneuvering of John Sherman,
through his Revenue officials, to secure
Chicago delegation pledged to him,
will not be without interest:
John Sherman, the Finance Minister of the
nation, together with his agents, Is engaged IN
a svstematic and desperate effort To steal
norton of the votes from this section to the
Chicago Convention, thereby grossly wrong
ing and incorporating men VINO nave al
ready for their RepublIcanlsn, suffered more
than enough. Worst Of all, the men who are
ENGAGED in this disreputable work are officers
of the Government. 1t will be useless Tor Mr.
Sherman longer to deny these 1acts- Inc
proof against aim is absolute and oyerwhelm-
ing All through this part Of the country paid
AGENTS Of the United States men who are sup
ported out of the public Treasury, have tor
weeks past entirely neglected the public du.
ties they are sworn faithfully 10 perform, ana
with Secretary Sherman's commissions IN
their rockets have travelled from county to
county and town to town try ing with promises
and free use of money 10 buy the services OF
prominent colored men, and ultimately to Sc
cure support for Mr.. Sherman at Chicago.
Here in Mississippi the field for display of
/ their peculiar talents has been a remarkably
/ fine one. Practically there was until this
morning no Republican organization IN the
State; there was State Committee, no Coun-
( ty Committees, 10 district associations. Ali
/ we're abandoned when the shotgun plan"
/ succeeded and the terrible massacre at Vicks-
burg had sent 10 another world or driven from
/ the State most of the promina Mt eolored lead
/ ers Taking advantage of this lack of organ
/ ization. the Sherman managers contrived
! 10 elect from number OF the more lnacces-
sible counties Of the State ''represe ntat.yes
/ to THE Jackson Convention. who had never
/ been within q hundred miles Of the localities
| they professed To speak for. In other cases
! they organized, without notice, bogus county
! meetings and elected members of their own
! ofice-bolding clique. IN sun other instances
/ they tried, by liberal offers OF Tree lodging
/ and free whisky, to secure the votes OF color
! ed delegates in regard to the legality of whose
election there was no doubt. James Hill, a
black man vino owes his fat position of Inter
nal Revenue Collector TO Mr.. Sherman, has
acted from the first as the leader of the move
ment Whose money he and the other office
holders spend is, Of course, private matter
J with
erous public has nothing 10 do. Be this as II
NAV, however, it Is certain that they were
\ plentifulIy supplied with good United States
j currency, and used 1t freely.
After describing the manner in which,
what the correspondent calls "Sher
mans Hessians," had manipulated the
delegations, he proceeds to relate the
tactics of the Grant men, rs follows:
At this point while the triumph Of the Rev
enue Agents clique seemed complete, Gen
Fitzgerald, Of Nicksburg, one of Grant ables
supporters in the South, arrived. Seeing at
glance what was going on, he Immediately
asked for the assistance OF Col. Ochlltree, ex
Gov. PinChback, of Louisiana, and Of a North
E ern Republican who was in the town, and /
/ hurriediv called caucus of the friends o
Grant was held. 1t resulted in the discovery
that the office-holders had indeed, captured
majority of the delegates. 1t was under thes'
f circumstances that the convention was held
vet it has resulted in the triumph of the rea
! sentiment of the State, and in the defeat o
Hill Sherman and Company. As l stated il
my dispatch TO the Times last night, when th'
packed majority completely put to shame
by the exposure of their Infamous method
which was made on the floor of the convention
. they abandoned their original intention Of III
, | structing the delegates for sherman, anc
, made no oppos ition to the selection repre-
! sentatiyes to Chica 90 of men who were pledge
: in caucus to support Gen. Grant Not con
tent with this however, Gen. Fitzgerald auC
his advisers prepared resolution declaring
: Grant TO be the choice of the Republicans Q
, Mississippi. This was introduced at | 'cloel
1 this morning after the convention had been ii
= session all night. Its presentation occasionec
the widest excitement. Hill, his usually vel
low face green with rage, tried to debate the
! resolution, but his own colored follower;
would not allow him to do so. Question,
Question" came from all parts of the hall
Gibbs. the recently appointed census-taker
who was in the chair, refused to ask for a vote
= and then. at a wink from HILL the Committee
on The Platform being still out, declared the
convention adjourned sine die, and left The
: chair This was at once taken by Fitzgerald
who called the convention to order, and nom
/ mated State Senator Gayles, a colored man
for Chairman. Gayles was elected, and the
/ work of the convention was completed by the
adoption of the following platform.