The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1882-06-20


Pursuant to a call recently made b. the Re-
publican Executive Committee Of Leon county
q mass convention Of The party met At Gallie's
Hall on Saturday, the nth inst The couven-
ton was called ostensibly 10 consult together as
to the best course for the party 70 pursue In the
future, but 1t was pretty well understood that
the real object of the meeting was 10 complete
the sale and transfer of the Republican party If
Leon county to the Independents. socalled. by
the Executive Committee, it being apparently
considered that Leon county should be the en-
tering wedge for the entire State. The country
cousins were understood to be generally opposed
10 this wholesale transfer OF their SURFACES and
turned out strong in the convention
The convention was called TO order by Rev
w. G. Stewart, Chairman Of the Executive Com
mittee, and motion was made that he should
act as temporary chairman Of the convention.
This was the signal for the opposition 10 show
up; which it did in an earnest protest by Ben
Aldridge, who made throughout the entire pro
ceedings, an able leader. His strong hold was
"rsin' 10 q pint" and this was proven 30 be a
wise and judicious plan of operations. His first
"pint was equal to a quart, more strictly
speaking, of cold water thrown upon the pro
ceedings. Aldridge spoke boldly and 70 the
point. He is q six-fOoter, with voice like all
The bulls of Basan." and he never Jailed TO OBJ
tain hearing by the convention whatever the
chairman might do. He declared, in effect. that
the colored people of Leon and the State had
been too long the victim of rings and that
whereas they had been blind, now they see. and
"even the little babies now see" Finally after
perfect avalanche of motions, counter motions,
"pints," and calls for a vote the point was con
ceded and Stewart was permitted TO act rs tenn
porary chairman. W. F. Thompson was chosen
secretary. John Wallace endeavored Al this
point TO have a committee on credentials APP
pointed but there was more trouble which as
finally pacified, and ParsOn Stewart made =
touching appeal TO the Ministers OF the Gospel
present to preserve peace and conduct the pro
ceedings with order and decorum. A commit
tee on credentials was finally appointed consist
ing of ]. II. Gilbert, Alfred Edwards. Mack Davis.
VIM Chatt L. c. Williams, Kit Ferreil and r.
p. Neal. John Wallace was also on the list but
declined to serve =" on account Of his eyes. hui
really because he had other fish To fry
The committee retired and then the fun began
again. 1t was moved that Hon. 5. B. Conoxer
be invited to address the convention The mo
ton probably came from the country party. but
who made il could not be ascerIained- The city
'mokes" objected, and Conoyer declined. saying
that he might perhaps speak later. Aldritse
was called tor but also declined. The proceed-
ings becoming TOO tame at this stage. DIR Conc
yer, was again called for by Phil Carroll. a vote
taken, and he was formally invited 10 sTseak.
WHICH ut ulu, Sdlii lldl Ut A4A0 HhL ~aAIN
which he desired 10 talk about and that was the
matter of the talk about him in the State on ar
count of his not having made any contest Tor the
Office of Governor in the election Of two years
ago. He stated that he submitted the entire
matter to the Stale Executive Committee and
wrote them letter, which he read. and winch
we have not room to reproduce, delivering The
matter into their hands for action. and that be
had never since heard one word from thai Gem
miitee in relation 10 the matter DIR Gunover
declared that Notwithstanding all the abuse and
opposition of his enemies he was the same Re
publican he always was and wanted nothing
but the good of the Republican party. lie was
opposed to the action of the Executive Com
mittee in declaring the party should endorse the
sO-caed Independent movement, and hoped the
convention would act wisely and well Several
members of the convention auditors asked
the Doctor a number of pertinent questions
about his acts and doings with reference % the
contest for the GovernOrship which they had
been led to suppose he would make two wears
ago, all of which he answered, apparently te
their satisfaction.
On the conclusion of Mr.. ConOver's address,
John Wallace was called for, and came promptly
10 the front, and attempted to 60 over COnOTer :
whole record, with the evident intention Il CIV
ing him good shaking up Tins was nuts for
the convention, for well as they know John Wal
lace, they wanted amusement, and didn't care a
copper who furnished il, or at whose expense.
They hooted and yelled and screamed al every
pint made by the speaker as If they were in
the heartiest sympathy with him He was inter
rupted from time TO time, as also was DR. Con
over, by the irrepressibe Aldridge with his
"pints," one of which was that he saw two chair
men on the stand instead of one, referring 20
special marshal Bob Wright who had taken a
seat on the platform after his efforts on the floor
to preserve order. He proved himself the right
man in the right place, and. was allowed the
privilege of sitting or standing wherever he saw
fit.
The secretary here interrupted the proceedings
to announce that he would not pay out any more
nickels to the boy for bringing buckets of water
and wanted collection taken up He was n
nally pacifed (by show of hands in pockets
which, however, never panned out anything in
the shape of results) and Wallace went on with
his speech, or tried TO- but the general confusion
was so great that it was for some time uncertain
whether Wallace or any one of dozen Others
was addressing the convention" He finally
succeeded in saying something which made a
laugh, and then, turning his eyes inward he lei
out his eloquence again, scoring Conover fsr all
he was worth. During The course of his aTgu-
ment," he claimed that when the county con-
mittee met after the election of 1880 COn0ver
was present, and instead of denouncing the
frauds by which the Democrats had counted him
out, he said before the committee, that if there
were any frauds he knew nothing about them
This ConOver f1atly denied from his seat in the
duulcuCc, w dllACe went ON Sef6DCiSs lfltlti-
up more evidence p" of COnover'S total depray-
Ity. The audience received all this with yells Of
delight, and were happy. Wallace began, with
deep-laid scheme, to work up another red-hot
point on Conover, in the course OF which be got
so interested in appealing TO the race prejadIces
OF the cOlored people, by depicting q condition
of oppression and suffering they were now sup
posed to be in, in consequence of the race preju-
dice against them by reason Of their color by the
whites, that he forgot all about his paint, and
Conover escaped. His speech after this was
made mp chiefly from extracts from various hide
pendent newspapers contained in a scrap book
where he had carefully preserved them, appaT-
emily with the purpose of showing what q beau
tific state the c0ored people who composed the
Republican party in The South, would enjoy. If
they would only lime de band I" of victorious
Independents, and thus wipe out the Democrats
lie was interrupted in this, greatly To the appar
ent relief of the convention. by the advsni Of
the committee on Credentials who, Ivy their sec
Rotary, Alfred Cobb reported the NAMES of l63
delegates. among them double delegations frsn
Districts Nos 5 and II. The report was uuani-
mously adopted by the convention. and molten
was then made make to Mr. Stewart perma-
nenI chairman. This brought The oppositI0n TO
time. in the person of Aldrdge who = moved as
substitute " that Mack Davis, of District M. Q,
be elected permanent chairman. Then Pande-
monium broke loose, and the chorus Of demons
| in Fra Diavolo wasn't circumstance 10 the
howlings that ensued. The reporter actually
counted % members of the convention ON their
| feet at one time all shouting at once, while on
| the platform the reporter the only one who
| remained seated, the Others, consisting OF mem
| bers of the Executive Committee, chairman and
| secretary, some seven or eight in number, added