The Dawson journal., 1884-09-18
Clay in the Convention.
FIT. GAINES, GA, Sept. Is, 1884

county VINO I6IG Cno convention
before nomination was made
that their motives in leaving should
be made known. 1t is known by
those present, that | said to the
convention in the forenoon that I
would return on the train that af-
ternoon, and did'not leave until lust
in time to reach the train. Others
who left, as / mentioned and then
understood, had no choice outside
of Clay county and Clay being
voted ort they left also. I under
stand there is some dispute as to
how the vote of Clay was to be
cast after we left and as to a
proper division of the same among
the delegates who remained. When
asked day or two since if [ left
any one authorized to cast my vote,
L answered in the negative, but for
fear this answer may be misunder-
stood, l now write to say that my
negative answer must be confined
to my individual vote, and not as
denying the right of the remaining
delegates to vote as they pleased,
and for whom they pleased. Nor
would | be understood as saying
that no one had the right to cast
the thirteen votes allotted to CLAY
county, but, on the contrary, that
the delegates left had just as much
right to cast the vote of Clay coun-
ty as all of us had before some
left. AS to whether the thirteen
votes were equally distributed
among the remaining delegates I
know not and will not undertake
to discuss. [ had been selected
IN caucus that morning to cast the
vote of Clay county, but by the
same caucus it was unanimously
voted that Clay county was enti-
tied to the next senator, and that
L should cast that vote for Colonel
Turnipseed as Clay's choice.
Hence, when the convention de-
cided that it was not Clay's time
to present the candidate my right
to cast her vote then ceased. Our
delegates were SO sanguine that
Clay would furnish the next sena-
tor, that no thought of who we
would prefer outside of the county
had been suggested. Hence,
1t became necessary that we should
hold another caucus after CLAW
was voted out, and from this I
returned to the house and reported
to the chairman that [ had moth
ing further to say for Clay county
and asked for leave of absence. 7
did not say, nor did I mean that
Clay county, no~ her delegates
would take no further part in the
convention, for ! mad no such in
structions; nor did |, in leaving
the convention, intend to go back
on It's proceedings. [ had, in COM
mon with others, been elected as
delegate favorable to Col. Turnip-
seed and when the vote was taken
on the right Of Clay, and decided
IN the negative, we were left
without any choice before the con-
vention, and /, for one, felt per-
fectly willing for the remaining
delegates from Clay, in conjunc-
ton with those from Randolph
and Terrell, to go on and make the
nomination. [ had previously stated
IN addressing the convention in
opposition to the resolution, bind
ing the convention to support the
nominee" that it was a reflection
on our fidelity; that as Democrats
we had assembled in convention,
and it ought to be sufficient guar
antee to Democrats, both in and
out of the convention, that we
would support the nominee. AS |
am not IN the habit of going back
on my word, [ will now reiterate
that sentiment and say that [ will
cheerfully abide its action and
heartily support its nominee, and
If any of the delegates see fit to
do otherwise, will not in future,
on similar occasion, raise my
voice nor cast my vote against
Prof. McNulty's fencing them
in" although l believed then and
still believe that principle and
not fencing ought to keep our
party in the field and in the line
of duty. JOHN C. WELLS.