Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-11
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
FIRST DISTRICT REPUBLICANS
INA WRANGLE.

FIRST DISTRICT REPUBLICANS
IN A WRANGIIE.
l.. VI. Pleasant Nominated for Congress
Three Opposing Candidates-CoileetO |
johnson Not In the Field-The Custom |
House Faction to Put Forward Their |
Candidate To-Day.
The Republican Congressional Conven-
ton of the First district, with which l.. |
NJ. Pleasant is Identified, met yesterday |
at the colOred Odd Fellows Hall |
on Harris street. Upon opening |
the convention the roll Of dele |
gates was called and proceeded quietly |
until Chatham county was reached, when |
two delegations were presented. Inc
right Of seats was sharply contested. ana |
after a wrangle lasting several hours |
both delegations were placed upon
the roll. A temporary organization
Floyd SnelsOu. Of Liberty, Chairman, and
III. C. Ebbes and II. &. Christopher Sec
rataries. 4 committee on credentials
was aDpOinted 10 which the matter Of
contested delegations was referred. After
an absence of over an hour from the ball
the committee returned corrected list,
admitting both sets of delegates from
Chatham and emitting each to half
vote.
SnelsOn was then made permanent
Chairman, and the roll Of counties was
called for the presentation of candidates.
When Chatham was reached, ;. b. Morse,
representing the anti-Pleasant element,
Jumped to his feet and nominated Collec-
tor It. F. johnson. "Gentlemen,9 ne SAID,
in making the nomination. "haYing been
rocked in the cradle of Republicanism
from nv infancy to my youth; having
grown with its growth, and having been
strengthened by its strength; having,
though a boy, camped on the tented
fields, and having biyouacked atthe camp
fires, and having followed the
grand old ensigns of the Republican
hosts. hOarY with age and services for
mankind, | desire not, in these my last
days, to follow the Republican hearse. l,
therefore, rise to the end that | might
nominate such man as shall reflect the
honor and responsibility of the Republic
can party of this district. Whether in
/ ability, wealth, personal courage, or
social position, there is no candidate
within the envirOns of the party who is
his compeer. After having considered
over the conflicting claims of all the
candidates named or that have been moot
ed, l know of none who could make such
a race as should reflect honor upon the
grand old party"
Eugene Belcher. Of Brunswick. bounced
upon the IUDE anu EuUulAbbEu a ACl6CA mum
| Collector johnson. declining the nOmlna-
ton, which he asked permission to read.
| This opened the ball, and until after
| O'Clock Belcher swung the letter over his
head and demanded that he be heard.
The Chairman ruled otherwise, and after
a hard struggle and general confusion
and uDFOar in the hall he retired, having
| been able only to state that the letter was
| a declinatiOn. At the same time he with
/ drew JOhnsOn's name from before the
| convention. The letter was addressed to
| Richard W. White, who was not a dele
| gate to the convention, and was as fol-
/ lows:
SAvANNAH. GA. sept. 10, 1881.
| r. ". White. iSQCHHEGh, Gu:
DEAR SIR-In reply 10 your letter Of
| Sept. I requesting me to stand a candidate
/ for Congress, l have to state that in view Of
| tie past dissensions in the party IN this d.
trict 1 do not believe il advisable that any one
/ prominently connected with either Of the fac
! tons now existing should be placed IN the
/ field, and ! positively decline 10 permit my
name under any circumstances TO be used. l
/ believe the interests OF the party demand the
nomination OF a candidate who can unite all
/ the elements in the district such candi-
I date Will have my earnest ana energetic sup
/ port, and can in my opinion be elected. very
I respectfully. I. K. JOHNSON.
| e. Epping of Darien, was placed in
nomination by Allen Gould, the present
| cOlOred Representative from Mcintosh
/ county in the General Assembly. l.. NJ.
| Pleasant was nominated by j. A. Sykes.
1 1t being evident that Epping could not
/ he nominated he was withdrawn. when
! Floyd SnelsOn was nominated by w. ID.
/ Mathews.
This move was the signal for a fresh
outbreak Of disorder, and delegates and
| candidates got wOfully mixed. The spec
/ tatOrs broke over the partition separating
| the delegates from the main hall, and for
an hour il was impossible to proceed
with the work of the convention
in any way. The noor
was damned with Jaboering
mass oil ebony, and muscle and lungs
were at premium. Collector Wilson, Of
the revenue Office. was about the only
white man present and he kept chiefly to
his corner. Constable Burke whacked the
floor with his club and did his best to bring
the crowd TO state Of order, but 1t was
| no good. The delegates were about equally
| divided in support Of Pleasant and Smell
son, johnson aud Epping's influence hay-
ing gone over to the latter. As soon as
/ the Chairman could get hearing he was
| piled with points of order from all quar-
| tiers of the hall. His concep-
lions OF parliamentary law were some
what cloudy, and his rulings were for some
not altogether satisfactory. As the yell
ing increased the Chairman raped and
stamped and fumed. Every man who
was not yelling Pleasant or SnelsOn, was
yelling "Order," "Order," as if the house
was on fire.
As soon as IuII was reached, it was
agreed to call the roll OF cOun-
ties for ballot. All the
delegates left the floor, and as their
names were called resumed their seats.
When it was ascertained who the dele
gates We're, and that they were all bona
tide and entitled to a voice, the call was
proceeded with, resulting in Peasants
nomination by vote of "a TO IL.
Peasants friends made a rush to where
he was sitting and pulled him up on the
benches, where he made his speech of
acceptance. The convention broke up
in about as much confusion as it was
conducted. The "Sargunt-at-Arrumsr
had his hands full, and at the same time
did his share of the yelling.
The situation became so extreme that |
Col. Wilson felt called upon to use his !
influence in behalf of order and quiet, and |
charged the convention that its actions |
were shameful and disgrace to the Re- |
publican party. His speech failed in its |
purpose, and a succession of yells |
followed, causing more disorder, if |
possible, than before. As it became |
dark the hall was partially lighted and |
the scene became indeseribable. 1t was |
only ended when it become necessary to |
leave the hall or be put out.
The convention was characterized with /
a bitter feeling between the two factions. |
The anti-Pleasant element, led by Morse, |
Belcher and Mcintosh, fought Pleas !
ants nomination at every step. The Re- |
publican District Committee, of which r.
w. White Is Chairman, refused to re-
cOgnize the call under which the con-
ventiOn assembled. and declined to |
take any part whatever in the proceed /
ings. They met last night and adjourned |
over until to-day. when they viii take /
steps toward placing a candidate in the /
field.
BAD WEATHER AHEAD.
Hurricane Formed Yesterday and /
Passes Up the COast-The Predictions
for To-Day.