National Republican., 1884-05-13
THE SOUTHERN VOTE.
In the Convention 1t Will Be Very Nearly
Solid for Arthur,
And II Is Likely TO Stick TO Him Until
Nomtnated-'rhe Reasons for It.

GHEENsBoRo', N. c., May 81 have met
n number of delegates from nearly every
southern state to the republican convention,
and have mado II q point to learn from each
his individual views and personal preference
and to what extent each is to be governed in
his action by his associates in and out Of tho
state which he represents. have found 1t
an almost universal conviction that many of
tho southern states will cast q majority of
b allots in the next presidential election in
favor of the nominees of the republican party.
With free ballot and fair count the
southern republicans would make the cleo |
tion of the republican candidates q certainty. |
OF this there can bo no doubt.
The delegates from this section are, in most |
| cases, well known to each other personally, |
and most Of them are determined to act in |
| perfect accord and voto together They will |
continue to vote for their candidate so long
as his friends and allies keep his namo before
| the convention. If IL should become neces-
sary to go to q new man they will 20 in q
solid body, after duo and proper considera-
tion. Their unanimity of action will greatly
astonish some of tho candidates and their
friends Tho southern delegate is looked
upon by many as FREQ and easy go.as-you-
please sort of fellow with very littlo respon-
sibility and very much less character. But
if tho country will refresh its memory 1t will
easily recall tho fact that in 1850 moro
than two-thirds Of the memorable three
hundred and six, "who stood by the grand old
man ofAppomattox," were from the thcrn
states and their constituents heartily ap.
proved their action on that occasion, while it
is a matter of personal pride with every man
of them to this day. Therefore, the candidate
who goes intolthe Chicago convention with the
hope that ho will secure nomination by tho
disintegration of tho southern delegations
makes the greatest mistake of his life. Tho
! srsA Ag la, Irap av,t nuth hxuar nv.
posed tG all tho temptations and influences
that can now be brought to bear upon men
under similar circumstances, and not one OF
them failed him.
The leading delegates from this section are
very positive that tho south will cast at least
260 votes for President Arthur on tho first
ballot, and that not one of the 260 will leave
their candidate until they oil go. The devo-
tion Of the colored people to the President is
most complete. 1t began some years ago when
he voluntarily appeared in tho courts of Now
York in behalf of the colored man who was
illegally and forcibly elected from public
conveyance in that city on account of his
color. Since that time they have never failed
to find him, at all times and under all cir
cumstances, the advocate of tho free and
equal rights before the law to all men. When
you find o colored delegate, or one who prop
erly represents o colored constituency, you
will therefore almost invariably find
an inhexible friend of the President.
, Although some of the newspaper president
, makers arc announcing that Mr. Dockery
and other delegates for North Carolina will
vote for other candidates, they will find a
! ! solid vote from this state for the President,
and tho delegation will continue to vote as a
, unite in every ballot during tho proceedings
: of tho convention. Mr.. o. III. Dockery. father
of tho delegate, is one Of the bright men in
the republican party in North Carolina, and
! will bo urged by his friends for position in
| thn of thn ar 1pnt Al afratt aa a
= representative of his party from the south.
In estimating the strength of President
! Arthur on the first ballot, from southern
. standpoint, 1t is asserted that he will receive
, 280 votes from that section, aud at least 10C
u votes from the northern states, making u tota
|, of 800, 81 short of the necessary all. The
= u southern delegates do not pretend TO fgur,
% for other votes, and are not disposed to entel
: into q canvass with the view Of drawing del
, egates from other candidates, but propose Il
- leave all that part of the work to others Will,
= they stand as solid phalanx, determined
n either to nominate their first choice, or max,
u their power and weight felt in securing the
! | nomination of somo other candidate
o acceptable to their constituents and to them
. . selves. If the Presidents friends can rally
! to hissupport lao delegates from the northern
y states on the first ballot, they may fee
II assured that the south will furnish o suth
. cient number to render second ballot un
j. necessary. If it is ascertained, after sufh
y cient effort, that this cannot be done, ant
= the conclusion is reached by tho Presidenti
u friends that he cannot be nominated, ther
y. the delegates from the south will quietly e
y in body to their second choice with whom
they will stay, and will certainly go to mar
:, whom their vote will nominate.
!: This estimate Of the Presidents strength
y with the southern delegation is understateC
u rather than overstated, and the facts giver
y above may be relied upon as they have beer
y gathered from the most intelligent anC
! reliable SOURCES. CONGAREE.