Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-10-02
State gulitital Affairs.
THE STATE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION.
a STATE TICKET NOMINATED.

bled in the capitol at Columbia on tuesday
of last week. At 1210 State Chairman Mil
ler raped his gavel and requested all per-
sons not having credentials to abandon their
seats and retire to the rear of the hall.
Five minutes later he again raped and de-
livered the following address:
Fellow Republicans, as your Chairman
it falls to my lot to call you to order. BY
our actions to-day we may make it possible
to have Republican Conventions in South
Carolina for seventy years, or we may make
this the last Republican Convention in
South Carolina for decade. 1t is an unde-
niable fact that we can't keep the people to-
gether without giving them something to
rally upon. Ever since 1876 when the Bour-
bon Democracy overcame us by fraud and
violence, our party has been like a ship
drifting without purpose or progress. The
call before me to-day invites all in opposl-
tion to the men who murder the innocent
voter at the polls, all opposed to the men
who violated the sacred rights of tenants,
all who believe that labor should be respect
ed and paid and not outraged and oppress-
ed, it calls on all these to join us. On this
all the bone and sinew of South Carolina,
all the people who make the State what it
is, must be represented in our Convention.
If we who represent the people go away
without putting a State ticket in the field
we will Sign the death warrant of the Re-
publican party in South Carolina. Nigo-
rous applause.1 But it is said that it is all
sufficient to nominate an electoral ticket,
that the National party has given us the
names of Blaine and Logan to rally the peo-
pile. Ah! we have had before the cold eX-
~f II IN, 20 nyyn mi "
rallied around this thing to be shot at and
driven in the woods and not have State
ticket to vote for? [Slight applause. fa-
vor State as we'll as an Electoral ticket.
If we 60 away without nominating a State
ticket the colored people will drift away
from the Republican party and make a
combination elsewhere in self-protectlon.
No people can get on without looking after
their own interests. 1 hope there will be
no pickering for emoluments here to-day,
but that the sole interest Of the people who
have been mobbed and outraged for ten
wears will be the concern of the COnven-
ton. [Slight applause.
At the conclusion of Chairman Miller'ss
address, Purvis, of Charleston, nominated
for temporary Chairman w. J. Whipper, of
Beaufort. No other nomination was made
and Whipper was unanimously elected. On
assuming the chair he said:
FellOW-members, q sense of my own ina
bility to preside over you must necessarily
be the source of intimidation to me. Yet l
cannot say, as others do, that this honor is
one I neither expected nor sought. lsub--
dued laughter.] Nearly sixteen years ago
had the honor of presiding over the first Re
publican Convention in South Carolina, and
remember, with great pleasure, the digni-
ty with which its proceedings were conduct
ed. l hope this Convention will equal it.
l ask the assistance of the members in OBJ
tanning order. Without order we can do
nothing but bring disgrace upon ourselves
with it we can do all that any one can eX-
pect or desire. thank you for this election,
and 1 thank you more on account Of the
unanimous manner in which it was done.
w. E. Thompson Of Greenville, was elect
ed temporary Secretary, and on motion OF
Smalls, the rules of the House of Represen-
tatives except such portions as relate to
"the previous question" and allow yea and
nay votes on sections-Were adopted for the
governance of the Convention.
A committee on credentials, consisting OF
one from each uncontested delegation, was
next appointed.
Every county in the State was represent
ed, and there were contested delegations
from Abbeville, Barnwell, Charleston, Col
Teton, Richland and Sumter, and the Lex
ington delegates were unprovided with Gre
dentials.
AT about O'Clock the committee on Gre
dentials retired to consider the contests.
The Chair announced an immediate meet
ing of the State executive committee to
consider important business. On motion OF
Smalls the Convention took q recess until
p. M, at which time it was hoped that
the committee on credentials would have
something to report.
At 4.15 p. NJ. the Convention reassem-
bled. 1t was ascertained that the creden-
tials committee had hardly begun their
work and had taken a recess for dinner.
The Convention accordingly took further
recess for two hours. The delegates had
lively discussions on various subjects, par
ticuarly the several contests for seats, as
they loitered about the building and the
streets.
When the Convention reassembled at
6.15 the committee on credentials was still
absent. Butler Spears, a fluent mulattO
from Sumter county, took the floor with
consent to speak unlimitedly, and he began
an harangue containing some Of the plainest
language ever uttered in a Republican con-
vention. There were, he said, three white
Republican voters in Berkeley county, yet
these three ruled $500 Republican voters.
Why was this? The white man could paint
himself and pass for a niger, but the mig
ger could never paint himself off for white
man. 1t was time for the niger to look
out for himself. With this majority in the
Convention, why shouldn't they put in a
colored State Chairman? (Applause.) He
could count on his fingers every white man
who came here, and every one of them had
an office. Uaughter.) They might elect a
white man to act for them, but he invaria-
bly, acted, not for them, but for himself.
He appealed to his audience as colored men
to stand for themselves. For Gods sake,
for their children's sake, let them stand
together. The Democrats had done every
thing, had murdered people and all that,
but they had repented of it and given a
Congressional district to the negroes. They
had no sooner turned the ''niggers" into
this corner than white Republicans had ap-
peared to steal it from them. Let the ne
wouldn't be a colored Congressman from
the Seventh district if white man, Il. B.
Johnston, collector of Charleston, hadn't
been 'downed." Johnston spent his money
freely. 81 believe" said the speaker, che
spent some of it on you here. Laughter
But we beat him. DO just as white men do.
Do you suppose that if the white men had
our majority here they would elect a mig
ger? They wouldn't do it for the devil.
TLaughter. If we don't look out for our
selves then "Good-bye, john" [Great
laughter and applause 1t has been truly
said that nigger is like a mule. Ride a
gray horse into the lot and every mule will
follow him out. Pm opposing Taft and
the Postoffice Ring in Charleston. Pm a
'nigger' from the woods. [Colored delegate
How about revenue ring"] Well, l don't
expect anything else from you, for if Mr..
Johnston was to get out you'd lose your
position. [Laughter.] Now, I wouldn't
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