The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1884-07-29

State Convention in Tallahassee last
week, We may briefly describe it as battle
within the party, in which a very small
minority vainly struggled TO prevent the
ratification Of the nominations made by
the so-called Independent conference
at Live Oak. Those nominations were
simply Republican nominations, the re-
suIting consequence of the "Independent
Republican conference at Gainesville
and the Republican Convention at st.
Augustine, which We're distinctively negro
movements To the end of reorganizing
the Republican party on the basis of
race. Accordingly in the Convention of
the oath We find the negroes, who com
posed about nine-tenths OF the body,
quite solid for the ratification OF the Live
Oak nominations, and SO fixed in their de-
termination as to be even unwilling to
listen to any expression of opinion ad-
verse to the course they had determined
to pursue. With the negroes were most
of the few white delegates-who crossed
the color line and stood on its dark side
with those who might aid their political
aspirations.
At the previous Conventions to which
we,have referred the negroes had deter
mined to revolt against the white men
under whose leadership they had failed
to carry the State, but knowing that they
could not win with black man as candi-
date for Governor they were induced to
believe that an "Independent Democrat :"
would bring them the requisite reinforce
ments from the democratic ranks. In +.
w. Pope they found white man who
was glad to lead them and willing TO bind
himself to give them half Of the offices as
'he price of their support Thus it was
that the delegates came from every coun-
y with their work understood and almost
unanlmousl y agreed upon in advance But
when they met they hesitated, for they
were warped that their proposed action
would destroy the organization of the Re
publican party in the State Men who
had been faithful to them in the past, and
whose counsel they had respected, SOL
EMMY protested against their design; but
while they drowned adverse appeals with
clamor and strengthened themselves in
their purpose with vociferous harangues,
they still fingered on the brink of action,
shivering, as it were, before they made
the plunge. When the question could no
longer be delayed the vote was had, and
decided atfirmatively, on a resolution to
indorse the Live Oak nominations. and
what had been little better than riotous
mob soon became thoughtful assemblage.
1t was too late then for aught but repent
ance, and there is every reason to believe
there was abundance of that. The
delegates had come instructed and
obeyed orders, but there was strong
under current of dissent among them,
and their general demeanor after
the adjournment was not indicative of
evidences of loyalty to its leader were
weak in Pope's colored army, and mum
beers who have always supported Repub-
lican nominees assert that they will not
vote for HIM. They want to support a
straight Republican, not a mongrel, es-
pecially as they were told in Convention
by their friends that Pope will not bring
them voters from the Democratic party
that he represents only twenty-five In
dependents" They DO not believe that
he can be elected, and have the promised
Offices to dispose Of They realize that
he is not Democrat, has no Democratic
following, and they don't believe him to
be Republicau-though he is undoubt-
eddy more of Republican than anything
else-except All office-seeker, without po-
litical convictions strong enough to be
principles.
Having been endorsed, Pope was called
into the hall and delivered from the plat
form disjointed harangue, made up of
abuse Of the Democratic party and mis-
representation of Democratic administra-
! ton of governmental affairs, tawning
haitery OF the race" and appeals to
their pre- udices, grateful thanks for their
support, etc. The larger portion Of his
talk was simply repetition Of what has
time and again appeared in editorials in
his Ne,o Era-mostly crafty and ma
GciOus representations which few readers
were so stupid as to accept. A number of
colored delegates in Convention surpassed
him oratorically, and his style was that
Of lawyer arguing at the bar the un-
doubtedly bad cause he was Pleading