Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-16
CHOOSING THE SENATOR.
FIVE HUNDRED AND F1FTY-sEV.
EN- BALLOTS TAKEN.

u n W
ter into the fight. The contest two years
soo was hot enough between Morgan
RaprIs and Peter w. Meldrim. The district
mad been shaken up by them, severally
aud collectively, No part Of it had been too
remote for their friends to reach, and no
individual with the slightest influence had
been left unyisited. With that contest
in mind, and with number Of the same
delegates in the convention tne present
| fight was entered into with a determlha-
| ton of purpose strengthened by eXpe-
Tience.
Although a spirited convention was an
| tieipated it was the general belief that
/ nomination would be reached without an
/ adjournment. The Chatham delegation
| went up on the early train and reached
/ Eden about II O'Clock. Inc convention
| met at noon in the Central Railroad ware
| house. and was called to order by Col.
| Edward Rird. Chairman Of the bingham
/ county Democracy. DR.. w. y. McCOn-
/ nell. Of bingham, was made Temporary
| Chairman. and b. I'll. Richardson OF
| Chatham. Temporary Secretary. The ere
! dentiaIs Of the delegations from che three
/ counties composing the district were
/ submitted. There were no contesting
/ delegations, and the following were ad-
1nitted to seats in the convention;
| BRYAN.
REC. Smith. Thos. c, Morgan.
CHATHAM.
| D. {. BacOn. H. NJ. Conner,
| Charles Kolshorn, A. r. LawtOn, Jr.,
| B. II. Richardson, J. &. DeLettre.
EFPINGHLM.
| W. 7. Mcconnell, Angus Bird.
| A permanent organization was enected
/ bv the election of the Temporary Char
/ man and Secretary as permanent ohcers.
AS soon as the organization was COM
plete, Mr.. Lawton, Of Chatham, moved
/ that the counties be called for the pre-
| sentatiOn Of candidates.
Mr.. Smith, of Bryan, believed that be-
fore any business was brought before the
convention the rules governing the ballot
should be determined. He moved the
| adoption of the two-thirds rule in ballot
| ing for candidates and the parliamentary
| usages of the House Of Representa-
| tiYes for the general government OF
80 = convention. The motion was
I ~ siaAusly carried. Mr.. LawtOn, who,
| in defeTef<SFesl Mr.. Smith, had Withdrawn
his motion "a n zss6 with the call Of
counties, agaiffslS.ss = = .s.at and it was
carried.
When Chatham was - n the call
| Mr.. LawtOn, in a handsome sfsstSh, pre-
| scented to the convention the name
OF Capt. Robert Falligant. In doing so
/ he was conscious Of the honor that de-
v0lved upon him in naming a gentleman
| who was not only known in Chatham,
Bryan and Efingham counties, but
| throughout the whole State. He was
aware of his ability to represent the in
| terests OF Savannah. of the other counties
/ composing the district, and the entire
| commonwealth. He had received the
| Endorsement Of Chatham county by an
| overwhelming vote, and 1t was
pride that he had been called
| upon to present to the convention man
so high-mlnded, so philosophical and so
| thoroughly able and competent TO repre-
| sent all the interests Of the First Sena-
| tOrial district.
Mr. Bird, of Effingham, presented the
name OF John w. Wilson.
On the first ballot Bryan and Efingham
voted for Mr. Wilson and Chatham for
| Mr. Falligant. The result was: Falligant
| 6, Wilson !.
When BRYAN county was called for the
/ second ballot Mr.. Morgan presented to
| the convention the name OF Henry E.
Smith, an old, tried and true Democrat,
and a man whom he believed TO be in
every way competent to represent the in
terests Of the district. He cast the
vote of Bryan county in his favor.
Chatham cast its vote solid for Capt.
L
On the third ballot Mr.. Bird withdrew
the name OF Mr.. Wilson, and cast the vote
| of bingham for Mr.. Smith. The ballot
then stood: .Falligant 6, Smith 1, The
fourth ballot was the same as the third,
and up to the siXty-first it continued I'M
changed. 1t began to look like repetition
of the persistent balloting in the Congress
siOnal convention which nominated Hon.
Thomas u. Norwood in July. The sit'la-
- asaNr
that no nomination could be made unless
either the friends Of Capt. Falligant or
Mr.. Smith yielded so far as to allow the
seventh vote to be cast in favor Of the OPP
position candidate.
When the sixty-first ballot had been au-
nOuuCed Mr.. Morgan said in behalf of the
delegation from Bryan that he had come
to the convention determined to abide by
Democratic principles. He could see
nothing TO be gained in the ballOting as
it had progressed thus tar, and he there
fore withdrew the name Of Mr.. Smith.
Mr.. II. Z. G. Smith then placed before
the convention the name OF Col. Edward
Bird, of Effingham.
The sixty-secOnd ballot was taken re-
sulting: Falligant 6, Bird Chatham
holding firm to her candidate.
The situation began to resolve itself
into a test Of endurance. Neither delega-
ton manifested any DISPOSITION to yield
10 the other, and the baliOting con-
tinued with the same result
until the one huhdredth ballot
had been announced, when recess was
taken. 4 caucus was held and an effort
was made to unite upon either one or the
other of the candidates. The effort was
failure, and ballOting was resumed and
continued up to the one hundred and
twenty-iifth ballot with the same result.
On the one hundred and twenty-siXth
ballot Bryan county cast its vote again
for Smith. ami the Chairman's call of
smith . Falligant 6. Bird ., kept up until
the two hundredth ballot was reached,
when the convention adjourned for din
ner. 1t was believed that this would
harmonic the opposing elements and
that a nomination would be shortly
reached. But it proved not to be the case.
The issue was like that in the Congress
siOnal COnventiOn-altOge sec
tiOnal. The country claimed the
right by rotation to name the
nominee. Chatham, with its great inter-
ests at stake, and with candidate in
d0rsed By the county by an overwhelming
vote. stood equally firm in the belief that
the right of nomination belonged to it.
Tn to the adjournment for dinner the bal
Ioting had progressed quietly and with
no speeches beyond those made in pre-
senting Z the candidates, to urge their
claims for tue nomination.
After dinner the contesting delegations
met in caucus and attempted 10 effect
compromise whereby q nomination could
be reached. IL wss seen al once that this
was impossible, and halloting was re-
sumed. The Chairman and Secretary be-
can to tire OF the work, which deYOlyed
heavily upon them. and Mr.. LawtOn
took the chair With Mr.. DeLettre
Secretary. On the two hundred and
fOrtv-Grst ballot Chatham cast one vote
FOR Smith and five for Falligant, making
the ballot: Smith ,, Falligant D, Bird ,,
on fine next ballot Eflingham went over
IL Smith. making the vote a tie between
fba chatham and BRYAN county candi-
dates. On the two hundred and fifty
first ballot Chatham cast two votes for
Smith. As the Chairman announced,
.sSmith 6. Falligant ~ it began to look
a. though things were coming to focus.
Mr.. smith needed but one more vote TO
secure the nomination, and his friends
were elated over his probable choice.
The vote continued in this way up TO the
two hundred and fifty-niuth ballot, when
Chatham went back to Falligant and
Bryan's hopes were blasted. Eningham
droDned back to Bird, and the two hum
dredth and sixty-tirst ballot stood: Smith
?. Chatham 6, Efiingham ?. On the very
next ballot Chatham went over to Bird
with l vote. Bryan followed suit and the
two hundred and siXty-siXth ballot
stood 5 and between Falligant and Bird.
II continued this way for some time,
when Chatham went back to her first
choice. The situation was clearly one to
he determined only by sitting it out till
one or the other delegations yielded.