The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-06


LIrrLg Rock, Ark, June 5.-Whon the
convention opened this morning il was
evident that something was going 10 drop,
and that the stubborn and protracted
struggle over the nomination for Governor
was about to terminate There had been
a vast deal OF over night caucusing among
the various delegations, and at / o'clock
this morning the Fletcher forces deter
mined TO throw mp the sponge and cast
their strength for the man most likely TO
defeat Hughes Eagle was selected rs the
man, and when the favorable moment
came the program was carried out to the
letter.
The ilrst important step in the day'spro-
cccdings was the presentation 10y delegate
George Miller, Of Garland county, Of let
ter from T.. W. Rector Brathlcss silence
prevailed while the secretary was reading
II, aud when the writer announced his
withdrawal from the race there was pro-
longcd ouihurst Of cheers aud applause.
Then the halloting began. Every ear WAS
strained 10 catch the irst signal Of break
in the Fletcher ranks, aud the tension
was awful. Arkansas" called tho
clerk, and for answer came the words
give votes for Hughes" with the same
voice, tone and infection, which, for 19j
ballots had expressed the choice Of that
county with u monotonousncss oi pitch and
an impcrturbability Of emotion that threat.
cncd to drive the anti.llughcs men to dis.
traction OF drink. Down the line went the
scciclary's voice until Calhoun county was
reached, aud then began q series Of scnsa-
tions that gathered with accumulativc
lorcc, until il eliminated In the grand cli-
max ut a nomination. Calhoun hal voted
Tor Fletcher cor ~ ballots, hut was the
fret 90 wavcr. 'rhrvo votes Tor EAglc," rang
out the voice oi i,s chairman AMI then iol-
lowed a scene that battles description.
| THE EAGLE NEN
and all The elements opposed % lingio,
shouted and chccrrd and yelled and waved
their handkerchief, aud the ladies' rnppcd
the floor with their umbrellas and yigur-
ously tapped the dress circle railing with
their fans. aud N" small boy rent tile air
with shricks aud eat calls Ia every form of
discnrl. Then Faulkner changed three
from Fletcher 10 Eagle aud the Wild wicrd
music was renewed.
Ice county then gave the Hughes men
q chance 10 turn loosr their pcni up en-
thusiasm 10y giving Hughes II her .
votes heretofore solid iur Fletcher. IL
took the Hughes men about thrrc minutes
Ia reach such condition OF exhaustion
that further demonstration wa impactica-
bile. Perry county switched over . votes
from Fletcher anil the music Wa renewed.
scott county east q for Eagle, which fur
nishcd the Hughes men an Opportunity To-
give their lungs a much needed rest. while
the Eagle crowd took q little vocal excr-
else. This SOFT Of thing was kept up with
varying degrees of intensity, the en-
ihusilsm shifting from side Ia side until
the ballot had been concluded, the vote
standing 2li Tor Hughes, 49, iur Eagle,
anil ~ ior Fletcher. Just a. the chairman
was about Ia announce the result, Gcurgc
W. CaUlh, the sil,criUuruod chairman
~ the Pulaski delegation. arusc aud asked
leave 10 withdraw his delegation iur a few
minutes fof consultation. The leave WIS
granted. A similar Wqucft came from
Ouachiia which was also ncrcdpi TO-. Then
followed whispered consultations between
members Of delegations and hurried move
mcuis a. AMI ffo, aud eager aud animated
huitnn.hup discussions and trtc-n.trtc wire
pulling Finally the retiring delegations
returned and YOU might have heard pin
drop when taruth took the floor With
lew words VI preliminary cloVuyncy NJ To
the merits NJ j. a.. Fletcher, hy whom
Pulaski hal stool so faithfully, be- cast the
70 votes ol biz delegation ior Eagle The
announcement vas received with perfect
roEy,up 90 ArrtAusE
anil cheering, which lasted for several
minutes. Finally order was restored and
thu slampcding 10 l.aglc began. The vote
then stood Hughes, 2l5, Eagle, 30.
but the tile had iorryer been turned aud
the Eagle wave began to swell with every
rap Of the chairmn'H gavcl IN his efforts
a. keep the convention IN order Hughes
gained few votes here and there until ho
had 22J 10 kuglc's %. Then White
county delegate, after consultation with
his colleagues, gave Eagle one precious
vote aud Jefferson gave him one and the
trick was done. Other counties rapidly
swung into line. and when the ballot was
announced Il stood Eagle, 2is; Hughes,
2Oi. Fletcher, 4 II was With some diff
Guilty that the chair could restrain the en-
thusinsm Oi the convention until the result
was announced bat when u was am
nounccd the usual scene Of Mild hilarity
followed. Men shouted themselves
NOlfHN, waved intlf NAiN WNNNu NntlI
heads and gave themselves 10 those wild
demonstrations Of satisfaction and delight
which arr incident to all political conycn-
tions and apparently are an essential feat
urc.
ON motion the nomination was made
unanimous and n committee appointed To
escort Mr. Eagle "a the convention, where
he aitcrv ards appeared and made brief
address q thanks.
rllE cAurHH or col. rAotS.
J. T.. Iagle was born In Maury county
Tenn, In 1887. lie came 10 Arkansas
with his father in 1850, aud settled about
twenty miles east OF Little Rock, then
Pulaski county, now Lonoke, where he
has resit ed ever since. He has spent al
most his entire life on a farm, and IN bis
youth his opportunities for am education
we're limited. lie entered the Confederate
army AZ q private soldier at the beginning
OF the wa,, and bis faithful discharge Of