The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-04-25
DeaS,s Convention.

E. q. Deas and tie negroes of this coun-
ty held convention in school house in
this place last Saturday. 'just for the fun OF
it." The convention is supposed to repre-
sent fossil remnant of the old carpet bag
party IN this State, but as we'll as We could
gather from a short stay at the convention,
It was gotten up to further the interest of E.
H. Deas rather than for any thing else.
About sixty or seventy-tive ''cullud pus-
suns" including delegates and visitors, and
three newspaper reporters, constituted the
rassemblage. Ten years ago the meeting
would have been ten times as large. Deas
was the moving spirit of the convention,
and everything done was in accordance
with his wishes. Wien We got to the con-
ventior Deas was under full Roadway in e1-
pounding the political tenets Of his party.
He was comparatively mild in his language,
reasoning on the premises that the Demo
Gratis in this State were in power, and it
was useless for the negro to attempt to break
their rule as long as they were a unit, but
once let discord and disunion break their
ranks, and then the negro, by taking sides
one way or the other, could obtain political
advantage. He alluded to the recent split
in the late municipal election in Sumter.
and laid stress on the fact that as the num-
Der Of votes for Andrews. the negro candi-
date, was only one less than received by one
of the wardens elected, the negroes should
never neglect the opportunity to vote Two
more negro votes in Sumter, he said, would
have elected Andrews and defeated tie
white candidate. And so on did he talk
he protested against the newspapers OBJ
jecting to their holding their conventions.
he said these conventions amounted to
nothing, that there was no chance or desire
for negro supremacy. and that the only OBJ
ject of these conventions was to have little
fun. And we think he WIS right as far as
this convention was concerned Its object
| was, we believe, to get delegates to so to
Columbia to elect Deas delegate to the
Chicago Republican convention, and let
him have the fun Of going at their expense,
and to get delegates to the Florence Repub-
lican convention who would nominate DeaS
for congress, and let him have the ftm OF
opposing such men as Geo. W. Dargan, at
their (the other negroes) expense. And its
awful funny toto him. But next fell.
when he is going through this county cau-
didate for congress, how will his speeches
be then? VIII there be nothing then ir-
Aammatory and calculated toengender
haired and illwill among the two races?
The convention seemed to be conducted
very well. Syphax Milton, q very sensible
old negro. was president. At the instance
of Deas, the following ticket to the congres
sionsl convention was elected: Syphss
Milton, A. s. Boston, T. j. Tuomey. and
Rufus Durant. There was disposition on
the part of some to object to going to Sum
ter to get white man named Tommy to
represent them, when they had competent
colored men in the county, but Deas and
Syphax were in favor of Tourney, and he
WIS elected, though heistrom another coun
ty. j. D. Blackwell, a. DuBose, and Nj.
Canty were lonored by election to the State
convention.