The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-08-01
THE NEGRO IN POLITICS.

THE NEGRO IN POLITICS.
Peace Restored and Now the Utmost Har-
mony Prevails.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, July 25.-The Ne
gro Democratic National Conference,
called by J. Milton Turner and seventeen
other colored men. convened in the rooms
of the Hendricks Club in this city at II
o'clock this morning. All the delegates
who were admitted were required to pre-
sent credentials to DR.. c. n. Metcalf, Sec
retary of the Indiana Board of Health.
Some sixty-four delegates were present,
besides thirty or forty negro spectors from
the city and a dozen or two white men,
members of the Hendricks Club.
J. Milton Turner called the Conference
to order, and in his opening address stated
that he had issued the call in compliance
with instructions from the Chairman OF
the National Committee. He suggested
that the Conference at once pass into ex-
ecutiye session, excluding from the hall all
persons, except reporters for the press, not
holding credentials as delegates.
the chairman that the National Committee
had already provided for the temporary
organization.
a motion to appoint committee on
temporary organization was tabled.
Turner then made short address ID
which he proceeded to explain that the call
for the Conference had been issued because
he believed it was time for the negro voters
to assert their understanding. at least of
the primary principles of American SOW
ereignty. The elevation Of Cleveland to
the Presidency, he said, had brought po-
itical emancipation which was felt by no
one more than the negro, and they had
honesty and courage to meet Grover Cleve
lands administration half way. An Ohio
delegate cried out: why not meet Thur
man the other half?" which brought out
prolonged cheers and the waving OF ban
dannas
At the close of Turner'S address he In
troduce6 Charles q. Shelton, of Evans
vile, Ind, as temporary chairman.
Noah Plummer, Of Massachusetts, was
made temporary secretary.
A resolution endorsing Cleveland and
Thurman was adopted by unanimous
viva Voce vote.
The balance of the session was occupied
in noisy and heated wrangle, during
| which the chairman was unable to restore
order, over the formation of the committee
on permanent ornanization. Whe the con-
fusion was at its worst, Prof. Clark, of
Cincinnati, took the floor and succeeded in
| restoring order for few minutes. In the
] MIDST Of this confusion the chairman an
| nounced the appointment of the committee
on permanent organization and then de,
clared the Conference adjourned until 3
o'clock.
A letter was read from Geo. T. Downing,
of Newport, R. /, in which he declares
for the division Of the colored vote.
The committee on permanent organiza-
ton submitted majority and minority
| report The majority suggested Prof.
Peter 81. Clark, of Ohio, for permanent
chairman and Thomas Fortune, of New
York, for permanent secretary and E. a.
Payne, Of Illinois, sergeant-at-arms. Joseph
&. Ouser, of Illinois, presented the mi
nority report, which named J. Milton Tur-
| ner for permanent chairman.
a motion to substitute the minority for
the majority report brought two-thirds of
the delegates to their feet and pandemonium
reigned. After much confusion the roll
was called and. q tie was announced-32
to 80.
This announcement was the signal for
| an uprising that for moment bid fair to
| overwhelm and trample in the dust the half
dozen reporters at the press table. There
was wild rush toward Plummer, and
cries of Fraud "Fraud!' Thief! and
you're iarw were roared from ali sides
! Of the hall.
Finally W. T. Scott. the Cairo editor,
who was conspicuously endeavoring to pro-
| tect and defend Plummer, was struck in
the face by some one. Scott drew re.
| volver from his pocket and selected Mail
! Agent Ogilvie, of Columbus, Ohio, as his
victim. Mattars were now at white hest,
and local spectators, both white and black,
at the sight of the pistols, made mad rush
| for the door and tumbled pell-men down
| stairs.
Meanwhile Ogilvie and others had drawn
their firearms and bloodshed seemed immi-
nent, when colored police officer rushed
in, and, with assistance, showed the strug
Cling combatants into the directors room
in the rear, where they Intellectually tried
to shoot one another.
Scott and Ogilvie were placed under ar
rest, but the officer was prevailed upon to
release them, declaring that he did so
chiefly because he was colored Republl.
can. Many delegates fed during the
fracas.
Chairman Shelton finally secured order
and announced that he knew Secretary
Plummer's figures to be incorrect. The
true vote was 50 for Clark and 80 for Tur
ner, ana he, therefore, declared Peter e.
Clark, of Ohio, the permanent presiding
officer of the Conference, which then ad-
iourned, amidst confusion, until 10 o'clock
tomorrow morning.
A largely attended mass meeting was
held in the basement Of the court house to-
night. Addresses were made by Peter b.
Clark, J. Jordan Street of Boston, Ex-Min-
lister Taylor, T. T. Fortune and several
others.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, July 26 The Dem
ocratic Negro National Conference reas-
sembled this morning at 1880, with Prof.
Peter q. Clark, of Cincinnati, in the chair
as permanent president.
The animosities engendered by yester-
days heated contest over the permanent
organization had apparently been forgiven
and forgotten during the night, for har.
mony and fairly good order prevailed at
today's session until just prior to the final
adjournment this evening when, the Con-
ference, tired out with long session, got
into wrangle over motion to adjourn
sine die, which finally prevailed.