The Brookhaven leader., 1891-07-23
How Ii was Done and Who
Did 1t.

the uttcranCcS OF the machine press us
the date of the Democratic State Con
vention approached, the editor of the
LEADER felt morally certain that what
has haI pcncd would happen. and lac
went up to jackson last Wednesday
as an interested spectator, to SEQ how
it would be done.
When he arrived the Convention
had not completed its organization.
We have been attending Democratic
State Conventions as u delegate and
spectator for about Is years, and we
soon discovered that pretty much the
same old leaders and party bosses who
had run things during all those years,
were still in the saddle, and if any
thing, more numerous than on any
former occasion. We exceedingly re-
greet that we haven't roster of the
body, showing the occupation and
profession of each individual delegate
opposite his name. We are sure it is
not the slightest eXaggeratiOn to say
at least 30 per cent. of its members
were lawyers, 40 per cent. newspaper
men. merchants, doctors and men of
other callings and professions, and on
ly about 10 per cent. of the member
ship bona .tide farmers. AS we rcmcm-
bcred that every j Democrats i'll
Mississippi, 1 are tillcrs of the soil, the
conclusion was irresistible that this
was not truly representative body of
the honest, earnest, sunbrowncd Nco-
many of the State.
No test vote was necessary. y sin
gle glance at the personnel of the Con-
vention was enough to satisfy one
that it was anti Sub Treasury, and
that it was far more likely to be i'll
sympathy with bond holders and Ma
tional Banks than with farmers and
Allianccmcn--fa MOI intent on hold
ing the fat Offices already possessed
and to obtain others, than to speak
bravely and labor manfully for the
welfare of the masses.
We do not think we ever saw the
spirit of unfairness more manifest,
not even in Reeds Republican Con-
grcsS. When it came to appointing
the committee on resolutions, Mr..
Thompson, of Brookhaven, who was
Chairman, packed the committee with
fourteen anti-Sub-TrcaSury men,
nearly all of them lawyers, as shown
in another place. and though there
were several straightout farmers and
Sub TrcasuIy men in the convention
amply qualified to serve on the com
mittcc, they were shown no such
courtesy.
In the case of the b-Trcasury del
cgations from Chickasaw and Carroll
counties, though they had been APP
pointed by the regular Democratic
mass meetings called for that purpose,
and were yOuched for by the Chair
men of the Democratic Executive
Committees of their respective coun-
ties. and though the anti-Sub- Treas
ury delegates were appointed by meet
ings that boltcd from the regular
meetings. and had scarcely shadow
of title to seats in the COnyentiOn,-
yet the Treasury delegates were
voted out and the delegates from the
boilers meetings seated in their stead.
With about four fifths of the conven-
ton, composed as it WAS, all that it
seemed necessary to know about any
question was, which side did the Sub
Treasury men favored and that was
reason sufficient for them to vote the
other way.
When the Sub-Treasufy bills were
introduced in Congress-on in the
House and one in the Senato-they
were referred to committees, and new
er reported back. The official repre-
sentatives Of the Alliance, tried in
vain to get them before the Senate
and House to have them discussed,
or something offered as a substitute
for them. At last, they urged that
they be reported back, if only to be
killed i'll open session, but all such
petitions were ignored, and the bills
were left to die in silence in the pig
con holes of the committee rooms.
When the Convention committee Oh
resolutions reported condemning the
Alliance measure, which, as we have
seen, was given no representative on
the committee, the same disposition
to choke off all debate was manifest
ed. No sooner had Sub-Treasury
man moved to strike out the resolu-
ton condemning the Sub-Treasury,
than a lawyer member jumped up and
moved to table the motion to strike
out, so as to cut off all debate. He at
length reluctantly withdrew his mo-
ton to table in order that a motion
might be made to strike ont portion
of the resolution, and pending that
motion Hons. Clarke Lewis and Robt.