The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-03-17
THE CONVENTION.
WILD SCENES OF EXCITEMENT AT
TURNER HALL.
The Delegates to the National Convention
Selected and Evenly Divided as to the
Color Line-Their Deliberations to
be Concluded Today.

uCI dU ~ " OlOOh W
man Rector. The hall was even more
crowded than on the preceding day
a large number of delayed delegates
having come in and taken their seats
on the floor. Not a seat was to be had
in any quarter of the building, and
even standing room was at prem
ium. The two stalwart colored SER
peants. alarms had their hands full
among the crowd of eager, seething
pushing, jostling mass of delegates
every one of whom was determined tc
have his say. The Capital city brass
band had seats in the gallery at the
end of the hall, and every few mo-
ments drowned the noise with music
At the hour above named, Judge
Rector raped the convention to or
der and invited Rev. II. Watts to the
stand to open the deliberations with
prayer. Rev. Watts is power among
his colored brethren in the church,
and the invitation seemed to please
them greatly. He opened by calling
on God to lead and direct the deliber-
ations of the delegates for the good
and advancement of the Republican
party in Texas. lie made frequent
illusions during his remarks to Presi-
dent Benjamin Harrison, old father
Abraham Lincoln, the martyred Gar
fnnnpaI ,rnnt fine
names of all of whom were
greeted by suppressed applause.
He prayed earnestly for the re-elec-
ton of Harrison for Christ's sake. AS
he concluded the delegates unable to
longer suppress their enthusiasm
broke into rafter- splitting cheers
which lasted for some time.
The committee on credentials not
being quite ready to hand in their re-
port calls for "Watts,n "Watts,"
brought the reverend gentleman to
the stand again, and he at once pro-
ceeded to tell the delegates what the
Republican party of Texas ought to
do in no undecided terms. He con-
tended that the party wanted the
lilly-whltes. We are too small nu-
merically to permit of any split in the
ranks and II there is any possible
chance for future success we must
stand together. He thought COM
promise ought to be effected and ii
could be done if the opposing factions
went about it in the right way. BY n
humorous story he strongly illustrated
the point he desired to make and
then said that while he was Quincy
man and intended to sink or swim
with him he was nevertheless true
and honest Republican in every sense
of the word. He closed by calling on
the convention to send Quincy as q
delegate to the national convention,
but not to send anyone there with
him who would knife him at the first
opportunity. (Applause).
On motion of Mr.. Nat @. Mcpherson
of Georgetown Mayor Mcdonald was
invited to the platform to address the
convention.
He reiterated the welcome to Aus
tin extended to the delegates by Al
derman Linn on the previous day and
spoke in glowing terms ofthe future
of the Republican party and OF It's
principles.
Prof. Abner of Jefferson was then
called for and made lengthy address
in favor of Furguson in the question
of the Fort Bend contest. He said he
might vote for Quincy, but he wanted
il understood that he was for Furgu-
son.
At this moment Quincy appeared at
the rear of the stage, coming from one
of the committee rooms, and his APP
pearance was the signal for cheer af-
ter cheer and calls for him to address
the meeting. He came forward, and
alluded to the unnecessary
strife which had been engendered in
the party in this state. He had been
forced he said, into contest of no
seeking of his own in the strife which
had assumed personal attitude
toward him of "Cuney or no Quincy"
This was largely, he contended, on ac-
count of the opposition to him from
the Democratic press on the assump'
ton that he was the leader of the Re-
publicans in Texas. ~ assume" he
added no such leadership. We
have too many men far ADLER
than 1 am in the party.
Nor have ever attempted to
dictate as to what should be the pol
lev of our party in Texas. Still don't
WanU 10 Sldlu lill6 anu lhuiiiOi ohN'
see it's principles prostituted for selfish
purposes.
III have not scheemed to tie up del
egations to rob the people of an hon.
est expression of their opinions and
political views. feel that can con-
fidently leave everything to the con-
vention and trust to its fairness in all
matters of interest to the success OF
our party. l think we had a fair So
luton of such difficulties in our tenn
porary organization yesterday and
the election of our distinguished and
fair-minded chairman, Hon. j. b.
Rector.
az am before you as candidate,
but even so it is not my own seeking.
may say, however, that l have rep
resented the Republican party Of
Texas in every national convention
since 1872. AS to my candidacy
now let me say have felt that !
have been forced into it as matter OF
personal pride. When cliques de-
termine that by the eternal gods
Quincy shall not go to the convention
then 1 say it is time for the people tc
act upon some higher motive than the
mere question of downing Quincy