The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-10-03
AN ALL NIGHT CAUCUS.
BUT IT REFUSED TO NOMINATE 4
STATE TICKET.

The Proceedings of the Antt-Tnlmanite
State Convention Which Was Held In
Columbia Last week-The Hothesds
Disappointed
COLUMBIA, s. c., Sept. 26.-The con-
vention vailed to consider the p7opriety
of nominating ticket to be run IN the
general election against the regular De-
mocratic ticket assembled in this city
yesterday and remained in session un-
til after four o'clock this morning,
when it adjourned without working a
nomination. The delegates to the con-
VeDtlon had begun to arrive the even
ingbefOre. The morning trains brought
ia a good crowd, and the midday and
afternoon trains did the rest. Nearly
every man who was here last Monday a
week ago was here again, and gooo
many others from various counties
were here also. The delegates freely
discussed during the day the adVisaDll-
ity of nominating full State ticket,
and heard ali the arguments on ooGn
sides. A canvass Of the delegates
sho Red that, while there!was strong op-
position to the making Of nominations,
there was in the afternoon an uadouot-
ed majority in favor Of making them.
But there seemed to be no certainty
as to what the convention was going
to do. The executive committee met
atl1:30 O'clock at the Hotel Jerome.
Tbe- plan of holding caucus OF the
chairmen of the various delegations
and the members of the Stats commit
tee only, was abandoned, it being
thought best that the entire matter
should be fully discussed first IN gen.
eral caucus. The following resolutions
were therefore adopted by the commit
tee:
Resolved, That the call for caucus OF
the chairmen of each delegation and
the Executive Committee at O'CLOCK
o. M, IS hereby rescinded and instead
thereof that it is hereby resolved that a
caucus Of the entire delegations, duly
elected or appointed from each OF the
counties OF the Stats be present at a
caucus to be called to order at P. M,
and not until the adjournment or the
said caucus will the convention con-
Vens. Sc.
Resolved, that there be absolutely no
exceptions made, as to the admission
into The hall of the House OF Repres'
entatiYes, and that only the delegates
duly elected or appointed be admitted
to said caucus.
Resolved, that delegates are request
ed TO present themselves IN body from
each of their respective counties and
that list of each delegation DO handed
TO the secretary of the Democratic Ex-
ecutive committee so that ne can FUR
nish it il ample time to the dc0r&eeper.
Be it further resolved, that we earn
estly request citizens who are interest
ed in the result of this caucus and con-
ventlop, that they be patient and await
the action of the caucus. which is
necessary to precide the opening OF the
convention.
The delegates all went to the hall Of
tbs House Of Representatives at
o'clock ana the caucus began. The
above resolutions had been posted on
the various bulletin boards in the city
and had been published, consequently
there was not such turmoil about the
doors as was witnessed at the previous
convention. The caucus as once took
upthe question of making nominations
and arguments began On both sides.
Every possible phase OF the situation
and the possible future results was
fully and eXhaustiVely presented, and
there was full, tree and untram melIe0
exchange o. views from all parties. AT
7c'clock q recess was taken for supper.
At s o'clock the caucus was resumed.
There was no indication of vote being
reached until the midnight hour, II
then: All outsiders, consequently de-
cided to try the waiting pollcy. 1t was
Of grave import, and the result OF the
deliberations of the caucus was await
ed with the deepest interest by many
of both political factions and all other
parties. Allknew that the IrbY COM
Inlttee was here waiting TO take imne-
diate action with regard to anything
The convention might do.
A SECRET SOCIETY,
The caucus was pTacJlcaily a secret
society. Walter Capers, DJugiass Sym
mers and Mr.. K0on We're stationed at
the main door leading to tbs hall OF the
House OF Representative aS doorkeep-
ers. They mad the names of the dele
gates from each county, and before q
man was admitted the Goorkeepers ha0
10 be satisfied that be was the right per
son. Two policemen were stationed at
the outside of the door. Even the
newspaper reporters IN sympathy with
the objects OF the movement were ex-
cludeo. When Chairman CarWile called
the caucus TO order about 5.3C o'clock
there were numerous vacant chairs.
Chesterfield, Sumter and herSnaW
counties had no representatives, and
the cards marking the seats for these
counties stood as the only representa-
lives, Many Of Hampton's chairs were
vacant and the same was the case as to
other counties. it did not look Ike
there were more than 225 men IN the
hall.
The caucus remained in session for
an hour and half and adjourned until
$50 o'clock when tC resumed It's secret
work, some Of the members StatlDg s
that 1t would be hours before the eau
Gus would be reaey to go into conVen'
Lion. About 9 o'clock 1t was given out
that the caucus would discuss the ques.
tton of nominations for three hours
and then 90 into convention. The
early hours of the caucus were spent IN
listening to reports on the outlook in
the various counties. AS a general
rule the reports were rosy. These re-
ports came from members of the exc
cutive committee in favor Of nomina-
tions and who we're Butler man.
Shortly after 10 o'clock Register re.
porter was informed on what he knows
10 be excellent authority that the out
look at that hour was against nomlna-
tions by a majority of eight to ten.
The gentleman who Informed the re-
porter stated that all the preliminary
motions which had been offered and
which had anything OF the element of a
division of the two factions had been
Won by the men against nominations.
One OF the motions defeated by the
no nominations" men was that limit.
ing debate so as TO allow only the
chairmen of the delegations TO speak.
This was scheme in favor OF nomina-
tions, as the nomination men had
rNf a n on