The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-10-10
WILL HOLD NO CONVENTION.
This is the Decision of the Republic. an
State Committee.

This is the Decision OF the Republic II
State Committee.
COLUMBIA, Oct. 2.-The Republican
State Executive Committee Wrangled
Tor five or six hours yesterday after
noon and decided not to call State
convention. Many OF the members
were In favor of calling convention
and putting out ticket. but they were
outvoted.
was the largest meeting of the
committee 10 years. The committee is
composed of twenty-five members
three from each Congressional District
two from the State-at-large and the
chairman and vice chairman.
| Chaisman Webster presided and
among the most prominent Of the
goats on hsnd were the following: E.
M. BraYton, Bob Smalls, E. Ii. Deas
| T. B. Johnson, Fred Nix, Fordham, &
w. Murray, r. r. Tslbert Of Abber
vile, W. E. BOgkin of Camden, J. C..
Whitaker and Il E. Walker of Sumter
w. F. Meyers Of Colleton, E. u. Little.
John and B. F. Means of SpartsnDurg.
A total Of twenty-five men were pre-
sent, including several represented by
proxy.
The discussion on the calling Of a
State convention lasted a long time
and was warm, as Republican debates
always are. The decision reached is
told Of above.
| The committee next turned its atten-
tionsto the Congressional fights and re-
commended that nominees be put in
the field In every Congressional Dis
trict. The Fifth and Sixth Districts
are the only ones In which nothing has
been done about calling a convention
to nominate candidates. This will be
done and the Executive Committee
will See TO 1t, The plan of the Repub-
llcans 10 the Congressional fights is the
same as was sent out IN circular by
Chairman Webster few weeks ago.
Nominees are to be put up in every
district and the name Of every Republi-
can who offers to vote and Is not allow
ed to do 80 because he does not have a
registration ticket will be taken down.
Tne expectation is that there will be a
Republican Congress next yea. The
| Republican nominees will use the re-
! glstratiOn laws and failure of their men
to vote as a basis for contests In the
! House.
The committee sat down on Brayton
in great shape, endorsing the candidacy
Of L. B. Johnson in the Seventh Dis.
trict, by the passage OF the following
resolution:
while regretting the condition that
| confronts US In the Seventh Congress
| slonal District In the candidacy of Col.
T. B. johnson and Hon. E. NJ. Bray
| ton, it Is the sense of this committee,
from the facts presented to them, thaC
! Col. T. B. Johnson is entitled to the
support Of the Republicans Of
| said District as there guIsr
| nominee of the party and as
snch we endorse and commend him to
the loyal Republicans of the district" :"
Brayton made fight against the re-
| solution but be had only six mea to
back him. In some manner Webster
| and johnson have the State Executive
Committee packed against Brayton.
Brayton, 1t will be remembered, car
ried the contest before the Republican
National Congressional Committee and
they decided that Johnson was bolter
and that Brayton was entitled to Re-
publican support. johnson says be
made no effort to meet the contest be-
fore that committee because Brayton Is
member of it and the committee was
packed against him (JohnsoD) It will
thus be seen that both Brayton and
Johnson will be IN the race to the end
IN the Seventh oIe having the endorse
M 0f hn Noffnnol
the other that of the State Executive
Committee.
The row between Murray and Smalls,
In the new First District. was submit
ted to the national committed some
time ago and T. decided In favor of
| Murray. Smalls thereupon withdrew
from the race and there Is oaly one
| Republican candidate In that district.
One of the last things done by the
committee was to decide to make a
strong fight at the ballot box In the
November election against the Con-
stitutional convention, and resolution
was adopted calling on the white peo-
pie OF the State who are opposed to the
| convention to aid the Republicans in
| the fight.
GEtyTON CONDEMNS IT.
Brayton strongly condemns the &C.
tion of the Republican State Executive
Committee In refusing to Call State
| convention. The motive for this action
was desire, ne says to prevent the
| election Of new State Executive Com
mittee and OF County Chairman as Is
| required by the rules of the party and
Its effect is to deprive the party Of any
rightful and legal organization as the
| tenue OF these party officials expires by
limitation. He also considered the State
| committee dereljct IN not outlining q
policy for the party IL the approaching
| campaign.
IL regard to ths endorsement of
| T. B. Johnson's candidacy for Congress
! in the Seventh District Brayton speaks
| With Contempt Of the conrse of
| the committee and claims 1t was
| brought about by the basest and
| most corrupt methods and to destroy
the chance Of Republican success. The
| following protest was filed by those re-
pudia1ing the action OF the committee:
"We the undersigned members Of the
Republican State Executive Commit
| tee of South Carolina protest ag 4inst
| the right or authority of the committee
| to consider or act on the question of
the Republican nominee IN the Sev-
enth Congressional District in this
State, for the reason that the matter
has already been determined by the
| National Congressional Committee
which has duly considered the case and
! declared f. M. Brayton the legal and
| regular nominee of the party, and be-
cause the State Executive Committee
has no Jurisdiction in the primaries, and
in addition the matter was brought up
without previous notice or intimation
that it would be taken up and acted on
without proof being considered by the
committee.
owe therefore protest against the
| Interference and decision of the COM
mittee as unauthorized, illegal and
void. &c. M. BRAYTON,
&c. w. MURRAY,
| "W. Z. MYERS,
"E. }. DICKERsON,
81. F. LOPEZ,
| 81. j. MILLER"
r. r. Tolbert, Jr., and b. H. Means
Il