The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-07-31
The Unterrified of Old Johnston
Meet in Smithf1eld.
FIFTEEN HUNDRED STRONG
And Name a Full County Dem
ocratic Ticket.
THEY DEFY THE WHOLE STATE
And Will Keep the Banner Unless We
Have Some Record Breaking
Majorites Next
November.

November.
Smithfeld, n. c., July 30-(Staff
Correspondence. )-The Johnston coun-
ty Democratic convention met in
Smithfeld to-day
Most people in these parts know
what that means.
1t means the coming together of
vast concourse of as true and loyal
patriots as ever east a ballot.
Johnston county don't hold conyen-
tions comprised of a few delegates
from each township, years ago the
Democrats of this grand old county
abandoned that system and adopted
the system of opening wide, every door
window aud crews of ils conventions
and issuing the broad proclamation
that whatsoever will may come" the
results have shown the wisdom of this
course, and the conventions held in
Johnston are grand bi-annual re
unions of a great irresistible Demo-
cratic army, great mass-meetings in
which a mans party alIegiaT ce is his
credentials. His loyalty to his party
is his passport and with these he steps
into the meeting, however humble he
may be, however modest or however
unassuming he cast his vote, and that
vote counts as much as the ablest or
the greatest in the convention.
Johnston county $ big Democratic
majorities, year in and year out, are
attributable mainly to this system.
There is no strangling of minorities
here. There is no ring rule, no neu-
traliZing force, no effort to crush a
sentiment, however weighty or how
ever weak.
A convention in Johnston is a general
coming together of the individual
nc.aoQrats of the county each his own
sponsor, his own thinker, and his own
voter.
There is no rushing through Of
nominations. There is no selection of
speakers. There is no such thing as
a committee on credentials. There
has not been a contest in the county
in a dozen years. There can be none
when every Democrat is a delegate.
There is no restriction of speakers, nor
limitation of speeches. Every man
speaks that cares TO and as long as
he desires to.
Every man has vote, even if he be
one Of one hundred from a township
that cast but four votes, he can cast
and have recorded one one-hundTedth
of vote for his favorite, so long as
he desires. You never hear a man
say a nomination was unfair. You
never hear one say that his friend was
ill-treated. You never hear one
threaten to bolt.
There is another thing about
Johnston county convention, that is, in
this day and time, a little unusual to
say the least of it.
You scarcely ever hear man even
intimating TO his friends that he de-
sires their support You generally
hear those whose friends are pressing
them for a nomination asking those
friends to vote for the other man. There
is an air of unselfishness that seems
to permeate the entire throng, and
yet there are no empty honOrs con-
ferred in Johnston, for here a nQmi-
nation means an election but the
office here is the seeker, not the man.
This was the case at Smithfeld to-
day, nearly fifteen hundred people
had assembled from every corner of
the county. There seemed to be no
candidates. There was no preliminary
trading or trafficing between aspir-
ants, or their friends. At twelve
o'clock Chairman Stevens, of the Dem
ocratic Executive Committee called
the vast crowd to order on the court
green and called Mr.. VIM. Richardson
to the chair, as temporary chairman.
Mr.. Richardson after making a stirring
five minutes speech announced that
the first business in order was the cleo
ton of a permanent chairman. So
anxious was he that khe convention
should express itself as to whe ther
he was the proper man to preside over
its deliberations, that he lost sight
Of temporary secretaries and a call of
the townships.
Messrs. Thomas Lassiter and Geo
Jones were suggested for temporary
secretaries, and then Dir. Booker NOV
ed that the temporary organization
be made permanent.
Nominations for Senator were de
clared in order and the friends of sew
eral gentlemen came forward and
placed them in nomination for the
Senate. On the first ballot Mr.. Ed. s. |
Abel, the father Of the per cent
bill passed by the last legislature was
nominated.
Messrs. Claude NJ. Smith, of Boon |
Hill township, and Chas. NJ Creech, of |
O'Neals were nominated after several |
ballots as candidates for the legisla- |
ture.
Capt. Jesse II. Ellington, whom one |
of the speakers declared was the best |
man in North Carolina was re-nomin- |
ated for Sheriff. Mr.. Allen r. Smith, |
the present efficient Register of Deeds
was nominated by acclamation, as was |
also Mr.. T. r. Hood for Treasurer. For
Surveyor Mr.. T. r. Fulghum was nom
mated, and the nomination for coro-