Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-19
GUNTERSVILLE.
Populites and Republicans Wrangle and
Finally Split Up.


Guntersville, March 1S.-(Special)-The
populist-republican mass convention
held at Guntersville last Saturday shot
wide of the mark. The populist heavy
artillery, imported from other sections or
the state to terrorize the republicans of
this county into fusing with the popu-
lists, proved to be boomerang. me
object of the meeting was so bare-faced,
viz: to split the republicans in the coun-
ty, and carried out so glaringly that
many of the fair-minded, better class
of populsts split from their own party
and will join the ranks of the repubh-
cans. a4,s5
Much boasting had been made by the
9populist leaders here that lat the proper
time the republicans would be whipped
into the populist party" 1t is very evil
dent that last Saturday did not prove
to be the proper" time.
O. F. Gather and A. Il. Goodwin, Jr,
were the heavy guns to address the
meeting, and the business OF both con-
ventions was held over until after the
speaking Gather spoke first, followed
by Goodwin. Gathers speech dwelt
upon the political turmoil of the country
He exhorted the yeomanry OF Marsnail
county not to put in a political machine
that would not count their ballots.
Told his pussy anecdote, which raised
laugh that caused a very perceptible
after laugh among those who could see
the applicabeness of the story TO the
other side from which he intended II,
picturing the very thing the populists
were doing, crying PUSSY! Pussy!
after failing In their "scat, scat with
the republicans of this county Tne
points made by GOODWIN in his speech
were that the republicans of Marshall
county were about to join hands with the
organized dbug-democrat-ballot-
suffer" He dwelt upon the tniqu1ty or
the democratic party, and eXhorted the
republicans of the county to join the pop
ulsts in wiping out the iniquity and IN
fanny of organized democracy
After this speaking the meeting
emerged into a rump republican conven-
ton in answer to a call of Thomas NC
Naron Judge Street arose and appealed
to the populists to remain through the
republican convention, such as are De-
ing held in this state in every county
where the delegates elected for district
and state conventions are for Mckinley
to elect delegates. A farce convention
was gone through with The voting
was weak on every question, there pelng'
as q rule in hall of $50 people, four 10
five yeas, only thirteen rising In answer
to an urgent appear from the CHAIR lot d
rising vote.
w. M. Coleman, one of the leading pop
ulists of this county, who took great
share of the burden of this republican
convention upon his shoulders, seeing
that the voting was fast growing into
ridicule. at the next motion invited the
populists to join in the voting, after
which there was no lack for votes.
w c. Rains took the stand and put
some very unpleasant questions to Q. T.
Holmes At this juneture A. B. Jones
entered a protest upon the whole pro-
ceedings and styled 1t a republican con-
yention in name only. run by Judge
Street and Bob Coleman, the two leading
populists of the county. and In the in
terest of the popult6ts, which created
the greatest confusion. After quiet was
restored the populists took up the work
of their convention and elected dele
gates to their state and district and sena-
torai conventions.