The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-04-15
WEBSTER REPUBLICANS.
MCKINLEY ENDORSED WilH LITTLE
OPPOSITION.

a Sl8LlOEU 0LA VA A@NAs~NNS ssA>> -
That May Mean Anything Brayton ane
His Faction Scored---Two White sne
Two Colored Delegates.
COLUMBIA, S. c., April s-Thers
was very little of the Lily White
about the Webster Republican conven
ton which assembled in the hall o1
the House of Representatives yester
day. Itmostly was black, but here
and there among delegates was 8
string of white or yellow or tan col
or that lent varigated hue tc the
assem- blaee and, thus. prevented the
eve from being wearie6 with lookluG
on one solid color. The convention
was long time i'll gathering. 1t was
called to meet at ID o'clock, but al
that time there was only one delegate,
and he was white, in the hall, and ne
sataloue in his glory with long Six
hat on his head. He was reading the
MCKINLEY" edition of the Cincinnati
Commercial Gazette, copies Of which
had been distributed on every chair.
This edition contained full page cut
of the leading Republican candldate,
besides about sixteen pages Of glorlh-
cation OF him. Phe picture OF McAln,
ley was most prominently displayed
under the speakers desk.
When the hour of meeting arrived,
the solitary delegate with the silk hat
was holding the fort alone, although
down in fir mt of the State House the
faithful were caucussing and hobnoo-
bing right along. Mr.. Webster, the
chairman, who pulls the strings, how
ever, had the leaders in consultation
with him, mapping out the proceedings
of the convention, which, after meet
ing his approval, were suoseq uensly
carried out to the letter. 1t was
twenty minutes to two o'clock before
Chairman Webster finally secured bis
crowd together. They were mostly
black, as has been said, and most OF
them were old stagers.
Among the white men We're: Tom
Johnston, of Sumter, OstenoorH and
Smith of Charleston; Lathrop, OF Or
angeburg; A G. Merrick, of Oconee;
Spratley, of Greenville; J. NJ. Robin
son. of Laurens; Robert Norman, Of
Newberry; Poinier, of Spartanbarg ;
: J. c.. Clark of Lancaster; +. NJ. But
Ter. of Anderson and half dozen or
so of Talberts of Abbeville. Among
the well known colored men were
Smalls, Miller, Crum, Nix, Wilder,
Dickerson. Fordham and others.
Mr.. Webster at twenty minutes to
2o'clock called the convention to Or
der. Rev. J. H. johnson, OF Colum.
bia. acted as secretary. MIR. Webster
called upon Rev. W. D. Chappelle
to open the exercises with prayer.
The prayer was mostly statement to
the Supreme Being that the as
semblage was one of states smen
and hoping that the members
would return home and receive
the plaudits Of their constituents. At
the. conclusion of the prayer, Mr..
Webster announced that Thos. Z.
Miller had been selected IS temporary
chairman and Rev. ]. Il. johnson
secretary This vas rather cut and
dried, but it went, and E. 81. Deas of
Darlington started to make some sort
of motion when a delegate arose and
said: Il motion that acommittee OF
three escort Mr.. Miller to the chair. !"
Adelegate started to nominate three
and was quickly followed by other
delegates with three other names, but
finally the number was reduced to
three and the chair appointed Janua-
nv Rivers, Major Fordham and DR..
Wilson, all black or colored, who es-
corted Miller to the chair. The chair
man made quite a lengthy speech IN
which he upheld the organization
which had just elected him chairman
and, also, gave Mr.. Brayton and Mr..
Melton some heavy raps. These men
were spectators in the gallery at the
time and, indeed, during the whole OF
the meeting. Miller said that he stood
where he did as the representative OF
an organization that had come down
from Randolph, Mackey, Webster
and Miller. It's true, he said, that
since 1876 we have been unable
to achieve Victories at the ballot box;
is true that only in congressional dis
tricts have we had any candidates, yet
we are the representatives of the party
exemplifed by Randolph, who fell at
the hands of an assassin, and Tor
which Attucks died. There are traitors
in the party" he continued, and the
sentiment was reechoed Throughout!
the hall by cries of: ''Datsso;' yes,
etc. He went on to say that he was
not here for personal ambition, but to
preserve the party of Lincoln and JET
ferson. loud cheering.
The chairman said there was no
half way ground. There were lral
tors led by E. NJ. Brayton, because
one half of them don't know how to
and steal like he does. Cheers.
Brayton would be ready to drive out
every black man from the party to
accomplish his purpose. Speaking OF
social equality, he said that he would
rather be damned than be IN con
nection with white men, who thought
that political affiliations would give
them social position. There are white
men in South Carolina who have be-
come Lily Whites" to escape the
odlum of being Republicans. For
these people I have no fellowship, the
chairman, declared, and numerous evl
deuce of approval were heard among
the delegates, be such exclamalons as,
That's so;'' Talk more Miller.
Continuing, the chairman said that
he did not believe in social equality
Although he had been in Democratic
and Republican leaders councils, still
he had never confounded his political
with his social status. He went on to
say that Clayton, who had been IN
Fairfield organizing Republican clubs,
was but an off shoot of the old Hen:
dirk, McLane and Russell crowd, and
outside of the handsome and vel
dressed gentleman from Columbia
Capt. Melton, but one traitor could oe
n n