The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-04-15


His Faction scored---Two White ant
Two Colored Delegates.
COLUMBIA, s. c., April s-Thert
was very little of the Lily White
about the Webster Republican conven
tion which assembled in the hall o.
the House of Representatives yester
day. 1t mostly was black, but here
and there among delegates was &
string of white or a yellow or tan col
or that lent a varigated hue to The
assem- blage and, thus, prevented the
eve from being wearied with looking
on one solid color. The convention
was long time III gathering. 1t was
called to meet at 10 o'clock, but al
that time there was only one delegate,
and he was white, in the hall, and he
sataloue in his glory with long sllk
hat on his head. He was reading the
Mckinley" edition OF the CinclnnaIl
Commercial Gazette, copies of which
bad been distributed on every CHAIR.
This edition contained a full page cut
of the leading Republican candidate.
besides about sixteen pages OF glorih'
cation of him. The picture OF McKn;
lev 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 fr5nt 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 cut the proceedings
of the convention, which, after meet
ing his approval, were subsequently
carried out to tho letter. 1t was
twenty minutes to two o'clock before
Chairman Webster finally secured his
crowd together. They were mostly
black, as has been said, and most oi
them were old stagers.
Among the white men were: Tom
Johnston, of Sumter, Ostendortf and
Smith of Charleston; Lathrop, OF Or'
anpeburg; A G. Merrick, of Oconee
Spratley, OF Greenville; J. M. Robin,
son, of Leurens; Robert Norman, OF
Newberry; Pointer, OF Spartanbarg
&c. Clark. of Lancaster; +. NJ. But
Ter, of Anderson and half dozen or
30 of Talberts of Abbeville. Among
the we'll 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. 81. johnson, of Colum
bia, acted as secretary. Mr.. Webster
called upon Rev. W. D. Chappelie
to open the exercises with prayer.
The prayer was mostly a statement to
the Supreme Being that the as
semblsee was one of state smen
and hoping that the members
would return homo and receive
the plaudits of their constituents. At
the conclusion of tho prayer, Mr..
Webster announced that Thos. K.
Miller had been selected IS temporary
chairman and Rev. j. Il. johnson
secretary. This was rather cut and
dried. but it went, and E. H. Deas of
Darlington started to make some sort
of motion when delegate arose and
said: II motion that q 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-
ry 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. 1t is 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
e1emplifed by Randolph, who fell at
the hands Of all assassin, and for
which Attucks died. There are traitors
in the party" he continued, and the
sentiment was reechoed throughout
the hall by cries Of: Oats sso;" "yes,
etc. He went on to say that he was
not here for personal ambition, but to
preserve the party of Lincoln and JEFF
ferson. loud cheering.)
The chairman said there was no
half way ground. There were Irai.
tors led by E. M. Brayton, because
one half of them don't know how to
scheme 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 esnality, 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 Lilly Whites" to escape the
odlum of being Republicans; For
these people / have no fellowship, the
chairman declared, and numerous evi,
dence of approval were heard among
the delegates, be such exclamations as,
That's so;'' Talk more Miller. u
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