The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-19

|
OF the state executive committee, The
number of delegates present was large.
more than half being forced to stand in
| the aisles, while the galleries were packed
TO the doors. The convention endured
this discomfort manfully, persevering IN
the business in hand upon empty stom-
achs until it became apparent at 4 O'Clock
| that there would be a stubborn fight over
| two of the places
Before the business was finally reduced
TO basis where it could be transacted
| fusion. WI
"A hot fight ensued over the propositions
submitted for the manner in which the
nominations should be made. On one
slqe We're the friends of those candidates
| VINO appeared to have the smallest fol-
| lowing in the convention and on the
other those who We're charged by the first
| named element with having made a slate
or combination. The alleged slate beine
the stronger faction, naturally enough
when the issue came to a head. won
nahus down. though all those who took
position on this side declared emphati-
cany teat they were parties to no com
! blnation or slate.
The contesting delegations from Chat
nam ana Spalding counties compromised
IN on 'he ADMISSION of half of each delega-
tloi, ana the contest for the chairmanshin
OF the convention between Hon. Washing
ton Desseau of Macon and Hon. John w
| AIKEN or Barlow county, was likewise
| compromised by Mr.. Aiken being made
temporary chairman, and Mr.. Desseau per-
manent chairman of the convention.
Hon. William Clifton, secretary of the
Senate, and Col. Mark Hardin. clerk of
the House, were made the secretaries of
| the convention.
| Senator-Elect Clay received an ovation
| when he called the convention to order.
lie made short speech assuring the pub
Ac that he would burn the midnight oil
at Washington studying and striving to
| measure up to his high position He de-
clared that he had been honored beyond
his deserts, but he would show the peopls
who honored him by his acts that he felt
the responsibility upon him. He would
be faithful to his people, he declared, and
would show that it was possible for pub
lie man to live pure life. He came from
the ranks of the common people, he said,
| and would always have a warm place in
his heart for them-he loved every man.
woman and child in the state.
Some of Mr.. Aiken's friends were not
disposed to allow the compromise that had
| been made on the Craftsmanship to stand
and Capt. John j. Seay of Rome took the
| lead of this faction by moving to make
him permanent chairman. Mr.. Aiken,
however, declined to allow such a motion
|
name to be suggested for the position in
| opposition to Mr. Desseau.
In assuming the chair, Mr. Desseau
made stirring little speech, thanking the
| convention for the honor conferred upon
him. He said the ball was started by
| Judge Miller of Macon, who introduced
a resolution providing for the appointment
| of a committee of one from each con-
| gressional district to prepare an order of
business and recommend rules for the
government of the convention. He ex-
planned that it would be absolutely neces-
sary that some plan of procedure be
adopted, in view of the large number of
candidates before the convention, as well
as the other complications of the work
to be done.
Mr.. Butler of Morgan suggested that
the rules of the House of Representatives
could be adopted, and after the motion
was amended by Mr.. Simmons of Gwin-
nett so as to make it the rules of the gem
eral assembly when in joint session, the
motion was adopted.
The fight over the manner of nominat-
ing the judges then broke forth. Mr..
Meadow of Morgan offered a resolution
providing that the nomination of the cam
didate to succeed Judge Samuel Lumpkn
be separate from the rest. There was no
objection to this, but when Mr.. Meadow S
resolution further provided that the
other three candidates should be voted
for together by counties majority vote
being necessary to a choice, there was
immediate dissensions.
w. c. Glenn of Fulton, mounted a chair
and made a hot protest He charged that
the proposition to nominate the three can
didates in a bunch, was in the interest
of a slate He called the Meadow resolu-
| tion a ballot trust" and went on to de-
nounce alleged trades and combinations
| by which, he said, men who could not
stand alone before the people sought to
drag themselves up to the supreme bench
on the coat tails of others He declared
| that the convention should not do anything
that would not stand before the people
The system was on trial for the first
time, he said, and If the people were to
retain the priceless boon of electing the
judiciary, the convention should go very
slow about doing anything that would
smack of rings and states. If any candi-
date was too weak to be nominated upon
his own merits, he should not be permit
ted to make trades for the assistance of
others. Mr.. Glenn then offered a resolu-
ton providing that the candidates should
be voted for singly, after the nomination
of Judge Sam LumplSin, as his own sue
cessor, which was later done by acclama-
tion.
More confusion ensued upon this
amendment and a call of the roll by coun-
ties was finally resorted to to settle it.
This resulted in the defeat of Mr.. Glenn S
amendment, and then the Meadow reso-
lutions were adopted. under which each
county should vote for three candidates
for the new places on the bench, as they
were called.
Upon the cali for nominations, Mr..
Chappell of Muscogee placed the name of
Col. W. A. Little of Muscogee before the
convention.
|
Hon. George Bell nominated Judge
George f. Gober of Cobb county.
Maj. Meldrim of Savannah nominated
Judge w. Fl. Fish of Sumter county
Hon. w. II. Fleming of Augusta nomi-
mated Judge John L. Hopkins.
Judge Charles Adamson nominated
Judge Sampson w. Harris of Meri-
wether.
Capt. w. B. Burnett of Athens nomi-
mated Judge Andrew Cobb.
DR.. N G. Long of Elbert nominated
Hon. John p. Shannon Of Elbert.
A. l.. Hawes nominated Judge B. B.
Bower of Dougherty.
George Jordan placed Col j. H. Martin