Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-04-30
REPUBLICANS OF GEORGIA.
Mckinley Delegation to st. Louis
Three Negroes; one White Man.

TIN &c Negroes; one White Man.
ATLANTA. GA. April 29.-The state
Republican Convention TO name four dele
gates from the State at large TO ST. Louis
was i'm session here to-day. The attend
ance was larger than at any previous
convention in years. and for noise and
badges 1T exceeded all others. IL was
called TO meet at 10 o'clock, but at that
hour il became apparent that with the
vast throng Of noisy negroes present it
would be impossible to organize. The
corridors Of the Capitol were packed and
iammed with lusty-lunged negroes, and
cries OF Mckinley" and counter cries
OF Reed" rang through the halls. Badges
futtered from every dusky breast, and
Mckinney badges were in the proportion
Of ten TO one.
Seeing that II would be impossible to
organize and control the convention, Boss
Buck the Mckinley leader, called the
State Executive Committee together I'm
the Senate chamber. Meantime, the doors
of the hall in which the convention was
to be held were locked and barred. The
crowd surged and fought outside, sending
up cheers for their favorltes. They bat
tered against the strong doors. and
showed against the keepers. but 10 no ef-
feet
At II o'clock Chairman Buck appeared.
list Of delegates had been made out
by the committee and only those 10
whom tickets were given were admitted
to the hall. Nearly an hour was spent in
admitting delegates. Meantime. Boss
Buck held a levee in front OF the door,
and gave out tickets 10 favorites lie said
that no preliminary plan of organization
had been agreed upon, but IT was plain
that the Mckinley crowd had ii.
POLICE PROTECTION
Colonel Buck telephoned to police head
quarters for a company Of officers, which
was sent The Reed crowd sent a delega-
ton to the Chief of Police TO protest
against Bucks plan Of admittance by
ticket only.
Shortly after II Buck called the con-
ventlon TO order, and Secretary Deyen
called the roll prepared by the State Com
mittee.
Colonel A. e. Buck, chairman OF the
State Committee, and leader Of the Nc
Knley forces, was elected temporary
chairman, upon motion of W. 4. Pledger
leader Of the and-McKinley forces, and
permanent organization was soon eff
fscted by electing Buck as permanent
chairman The fact that Pledger pro-
posed Buck name soon developed a COM
blnation, by which PiedgeTs law-partner
II. l.. Johnson, was 10 be one OF the four
delegates from the state at large, the
other three being Mckinley men, as fol-
lows: A. r. Buck, J. ii. DevereauX, and
III. A. Rucker, all colored except Buck
To effect this combination IL was neces-
sary to overthrow the plans of the Nc
Kinley men to name Major J. +. Hanson,
Of Macon, one Of the delegates from the
State at large, thus making a solid Nc
Kinley delegation. Hanson was until re-
Gently a very prominent Democrat. and is
president OF several cotton-mills and also
president Of the Georgia Manufacturers
Association. The negroes, under the lead
ership Of Pledger, revolted at the idea of
newcomer being one Of the delegates
at large, and the issue was thus forced
on Hanson. In order to avoid a conflict
and a split in the convention, Buck
agreed 10 drop him and accept Pledgers
law-partner.
PANDEMONIUM
When the delegation as named was
placed before the convention pandemo-
Mum broke loose. r. r. Wright protest
ed and stated that as a Mckinley man
he would never agree TO awarding even
one position 10 the other side. and he re-
pudiated the deal. Wright's name was
then placed In nomination for delegate at
large. Eight or ten colored speakers sur
rounded the chairmans desk, all speaking
at once, and for half an hour bedlam ex-
listed. Colonel Buck then put the combi-
nation delegation 10 the vote Of the con-
veation. and it was received with a tire
mendous shout of AYE" and a vigorous
protest Of "Nor' Buck declared the con-
vention adjourned for dinner.
In the mean time, T.. X Love.
one Of the colored delegates. nut
Wrlghts name 10 the vote of
the convention. and in the midst Of the
confusion declared him unanimously
elected. On Chairman Bucks declaring
the regular convention adjourned Love
took the chair. While part Of the conven-
ton filed out, the Wright forces remained.
A contest for the seat of Wright before
the national convention IL inevitable. and
as Buck and Pledger, being the leaders
OF the opposing factions, have agreed on n
combination delegation, IL Is probable
that Wright viii have little showing.
Both Buck ana Pledger were vigorous i'm
their efforts 10 have the combination dele
cation elected, In the interest of what
they call the harmonious action Of tho
party. The convention is Overwhelmingly
for Mckinley, but had the combination
not been effected. by which the opposi-
ton was given one Of the four places.
the ti-McKinley forces would have
bolted. and made arrangements accord
ingly. The Mckinley men claim that thew
had nineteen delegates OF those elected
by the districts. and this gives them
twenty-five Of Georgia's twenty-six. The
facts seem TO bear out this claim. per-
haps one man elected as a Mckinley
delegate is doubtful quantity. and
twenty-one 10 FIVE would be a safe esti-
mate. The five can be put down as for
Reed. although elected simply Is anti
Mckinley men.