The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1898-06-01
JUDGE GRAHAM SET RIGHT.
a Citizen of Fort Gaines Turns the Tio.4
on Some Charges.

on Some Charges.
| From the Fort Gaines Sentinel.
MR.. EDITOR: Your last issue contains
az article signed "DemOcrat." in which
| instead OF answering the pertinent oues'
! tons propouuded by "Enqurer'' askino
| Mr.. / Z. Sutton, who is now seekin1
| the democratic nomination, to exDIain
! his vote for A. l.. Foster, the pOpulist
candidate for The legislature in 12Qf
| against the undisputcd nominee of the
democratic party, he lodges it aud at
| tempts to throw suspicion on judge
| Graham's democracy.
! 1t is not denied that Judge Graham
heartily supported the parties nameI Nv
democrat" but he only did what a LARGE
majority of the democrats of ClaV did in
the same 'ntest. AS you, the editor.
properly stated last week "those were
the days Of frequent reflections from
party organization occasoned by fac
tlonai contentious arising in stocked
mass meetings. ;" Take the mass meet
ing of 1880 to which democrat" refers
Two hundred and fifty TO three hundred
democrats assembled in the court bouse
for the purpose of selecting a candidate
for the Legislature. F. K. Freeman took
charge OF the meeting, and by methods
before unknown in the south ne of
tended and stampeded more than three
tourthS OF the voters, only fifty or sixty
RETAINING. SuppOSing these were all
his friends he then called for ballot.
As the count proceeded he thought an
other party would secure the maiortv
of this small minority of the original
mass meeting and he arose and de-
nOunceG the whole affair as a fraud: de.
clared he would not abide the nomiDa-
ton and left the court house. and wher
the complete count gave him one or TWO
votes majority the meeting had to send
out and hunt MIN up to get his accept
ance. Col. r. A. purnipseed opposed
him and was elected by the democrats
In 1882 at so-called primary in
which nearly all the negroes ia the
county voted and the Whites RETAINED
from voting, the general dissatisfaction
resulting will be readily un lerstoad.
Soon after this mass neeting of the
democrats was called and 300 or 400
white democrats met in TIE court house
censured the Comu-ittee for allowing
the negroes to vote IA a primary, re-
pudlated the nomiuati thus made and
proceeded to nominate RObt. Thompson
as their standard bearer, who was over
wheimlngly elected, receiving fully
ninety per cent..o the white votes in
the county.
The foregoing are specimens of the
methods which Judge Graham, aud
large majority If the democrats of Clay
be it said to their honor-opposed and
repudiated, rne judge is willing to
stand by his record, knowing that a
large majority of the democrats of Clay
who were with him then are also with
him in his present contest.
Some of Mr.. SuttOn's friends state
that Judge Graham declined to submit
his candidacy to Clay county, and there
fore intimate that he fears the verdict of
his home people. But those acquainted
with the facts know this is not true.
judge Graham has said from the begin
ming that he would cheerfullY acqui-
esce in such course if directed from
the p'Oper source. ITO man up
tree it seems that somebody else is
somewhat doubtful, about his demo-
cratic following at least, else why are
Mr.. Sutton's friends 81 much opposed
10 the right to vote in the approaching
primary being restricted to recognized
democrats?
ANOTHER DEMOCRAT.
Fort Gaines n Nov