The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-11
HOW P0PULISTs WERE SOLD.
DEAL DEFTLY MANIPULATED IN A
QUIET "NIGGER" CONVENTION.

Belcher, the Negro Republican
Chairman, Confident That the
PODuIists VIII Deliver the Pur-
chased Votes - MiIIiken Handled
the st. SImOn's Convention As
Smoothly As BeIcher Did the One
at WaycrOss-Mnny PODuIists He
ueve They Have Been Betrayed.
Republication Has No Principles
Germane to Those of POpuIism
Combinations Hope In Coffee
County.
Brunswick, Ca, Sept. 10.-In his open
ing address of the campaign to the Dem
ocrats of Coffee county on Monday last,
Congressman Brantley recited some state
ments that had been made to him regard
ing the manner in which the Populist-
Republican deal in the Eleventh district
had been made and brought about. This
was to the effect that for weeks and
months before the convention of Republi-
cans at Waycross, Capt. Ben. Milliken,
for whom, personally, he had no word to
say against, and E. r. Belcher, the col
ored chairman of the Republican execu-
tive committee of the Eleventh district,
mad been figuring on a deal of mutual
benefit to themselves. This deal, as final
ly closed, and now in process of being car
ried out, was for Belcher TO control all the
negro and white Republican votes of the
Eleventh district and have them put in
the box for the Populist candidate for
state house offices when the election time
came in October This would directly
help Milliken, as he is a candidate for con-
troller general on the state house
ticket. In return for these votes, MILL
ken was to have all the white Populists
vote for the Republican nominee for Con-
gress, j. M. Wilkinson, against the Dem
ocrauc candidate, Hon. w. G. Brantley,
when the election in November came off.
In accordance with this prearranged plan
Belcher had host Of negro and white
delegates to meet in convention at
Waycross. Before the convention
was called to order, Belcher
met with Floyd Snelson, prominent ne
gro politician. Capt Ben Nilliken, the
Populist, and Candidate Wilkinson of Val
dosta, in a back room across the way
from the convention hall. The compact
was then gone over again, and at that
moment literally signed, sealed and deliv-
cred. This done, and Belcher having car
ried his point in having all the white
Populsts turned over to his control, the
party broke UP. Belcher went to his
convention hall, had a white man made
chairman and distributed lot of resolu-
tions amongst the negroes and set the
time for each of them to be sprung on
the convention, The resolutions came off
on time, when Belcher gave the word,
two af no baA
to be squelched for getting their resolu-
tons off a little ahead of time. Finally
the Endorsement of Candidate Wilkinson
was made and the deal as far as the
Populst was concerned was then In order.
Before closing the convention one dele
gate got up and in fitting emphasis of
the smoothness with which Belcher had
manipulated his white and colored politi-
cal brethren, said he wanted to offer a
resolution that the Convention was the
most quietly and orderly niger conven-
ton he ever attended"
Following this convention the one for
the Populists on st. Simons Island was
called and nine delegates from three coun-
ties attended. The other fifteen counties
iE the district had no representation pres
ent, and Capt. Ben Nilliken handled the
delegates attending to the queens taste.
They Endorsed Wilkinson, the Republican
candidate for Congress- and swallowed the
!
Endorsement. This platform represents
! everything that the Populist party antag
onizes and its adoption as creating no end
of dissension among the rank and file.
7 here are many who seem to think they
| have been betrayed into the enemy's
! hands, and they refuse to vote for Re-
publican However, when the convention
adjourned the trade between Belcher for
| the negro Republicans, and Millixen for
the white Populists had been made in good
faith and the delivering of the votes was
| the next thing in order. To do this u
great deal of work and a great deal of
money will have, to be put forth Belcher
believes firmly that the Populists will live
UP to their agreement, and in an inter.
view with the Morning News correspond
ent had to-day he says:
IT have no doubt but that the Populists
will live up to the trade they have made.
! We have been mighty good TO the Pop
ulists ever since it has been our privi-
lege, and have given them every one of
the postoffices and such offices as they
asked for, in addition to always giving
our votes to their candidates for county
Offices Whenever it came to a point be-
tween a Republican and a Popuist we
gave way to the Populists, and in this
and other ways we have established a
very close relationship between the two
parties in this district. The Popuhsts
seem to appreciate what the Republicans
have done for them, and there Is no doubt
in my mind but that they will vote for
our candidate as they have promised"
There are several counties, noticeably
Laurens, Montgomery and Coffee, where
the Populists are largely in the majority,
and in Coffee county alone there are near
ly 1900 names on the registration books"
"Becher, where do the Populists find
5000 voters In Coffee county?" asked the
correspondent, who has only recently been
over that county and saw no evidence of
so many voters.
"Oh, l don't know" said Belcher with a
half laugh. You know the Populists con-
troll things up there and they have the
registration books in their care"
He then added that Coffee was large
county and had lots of turpentne farms
| around which the voters he supposed
were found.
This in substance gives the outside
world q clear insight into the situation
of affairs In the Eleventh district, where
the rankest combination formed In xears