Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-04-13
A STATE CONVENTION.


state Democratic Executive Com.
mittee met today and ordered a
convention to be held in this CITY
on August 23d, to nominate all
state officers.
The fight was fierce from start to
finish. The McLaurin forces, I'M
der the leadership of Mudrow and
Brewer, started the ball by chal.
longing the right of E. j. Bowers,
of Hancock, to membership, but on
a vote the committee declared him
entitled to membership by ten to
six. Bowers Immediately took the
leadership for a state convention
and against a state primary for
senator.
Gov. McLaurin sent letter to
the committee, asking for a prima.
ry election for United States sena-
tor, the vote of all the COMMITTEES to
be added together. Immediately
upon its reading, Bowers offered
the following resolutions:
Resolved, That it is the sense of
this committee that it has no au.
thority to regulate or direct the
method of the selection of the
choice of the Democracy for United
States senator; that the power of
the county convention therein is
full and pIenary; that we decline to
trench upon said power and regelate
said question to said committees as
the bodies having full and sole
jurisdiction thereof.
Mr.. Brewer offered a substitute
calling for primary for United
States senator on the 18th of July,
only white democrats to vote, and
providing tor second one in case
of no selection by the first. The
selection of candidates for state
Offices W s to be made at the same
time and manner, railroad com
missloners is be nominated bv dis
trlctS.
In speaking to his resolution,
Bowers intimated that the com.
mittee should rebuke the attempt
of the governor to influence it, aud
read from the governors message
to the Legislature of last January
recommending primary election leg
islation, i'll which the governor
urged that it was Democracy to
all the counties in their own way to
determine their choice for all Offices
and pointed out that any other
course was not Democratic. Mr..
Bowers made it plain that the gov
errors letter of to day and his
official utterauces of last year "do
not speak as they pass by"
Brewer spoke against the Bowers
resolution, as did also Muldrow
Miller and Mullins, each making al
strong plea as that side would
admit.
q. III. Williams, of Yazoo, OPP
posed the Brewer substitute, As
well as substitute to the substl
tute offered by Mr.. Mullins, OF
Marshall. He showed that the com
mittee had no right TO rob the coun
ties of their electoral or representa-
tive votes; that the state constitu
ton required not only majority OF
votes for all state officers, but also
of the legislature sitting as al
electoral college. His speech was
positively refreshing in these days
and times for its lofty and fearless
discussion of public matters.
Congressman Allen, candidate
for the senate, Governor McLaurln
having been heard by letter, APP
peared before the committee and
stated that individually he prefer
red a state primary for senator, be
lieving that such primary would
benefit him, but that he held De
mocracy and the constitution above
all. He had always voted in con
gress for the election of senotors
by the people.
The Bowers resolution, above
printed, was adopted by the tol
lowering vote:
Yeas-Scott, Williams, Wilkison
Mcdonald, Glover, Roane, Will
hanson, Wells, Bowers, Brady
Boone, Eek oid-11 2 3.
| Nays-Muldrow, Mullins, Thur
man. Brewer. Adams, Eaton, Miller
Price, Lyell-6 3.
The followerlng resolution, by
! Williamson, of Kinds, was adopt
ed by the same vote over sub
stitute by Mr.. Williams of 4azoo
Resolved by the state Democratic
executive committee, That there
shall be held a State convention il
the city of jackson on August 70
1899, for the purpose of nominating
candidates for the democratic party
in Mississippi for the several state
offices TO be voted for by the people
of the State at the regular election
to be held on the 7th day of No
vember next. The several counties
in the state shall in the manner tC