The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-29
BRYAN COUNTY
INDORSED LESTER
AT CLYDE MASS MEETING.
COL. j. II. EsTILL INDoRsED FOR
DELEGATE AT LARGE.

The Mass Meeting the Largest That
Has Been Held in Bryan County
in Years-Lester Men Were Out in
FOrcc-Brannen Men Started to
Organize While the Opposition
Was at Dinner-Lester Men Hur-
ried to the Court House and Voted
an Adjournment Till They Could
Finish Eating-The Meeting Then
Convened and Lasted All the Aft
ernOOn.
Clyde, Ga. March 2S.-At the largest
Democratic mass meeting held in
Bryan county in recent years Con-
gresham Rufus E. Lester was over
whelmingly, indorsed to-day for re-
election, Col. ]. H. Estill was. unani-
mously indorsed for delegate from the
state at large to the st. Louis con-
vention, and new Executive Commit
tee was chosen.
Besides being the largest mass meet
ing in recent years it was the liveliest
by far and it might be said that it was
the longest. The meeting was called
to order shortly after noon and it was
nearly sundown before it adjourned.
Lester IndOrsed.
The Endorsement of Col. Lester,
which was moved by Thomas M. Nor
gan and seconded by a dozen people,
is as follows:
Resolved, That we hereby express
our appreciation of the able and eff
cient service rendered this district in
the past by the Hon. Rufus E. Lester,
and our confidence that he can and
will serve us equally well for the next
term.
we know his fearless spirit and faith
full efforts in maintaining the rights
of the South and securing every pos
sible benefit for all parts of the dis
: trict.
AS citizens of Georgia we are graft
fled at the high position recently con-
ferred upon him which reflects credit
upon him and puts him in the best
possible position to be of service to us.
We feel that occupying this impor-
tant post his services are indispensa-
BILE and we hereby give him our hearty
Endorsement.
Col. EstilI for Delegate to st. Louis.
The Endorsement of Col Estill for
delegate at large was moved by w. w.
Sheppard, Esq, and was unanimously
carried. The resolution is as follows:
Whereas, it is the desire of the
Democrats of Bryan county to have
representation from this section of the
state of Georgia on the delegation at
large from the state to the National
Democratic Convention to be held in
St. Louis. Mo-; and,
Whereas we believe that Hon. ].
H. Estill of Savannah. Ga, is an
able, safe and conservative man, and
one who would reflect great credit on
this great state; Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, by the Democrats of
Bryan county, in mass meeting as
sembled, that we heartily recommend
and indorse him for one of the dele
gates at large from the state of Geor-
gia to the said Democratic National
Convention, to be- held in st. Louis.
The New Committee.
The new Executive Committee is as
follows: Chairman, ex-Judge J. B.
Brown; secretary, Thomas M. Morgan;
district members, Nineteenth. district:
John Bacon, j. G.. Moore, L. M. La
nier; One Thousand Three Hundred
and Eightieth district, r. H. Shuman,
w. H, Butler, Al. Brown; One Thous-
and One Hundred and Thirty-seventh
district, w. P. Dukes, John w. Nor
gan, H. D. Vanbrackel; Twentieth dis
trict, Phillip D. Cory, Paul T. Has
kell, A. J. Cobb.
The Meeting a Lively One.
The call for the meeting published in
the Bryan Enterprise last Friday was
somewhat of a surprise to the Lester
forces They were not slow in getting
together, however, and two hours be-
fore the meeting was called to order
they outnumbered the Brannen men
two to one The Bryan County Court
was in session, and it was the under
standing that when the court had ad-
journed and dinner was over, the mass
meeting would be called to order in
the court room. With this understand
ing the Lester men went to
dinner. Shortly afterward the
court adjourned and the Bran
meeting. Chairman Geiger was not
present, and w. H. Strickland was
made chairman and Thomas ]. Osteen
secretary. Before the meeting had
gone further the Lester men had been
notified and hurried to the Court
House. They were in the majority,
and the meeting was adjourned half
an hour for dinner. At the end of
the half hour it reconvened.
In a WrangIe.
Chairman Strickland did not appear,
and after waiting some time commit
tee composed of r. H. Shuman, c. M.
Dugger and L. N. Van Bracket was
sent after him. He was soon found
and calling the meeting to order, an
nounced that the first business was the
selection of a new Executive Commit
tee.
Mr.. w. b. Smith moved that chair
man and secretary and three commit
teemen from each militia district be
elected for the ensuing two years and
put a list of committeeman in
nomination.
The chair called attention to the
number Of Lester men in the list. This
was the signal for filibustering. The
chair ruled that Mr.. Smith must put
his motion in writing before it could
be considered.
While Mr.. Smith was writing his
resolution the chair entertained a mo-
ton, not in writing, from Mr.. G. M.
Dugger and then confusion reigned.
Finally a motion to adjourn was made,
but was voted down.
At this juncture Mr.. w. w. Shep-
pard secured recognition and his
remarks were listened to quiet
ly. His resolution indoTsing Col. Estill
as delegate at large was put by the
chairman and was unanimously car
ried.
AS soon as this was done Mr.. Shep-
pard stepped down and Mr. Smith
took his place and offered the
resolution indorsing Col Lester.
The chairman declined TO put the
resolutions on the ground that he had