The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-03-02
REPUBLICAN CONVENTION.
Tha jssaI Motley Gathering in
Columbia.

fse USaas ntUss6y 0aeMSts's8 an
Columbia.
Columtis, Feb. 24.-It was the same
s old sort cf a Republican Convention.
The compssxion was mostly dark. with
faint snginking of whites those who
hold Federal Office, who want to get
back into the Offices and those who
hore to get Office. There were prac-
tically no new faces. 1t was the same
o. D. gathering that We have seen
here for score OF years, with the ex-
ception of younger men, who have got
ten sone of the Offices.
The ieasnre Of the Convention was
the bitter fight OF clans, led by Ellery
M. BragtDn against the hold Of Capt.
John CT Capers on the organization.
1t is said to be fight Of the outs
against the ins, and it was q red-hot!
contest. Mr.. Brayson said, time and
again, IN his vicious arraignments of
Executive Committeeman Capers, THAT
be was the most absolute Republican
boss the State has ever had, and that
he had the ear Of the powers, and
yet he expected to defeat the new
conner 10 the division of the spoils. It
was too mach to expect to accomplish
defeat, and at the same tin@ to pro-
claim that Capt. Capers was the real
thing when it came to distributing
pap.
IF votes arc to count, then Capt,
Cpaers received the yindication he
sought, and he remains the mogul.
Mr.. Brayton poured hot shot into him,
and 1t was rather much for man like
John CaDsrs to have TO bear. but he
had his say. For more than an hour
Capt. Capers explained and E: M.
Brayton attacked. It Was all politics.
Capt Capers made q satisfying,
psausibla and plain explanation of the
charges, but Mr.. Prayton and his fol-
lowers did not seem at all satisfied with
what he called the specious lawyers
deniaas, at which the Convention ap-
George ". Murray, Anti-Capers,
tried to get into the dispute, but
Chairman Deas confined the firing to
the Bratyon- Capers batteries, although
he had to break his gavel in so doing.
Two reverend visitors, who were not
even delegates to the Convention, got
into good old-time scrap before the
convention assembled, and while one
of the dark delegates was moving about
In his glee oyer Brayton's g arraignment
Of Capers, he dropped his pistol.
It was evident throughout that the
appeal vas TO the colored delegates to
stand by their race and their cham
pions.
The big fight, the only fight, of
course. was on the election Of delegates
at large 70 the National Republican
Convention. There were two distinct
tickets for Che Convention. One
might be called the Capers ticket and
the other the Anti-Capers ticket. The
Capers ticket Of delegates at large was
John G. Capers. L. ". G. Blalock,
Edmund Il. Deas, Robert Smalls.
The opposing ticket was: Ellery n.
Rrayton, r. r. Tolbert, Dr.. W. D.
Cfum and George W. Murray.
The candidates for delegates at
large were not nominated as on any
particular ticket or side. First one
md tiier another was named. regard
less OF sides, bnt the impression was
that the tickets were as indicated.
Dr. NJ. e. Smith was a sort Of fifth
wheel, and was not OF either one of
the scheduled tickets.
Esch OF the regular tickets had two
eosored candidates Capt. Capers and
Z. G. BIalock were the white men
on one ticket and MesHs Brayton and
Yoibert on the opposing ticket.
The result Of the first ballot was
John G. Capers 102, Edmund e. Deas
f07, E. W. G.. Bialock so. Gen. Robert
Smalls As, ". D. Crum 43, r. r. Toll
bret G3, George W. Murray II. E. NJ.
Brayton 10, DR.. Smith %, Capt. Cap
ers, E. Fl. Deas and l.. W. G. Blalock
were elected or the first ballot. Dr..
Crum lacked % votes Of a majority,
but Gen. Smalls, E. r. Tolbert. z. H.
Brayton, Or. Smith and G. w. Muir
ray all withdrew from Che felo, thus
leaving Dr.. Crum for the fourth posi-
tion as delegate at large to the Nation
al Republican Convention, and he was
so elected making the four delegates
at large: .Jt IN G. Capers, E. II. Deas,
L. W. c. Blalock, W. D. Crum.
Delegates receiving more votes on
the first ballot than Dr.. Crum, but
not majority, retired in lis favor to
give him place, which they no doubt
thought he needed for prestige in his
confirmation contest. The candidates
who withdrew in DR.. Crum's favor
made it plain that they did so in de-
ference to President Roosevelt, and
because they thought he wished DR..
Crum sent to the Convention as sort
of endorsement.
Judging by the great horse headlines
of some of the yellowish journals, not