The Savannah morning news., 1904-04-03
MEN WHO HELPED
LESTER AT CLYDE.
Both Sides of the Bryan County
Mass Meeting.

Clyde, Ga, April editor Morning
News: In reply to that article pub
lished in the Bryan Enterprise and
signed ]. D. W., in regard to the mass
meeting held on March 2S, would like
doubtless have not occurred to the
writer.
First, he aserts that this meeting
was for no other purpose than elect
ing chairman and an executive COM
mittee, which, by the way, he claims
was not elected, and he insinuates
that by some surreptitious method I'M
known to writer the Lester party
packed the meeting for the purpose of
making said meeting a Lester rally.
Now, it is obvious that the writer
had not been admitted into the inner
secrets of his faction, or ne would not
have made that statement 1t was
known at Pembroke that this meeting
was to come off on the 18th, at least
eight days before the notice IF the
meeting appeared in the Enterprise.
1t is well known that Messrs. w. j.
and w. H. Strickland canVassed the
county in behalf of Mr.. Brannen sew
eral days before said mass meeting,
trying to work up a crowd to attend.
have taken it upon themselves to
"bushwhack" the county to get out
the Brannen men if this was only a
mass meeting for the purpose of elect
ing an executive committee. Didn't
they carry Mr.. Brannen himself there
and ]. D. w. and NJ. E. c. and the
rest of their crowd from Pembroke,
and only left out the brass band be-
cause they could not find one in the
town?
1t is patent that this meeting was
for the purpose of boosting" Bran
mems interest, but the friends of Col
Lester were more vigilant than their
adversaries had expected, and Mr.
Brannen's party was beaten at their
own game. Had the butter been put on
the other side of the bread it would
have been good. Certainly the friends
of Mr.. Brannen have no right to cry
foul" when they struck first lick be-
low the belt. l have no doubt that if
the friends of Mr.. Brannen had shown
any disposition to act fairly those dis
graceful scenes mentioned by writer
would never have occurred. And
right here, 1 want to ask which is
fair: Mr.. Bird Smiths resolution that
the Executive Committee be voted for
by mass meeting, or Mr.. Charlie Dug
gers resolution that they all be APP
1 am glad to acknowledge Mr.. Smith
as a Lester man and as proud of the
gallant fight he made for the right of
the people to choose their own COM
mittee instead of having all of the
committee named by one man.
have no doubt that if Mr.. ]. D. w.
had known that this thing was con-
ceived in a dark corner he would have
repudiated it without hesitating as dis
hi nd 1iGranl1f ah 1a E3uf hon
old politicians want to make a cats
paw of innocence they first catch the
cat. Now, had these contrivers all
lowed the boys to have entered into
the secrets of that dark corner they
could not have retained their respect,
much less their support. Therefore, for
eXpediency, the thing was kept quiet.
1 do not approve of everything that
was done at Clyde on March %, but
the Lester men were not responsible
for it, and there is not a scintilla of
reason why any friend of Col. Lester
should change his mind or support any
other than their old and faithful serv-
ant. His cause was supported at Clyde
on Monday by T. NJ. Morgan, L. M.
Lanier, Willie A. Lanier, A. M. Nc
Caller, ]. E. Shuman, ]. L. Harvey,
w. w. Sauls, S. G. Vanbraclkle, 1. E.
Strickland, H. B. Shuman, w. L..
Brown, Philip D. Cory, T. c. Baker,
j. A Myrick, H. A. Stephens, w. G..
Gill, G. H. Shuman, John P. Bashler,
C. j. Bashler, M. Sails, H. e. Strick-
land, w. B. Smith, L. w. Smith, j. B.
Brown, C. ]. Hayman, ]. w. Stewart,
John B. Gill, ]. F. Smith, John Wise,
Albert Wise, P. K. Vanbrackle, H. c.
Wise, H. D. Vanbrackle, Hartridge
Myrick, John w. Morgan, w. S.
Smith, Israel H. Harm, r. H. Shuman,
John Bacon, R. e. Bacon. j. A.
Smith, A. ]. Brown. w. ]. Butler, c.
M. Harden, T. c. Baker, ]. w. Low
Their, Marcellon Reed, c. M. Lowther,
w. A. Cribs, w. M. Burnsid. T. c..
Morgan, Malachia Wise, w. P Dukes
Preston Wise, G. F. Hayman, Robert
Shaw, T. r. Hayman, w. ]. D. Harm,
A. o. Vanbrackle, Lewis Vanbrackle,
A. j. Cobb, and over fifty other citi-
zens of this county, whose names 1 do
not recall. These names, however,
give a fair idea of his following in
this county, and I do not hesitate to
predict that every precinct in Bryan
county, including the Nineteenth, will
give Lester a large majority.
VIM. Wise.