Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-12-22
FAMOUS DEADLOCK
pEcAlLED BY THE DEATH or
EX-GOVERNOR JAMES ?,
EAGLE.
Convention Was IN Session -Four
Days. the Longest of Any Ever
Held in State.
GOV. EAGLE WAS THE NOMINEE.

The death of former Gov. James z.
Eagle recalls the Democratic state
convention of 1858, which nominated
tIm for governor and was in dead
lock four days in an endeayor TO set
tie on the nominee. The convention
continued longer than any ever held
by the Democracy of the state, and
it was only after two OF the candi-
Gates had withdrawn that the ques-
ton of who should be the nominee
was settled.
The candidates were: SIMON t.
Hughes. who had already served two
terms as governor; John q. Fletcher.
James p. Eagle William NJ. Ftshback
and f. w. Rector. They engaged in
joint canvass and went over the
state from one end to the other in
Campaign tour Counties did not hold
uniform primaries then as now, and
returns were coming in from almost
the first of he year until few days
before the convention assembled III
the Capital theater in Little Rock,
May 81.
Hon. b B. Hudgins now railroad
commissioner. was chosen chairman
Of the convention and the first days
session was devoted to the nolnlna-
ton of candidates for attorney gen
cral. state treasurer and chief justice
of the supreme court. for which W.
/. Atkinson, William +. Woodruff
and Sterling r. Cockrell We're respec-
lively chosen by acclamatlon. ON
tbe second day oi#the convention can
didates were placed in nomination
for governor COY. Hughes was nom
mated by Pref. Junius Jordan OF Jel-
fersou COUNTY. Col. Fletcher by Geo.
W. Caruth OF Pulaski county, Gov.
Eagle by Hon.=J \. Cypert OF White
county. Coy. FishbacN by Hon. }. G,
Smythe of Yell county and Col. Rec.
tor by Hon. John NJ. HarreN OF Gar
land county The first ballot result.
ed. lfughes To-. Fletcher Il. Eagle
81. Fishbaek 96, Rector -. twenty
six ballots were taken that day VIII
Ont result. and an adjournment wa
had until the following morning,
which was Saturday. Eighty-tiNe bal
lots in all were taken, and when md
night was reached an adjournment
was taken until the following Mon
day. There had been but little
change from the first ballot, except
that Gov. Hughes made Slight gains.
while Coy Eagles vote fell Oft slight
". on one ballot reaching as low as
s.
When the convention reasSembied
Monday the vote for GOV. Eagle be-
san to increase and Oh the Tooth bal
lot 124 votes were cast Tor nm, MS
gain being made principally from the
Fishback and Rector forces. On the
1CSth ballot a dark horse was sprung
in the person of Gen. d. H. Reynolds
OF Desha county, but that county was
the only one that voted for him and
soon returned to its instructions.
which were for Fletcher. After the
123d ballot the convention took re-
cess until evening, and when it re-
assembled the name of Gov. Fishback
was WITHDRAWN No chOic was made
that night and the next morning Col.
Rector also withdrew from the race.
The Gazette of Wednesday, June g.,
1883, says;
tHet.r began the most exciting
scene of the convention. Excitement
was at fever heat and the suspense
was terrible The 126th ballot was
begun Nothing happended until Cal
houn county was reached and here
vas where the work began, for that
county changed three votes from
Fletcher to Eagle and the Eagle
crowd raised a good-sized yell"
Other changes from Fletcher to
either Eagle or Hughes were NJ ade.
and it Was with the greatest Difficult
ty that the changes could be heard.