Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1907-10-24
HAPPENED BACK IN 1875.
"reminiscences Of An Old
Time Convention In
HOpkinsville.

''In 1875, Col. James B. McCreary,
Gen. John S. Williams and Col. J.
Stoddard Johnston were candidates
for the Democratic nomination for
Governor uf kentucky, and the spir-
tied contest offered good opportuni-
ties for a correspondent. In those
days the county conventions were
not held simultaneously as after
wards became the rule, and each
county committee called the con-
vention for such day as suited it.
This gave the candidates opportuni-
ties to attend many conventions. and
press their claims. / recall having
reported the proceedings of the con-
vention held in HopkinsgilIe which
was attended by Gen. Williams and
Col. Johnston, and which was "a
warm member" from start to finish.
/ have no recollection of another
county convention which made so
much unnecessary noise. There was
large empty box in the court room.
upon which some enterprising gen.
tIemen played the DEVILS Tattoo
increasingly. while others yelled an
accompaniment. / do not recall
that there was any ll-feeling, but
the partisans of the candidates
were enthusiastic, energetic, noisy,
aid they let themselves be heard.
They stood upon the Judges seat,
upon the benches and chairss and
finally upon the small table upon
which was making notes. When
the convention adjourned the paper
upon which those notes were made
bore the imprint of the nails in the
shoes of the men who had danced at
my elbow as l wrote. AS | was
transcribing my notes at the hotel a
gentleman whom had never before
seen came into my room and intro
duced himself, saying that he wanted
10 know a man who could keep cool
enough in that political tempest to
take notes to make a correct re-
port of the proceedings. When l
showed him the prints of the shoe
nails on my notes he said "Oh,
put that down and come along with
me. You surely need a bracer afte r
that experience, and / want you to
take one with me-" l trust my
Prohibition friends will not be
shocked at the statement that my
new-found friend and / took that
"bracer." AS has been stated
several times before, all these incl
dents took place a long time ago,
before everybody died" as good old
Uncle Chep Smith used to say, and
being older, and, trust wiser, they
could not happen to me to-day.
The convention about which / have
been writing gave the vote of
Christian county to Col. Johnston,
but neither himself nor General
Williams secured the honor of q
nomination, Col. McCreary being
the successful candidate. Those
were the days when the Confederate
soldier was playing a leading part
in Kentucky politics. McCreary.
who became Governor, was a Lieu
tenant Colonel in Gen. Morgan's
command; Williams was a Brigadier
General of cavalry, while Johnston
was Colonel and Assistant Adju-
tant General on the staff of Gen.
John C. Breckenridge. The post
bellum manufactory for turning
out Generals, Colonels, Majors and
the like from the ranks of men who
served as Sergeants, Corporals and
privates in the Confederate army
had not then begun operations. ]
have an affectionate regard for my
old and true comrades in the army,
but have never been favorable to the
making of Generals out of all sorts
of material years after the war has
closed. The future historian will
have difficulty in finding what be.
came of us old fellows who carried
guns in the ranks. There DOM
seem to be any of US left even al
this date. Fur the matter of that
am som tnIng of Colonel my
self. having been appointed to that