The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-03-06

s Hopkins ana MS 1OuoWIHB cap
red the County Convention, and H.
Ruhm and Postmaster John Jack
bn with their following retired from
10 hall and organized another con-
ention.
The original convention was called
meet in the Circuit Court room at
oon and not since the times two
ecades ago when the negro was a
lover in politics, has republican
meeting in Maury possessed SO dark
complexion. The colored brother
as out in force and filed almost the
kntire auditorium in the large court
boom while the white republicans and
good many democrats called by
curiosity, filled the rostrum of the
- court room. It was rumored several
days before the convention that the
negroes were being organized in sup
bort of Chairman Hopkins, and from
the number on hand the organization
had been thorough.
The convention was called for the
purpose Of electing delegates from
Maury to the Congressional Conven-
ton at Dickson and to the State Con-
vention at Nashville and to transact
any other business that might come
up The convention was called to or
u der by Chairman Hopkins, and nat
uraly the first fight would come up
& over the temporary organization. VIII
n liam Barker put MI. Hopkins in NOM
ination for Temporary Chairman,
while H. D. Ruhm of Mt. Pleasant,
n was placed in nomination by H.
\ F. Fariss. Emmett Foster was called
to the chair, but before the vote was
taken there was call for expression
from the candidates as to their posi-
ton on party questions. Mr. Hopkins
spoke first and during his remarks
declared he favored Taft for Presi-
dent, Clay Evans for Vice President,
G. N. Tillman for Governor and some
Middle Tennessee republican, prefer
ably r. A. Haggard or e. L., Gregory
for National Committeeman!
There we're then calls for Gregory
and some for Ruhm, confusion having
arisen as to whether the candidates
for temporary Chairman were to
speak or the candidates for repre-
sentatives from the Seventh Congress
sional district to the National Con-
. vention. Mr.. Gregory finally took the
stand and stated that he was in favor
Of an Evans man for National Com
mitteemen. Mr.. Gregory also spoke
for some minutes on the faction In
the party in this county and pied for
4 united party and united effort.
The vote on temporary chairman
was then called for and all democrats
were asked to retire. The vote was
taken and while the Hopkins side
seemed to have 1t, the Ruhm SIDE
called for a division. The Hopkins
men we're instructed to get on one
side OF the room and the Ruhm men
on the other. Confusion followed, es-
pecially among the colored brethren,
and it was only after much shouting
and moving about that the division
was made. 1t was then seen that
while Mr.. Ruhm had a majority OF the
white votes, the colored votes were
Overwhelmingly for Hopkins, and as
one colored vote counts as much as
one white vote in republican conven-
ton, the Hopkins men of course had
control.
Mr.. Hopkins asked Mr.. Ruhm II ne
was satisfied with the showing WIN
out a count, and he said he was. He
then called for all white republicans
to 20 with him and organize a white
mans convention. Most of the Ruhm
and Jackson men then left the room,
but there were perhaps rs white men
and abut 800 negroes left In the room
One Of the Ruhm men, who remained,
was Hon. e. L. Gregory, who made
brief address and stated that Mr..
Hopkins was a good republican ana
he also was a good republican, hence
he was still with the original conven-
ton.
Chairman Hopkins appointed com
mittee on permanent organization,
committee on resolutions and com
mitiee on delegations. The commit
tee on organization reported, recon-
mendlng that the temporary organi-
cation, consisting OF Chairman HOP