The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1908-05-20
STATE DEMOCRATIC
CONVENTION MEETS
Hon, Mendel l.. Smith May Preside..In-
struction of Denver Delegates
Likely to Cause Fight.

Columbia, May 10. The State Demo-
cratic convention will be called to order
at noon tomorrow by Gen. Willie Jones,
chairman of the State Executive COM
mittce. Gen. Jones has asked Rev. X.
G. Finlay, rector of Trinity church, to
open the proceedings with prayer.
The first business of the convention
will be the roll call of the counties and
as Gen Jones has had prepared the list
of delegates elected there will be little
trouble in securing proper list for the
convention, since there are no contests
in any Of the counties
| Chairman Jones has designated as
| temporary secretaries of the convention
| Messrs. II. c.. Hamer, of Marlboro, and
j. Wilson Gibbcs and George r. Koes-
ter, of Columbia, all Of whom have had
experience in this sort of work Mr..
John S. Wilson, of Lancaster, sergeant
alarms of the house, has been re-
| questcd to act as temporary sergeant
at arms of the convention.
The convention when organized will
| elect president and seven vice-presi-
dents, one from each congressional dis
! trict, three secretaries and sergeant
| alarms. The election of four dele
gates at large, with four alternates at
large will be made by the convention
and the selection Of two delegates and
two alternates from each of the seven
| congressional districts will be made by
the delegations from the different dis
tricts, making fourteen district dele
gates, the election of whom is ratified
by the convention.
There will be a committee on platform
| and resolutions, to which all resolutions
and proposed platforms will be referred,
and such other committees as the con
Vcntion may deem necessary. The con
Vcntion, after organizing, WILL if the
usual course is pursued, take recess
until night, so that the committees may
have the afternoon in which to formu-
late their reports, and it will be at the
night session that the fight over in
sLructions or anything else will come
The selection Of president of the con
Vcntion is very important matter, as
The president should be one experienced
in parliamentary law and able to handle
the convention. For this reason the
name of Hon. Mendel l.. Smith, Of
Camden, has been suggested by his
friends, Mr.. Smith having been former
speaker Of the house. The name Of
Speaker WhaIcy, of Charleston, has
also been suggested, butt is not known
that Mr.. Whaley will serve.
The trip to Denver is costly and
tircsomc one, but nevertheless there
are quite a number of loyal Democrats
who want to go to the National Con
v2ntion as delegates from this State
n is taken for granted that Senator
'lillman will, as a matter of courtesy,
be elected one Of the delegates at large,
| though he will no. attend, and an al
tcrnatc can take his place. Others
who are active aspirants for delegates
at large are Gen. Willie Jones and Capt.
W. f.. Gonzales. Of Columbia, Senator
Frank b. Gary, of Abbevillc, and Capt.
II. II. Watkins, of Anderson. For dis
trict delegates the following are some
of the names that have been suggested:
Major j. &. EIemphill, of Charleston,
and Senator N. Christensen, Jr., Of
Beaufort; Hon. j. f. Harley, Of Barn
well; Senator b. +. Townsend, Of
Union; Hon. w. +. Stevenson, of Ches-
tcriicd, and others.