The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1908-06-20
MISSISSIPPI DEMOCRATS
WEDNESDAYS STATE CONVENTION A
BIG ONE.
Bryan is Unanimously and Enthusiastic
caIIy Endorsed for President.
McLaurin, Williams. Noel, Vardaman.
LOneinO and Lowry Elected
Delegates at Large.
District Delegates, Presidential Electors
and New State Committee
Chosen.

Inc D6mOCraElc SGale C0lVGn
tion held at Representative Hal
lin Jackson on Wednesday wa
one of the largest and most rep
resentative ever seen in the capi
tai city, and came as near reflect
ing the sentiment of the entire
people of the State as any tina
was ever held, when it instructed
its delegates to the National Con
vention to vote for w. j. Bryan
first, last and all the time. y
Long before the hour of noon,
at which time the convention was
called to meet, the capitol was
crowded with the Democratic
leaders and those fresh from the
party ranks. There was very lit.
tie of the log-rolling that former.
ly attended conventions, and yel
there were ambitions to be graft.
fed, candidates for places on the
electoralticket, the national dele.
cation and executive committee
men being quite busy for an hour
or two.
The convention was called to-
qether at noon by Mr.. G. L.
Lomax, of Lefore county, chair
man of the State committee, who
explained that the convention had
been called for the purpose OF
selecting Presidential electors,
delegates to the National conven-
ton, new executive committee,
national committeeman, ETC., and
introduced Judge James F. Nc
Cool of Attala, as temporary
chairman of the convention.
Prior to this statement of the
work to be done, however, Rev.
j. B. Hutton, pastor of the First
Presbyterian church, was request
ed to invoke the divine blessing,
which he did in an eloquent and
feeling manner.
The two all-pervading and DOM
inant influences in the convention
were the sentiment in favor of
Bryan and the desire for party
harmony.
Two of the party leaders we're
conspicuous for their absence.
One of these was Senator Money,
who had slgnifed his wish to be
left off the delegation to Denver
from the State at large, and the
other was Senator ELECT John
Sharp Williams. The statement
was heard that he remained at
bome on account of illness.
Only two or three times did
anything crop out during the
proceedings which savored of fac
tionaIism.
The first instance of this char
acter was when it became appar-
ent to the Convention that Gov.
Noel and Ex-Gov. Vardaman had
been left off by generalization and
design in the makeup of the COM
mittee On resolutions. The con-
vention took notice of this by add
ing both gentlemen to the commit
tee, each by a separate motion.
The vote and cheering which fol
lowed the motion to add Varda
man to the committee left no one
in doubt as to the hold he had
upon the confidence and esteem OF
the delegates present and was not
to be misinterpreted by any who
desired to discredit it. Indeed ii
may be said without exaggeration
that the demonstration of applause
which greeted Private Citizen Var
daman's S name at this time and
once at a still later stage of the
proceedings, greatly exceeded that
accorded to any other name men
toned during tile Convention, not
excepting Democracy's great
leader, VIM. j. Bryan himself.
The committee on resolutions as,
completed, was composed as fol,
lows: E. j. Bowers of Hancock,
Ben Humphreys of Lefore, Thos.
Spight of Tippah, Adam Byrd of
Neshoba, A. j. McLaurin of Ran
kin, A. Fl. Longino of Kinds, j.
A. Tyson of Lefore, Il. FL.
Strange of L. FAINT oi
Marshall, w. P. Tackett OF
Holmes, j. S. Sexton of Copiah,
John D. McInnis of Lauderdale,
B. p. Harrison Of Wayne. Harry
Graves of Madison, w. d. Gibbs
of Yazoo, j. W. Cutrer Of Goa
homa. Walter SiIlers of Bolivar.
James X. Vardaman of Kinds.
and e. 4. Noel Of Holmes.
The greatest furore of the day
was caused when Hon. j. s. Sex.
ton, OF Copiah, moved to add te
the big four McLaurin, Will
Iiams, Noel and Vardaman- who
/ by general consent seemed to be
agreed on as delegates from the
State at large to Denver, the
names of. Ex- Gov. Longino and
Ex-G Gov. Lowry, making the dele
CATION six instead of four.
Mr.. b. +. Ward, Jr., of Vino
Ina, promptly moved to table this
motion, and while speaking to his
motion declared he would never
vote for any man for delegate who
las Governor bad truckled Co the
Republicans Or solicited Federal
patronage from Republican adj.
ADMINISTRATION. He discIaimed any
intention to reflect on Elk Gov.
Lowry. and bis remarks were I'M
|terpreted as intended to apply to