The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-18

| capacity Vi the COTTON states negroes for
political organization and direction by
them
The biennial state convention of the
democratic and conservative party met at
the capitol May 20. 1878. About 500 dele
gates. AS had been the custom for ten
years the leading men of the state
sought the duty of delegate
The chairman of the state committee
Malcolm d. Graham of Montgomery.
called the body to order and invited Cen
eral Pettus to act as temporary chair
man.
The distinguished leader of 1874. Walter
l.. Bragg. was elected president and a.
young editor from Macon county. d. w.
Mclver, was elected secretary.
| Thirteen delegates from the county and
city of Montgomery presented credentials
and none was contested. Among the num-
ber stood the names of two negroes of
exceptional intelligence. John w. Allen
and j. A. Scott. Capt. f. s. Ferguson
of Montgomery. young officer with a
distinguished Confederate army record.
and conspicuous party service rose to
/ call special attention of the convention
| to the presence of two negro delegates
which the democracy of his great coun-
ty had selected to represent it In part
| on the floor. Captain Ferguson thought
| the two men had been wisely selected for
the party they were commissioned to act
The orator explained that the party had
gained strength in his county by the ac-
, cession of voters of the negro race in
late years. Therefore Montgomery coun-
! ty democrats In convention, after due
| delfberation, had resolved to introduce
the two negroes to the democracy of the
state, with the hope and expectation
that the encouragement 80 given to the
race to arouse itself from the degradation
| into which 1t had been driven by the
selfish acts of the carpetbaggers and seal
awags would prove to be to the public
good The osator now moved that the two
negroes, Allen and Scott, be formally
| accredited by the convention to their seats
| as members
! The chair, Captain Bragg, Immediately
ruled the motion of Ferguson to be in or
! der. General PettuS of the Dallas dele
CATION could see no ground of objection
1 to the motion. The two men We're reg
| ularly selected by the democracy of
! county in convention assembled and If
! there was no impeachment of credentials
| I'm the case the state convention could not
raise an objection. Maj. Charles l.. Scott
of Wilcox, hero of the Fourth Alabama
regiment on the field of Manassas, rose to
| express his ready concurrence in the
motion of Ferguson.
| Delegate Rufus *. Boyd of Marshall
could not consent to the introduction of
negroes into the party of white suprem-
acy" He delivered a stirring address In
upposition to the views of General Pet
| tus and Major Scott, and to the motion
of Captain Ferguson. The black belt he
said, in its hour cf deep anguish had
appealed to tho white counties The Cry
sent UP was for white supremacy"
Party principles. as old as the country,
must be set aside. Party leaders must ac-
cept the one issuo-rescue of the black
belt from the majority rule of it's own
people.
| The response of the white counties had
been early and effective. The White coun-
ties We're not eavious of power. Thcy
were suspicious, nevertheless, Of any
movement from the black belt that
! threatened the shibboleth of 1s74-"whits
supremacy" The negro race could not
be injected into the democratic and con-
servative party CT the great county of
| Montgomery, without weakening effect
/ upon the pulsstion of the democrats
| heart of Marshall county.
1 Fcrguson's molten was put to the con-
vention and lost 30 to 229.
| Scott one of the two negroes, seeing
| the vote. rose from his seat in a digni-
fed manner and spoke eloquently. He
admitted the force of Mr. Boyds argu-
rnent. He pledged the delegation from
Montgomery county that he and his col
league bore no feeling of resentment.
| He and his colleague would support the
platform of the convention AMI vote for
| the ticket that might be nominated by
the convention. The two negroes then
withdrew from the hall of the convention.
! Gen. Joseph Wheeler, delegate from
Lawrence county, had been resident
there for IL years, since his marriage to
a lady who owned large tract of land
| in the valley of the Tennessee. He had
| ic}t ted 1a,r = .,,6 ante
practice. With the event of this day he
entered the political arena. He was made
chairman of the committee on platform.
| The platform congratulated 10th races
that white supremacy prevailed in the
state. 1t ignored all practical questions
of policy, state oc federal Withal, this
was done Notwithstanding that for q
year prior to the meeting there had been
earnest demand that the state tax rate
| be reduced from 70 cents on $1OO dol
| lars to so cents. Mr. c. c. Langdon oe
Mobile was perhaps the leader of the de-
| inand and he was the strongest candidate
| for governor on the floor.
| Three names were placed in nomination
| for governor. On the first ballot Lang
don received 1870 votes, the president of
the senate Rufus W. Cobb of Shelby,
| received 176 and William II. Barnes OF
Lee 1875. Cobb vas nominated by the
two-thirds rule on the seventh ballot.
He had been confederate soldier and
had greatly distinguished himself as
party leader in the darkest days of car
petbagger and scaIawag ruie.
On the seventh ballot Major w. w.
Screws confederate veteran editor and
proprietor Of the Montgomery Advertiser,
received the nomi1ation for Secretary of
State over james Crook of Calhoun,
Charles L. Scott of Wilcox and j. A.
Billups of Pickens. On the fourth ballot
Isaac II. Vincent, q secretary of Governor
Houston, defeated j. F.. Grant of Calhoun,
A. SEodgrass of Jackson and G.. II.
Gibson of Montgomery for state treasurer.
Delegate Boyd placed before the con-
vention the name of State Auditor Will
lis Brewer for denomination. General Pet
tus proposed J. Mckee Gould of Pickens
for that office, but promptly withdrew the
name and Brewer was renominated unan-
imously. Attorney General John w. A.
Sanford had held the office under Gov
ernor Patton, Governor Lindsay and for
the two terms ;;f Governor Houston now
drawing toward a close He declined n
| denomination. Henry Clay Tompkins OF
| bullock defeated William r. Smith Of
Tuscaloosa. George F. Moore of Mont
gomery. NJ. J. Turner of Etowah for the
| nomination to this office.
| A pathetic scene was witnessed in the
candidacy of Prof Henry Tutwler
| LII. D., for nomination for superintendent
notable educator and scholar OF the state.
His personal friend, Hon. Francis s.
| Lyon of Marengo. tine foremost statesman
| convention expressly to place Professor
| fxrriIo mr. l,ofo IL.