Newspaper Page Text
OLD SERIES—Vol. 37. >
ALBANY, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 1880.
<! NEW SERIES—Yol. 14, No. 52.
TEAT I All ITILI
IBAB«VABTEBS
WIIMSW’GMAHB
The Minority’s Action.
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▼«y
'HEMS.
LAWYERS
Z. J. 0D0H*
ATTORNEY AT LAW,
ALBANY, OA.
JESSE W. WALTERS.
W. T. JOKES.
JONES ft VALTERS,
Attorneys at Law,
ALBANY. GA.
r Centra.' Railroad Bank.
Lott Warr en,
ATTORNEY AT LAW,
;aleant, oa.
DOCTORS-
Dra. Holmes & DeMoss,
Bcnzm
ALBANY,
i Office, Washington
may 2,1879-ly
HV. A. STROTHER, If. D.
ALBANY. GEORGIA.
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Dr. E. W. ALFRIENP,
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April 20, 1880—ly. PROPRIETOR
J. W. JOINER,
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LOCATED AT
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To the people of the State of Geor
gia : The Gubernatorial convention
which assembled here, under a call of
the State Democratic Executive Com
mittee, oa the 4th insL, aa you well
know, tailed to mako a nomination of a
candidate for the office of Governor.
The dutiea imposed upon the conven
tion were to nominate a Governor,
State House officers, and Presidential
electors. All the duties were perform
ed except that of nominating a Gover
nor. Before the convention there were
four candidates other than Governor
Colquitt, vix: Hons. Rufus K. Lester,
Thomas Hardeman, Jr, General L. .1.
Gartrel! and Judge Hiram Warner. It
was apparent upon the assembling of
the convention that there was a majori
ty for Alfred H. Colquitt How that
majority was attained is well known to
you. While all the other candidates
remained at home except Colonel Har
deman and Gen. Gartrell, each of
whom made a few speeches during the
canvass,' Governor Colquitt took the
stump, and aided by his friends, can
vassed the Stale at large. By appealing
to the people on the ground that he was
persecuted for religion's sake, and the
hearing being exparte, he succeeded in
getting a majority of the delegates to
the convention. We will not pause at
this moment to show the utter fallacy
of the position taken that t e was perse
cuted, bat will content ourselves by
simply referring to the fact that in 1876,
the minority delegates in the late con
vention and their constituencies over
the State who were so bitterly opposed
to Governor Colquitt's administration,
unanimously assisted in electing him by
a majority of 80,000 votes. Nothing
was then said about his religion, and
nothing has been said since then except
by a few individuals scattered through
out the State, who have made reference
to the fact that he has too frequently
left his office to attend religious meet
ings in the South and in the North.
The true issue before the people then
and now, which is the incompetcncy of
the executive and the scandals which
have grown out of his official acts dur
ing his administration, was not discuss
ed in that canvass. By earnest and
personal appeals to friends throughout
the State that majority in the conven
tion was obtained. We believe that it
was not a fair expression of your opin
ion, and yet, though so believing, if
Governor Colquitt could have obtained
a two-thirds vote of that convention,
the minority representing the four oth
er candidates named above, pledged
themselves upon the floor of the con
vention that they would not only abide
by the nomination, bat would support
him at the polls.
On the assembling of the convention.
General P. M. B. Young, a delegate
from Bartow, in advance of the report
of the committee on rules, announced
on the floor of the convention, as the
friend of Governor Colquitt, that the
majority desired the adoption of the
two-thirds rule for nomination, and
that he was authorized to say it was
Governor Colquitt's wish that it should
be adopted, and that Governor Colquitt
would not accept a nomination unless
it was made by a two-thirds vote. The
committee then reported the following
rules among others, and the convention,
without debate, adopted it as the law
of the convention:
'1. No vote shall be counted for any
person whose name has not been pre
viously placed in nomination as a can
didate for the office voted for.
* 2. No name shall be placed in nomi
nation for State office, unless the dele
gate proposing shall state in his place
that he has the authority of gentleman
proposed so to do."
On the first ballot for Governor
Thursday, Governor Colquitt received
208 votes. During Thursday, Friday,
Saturday, Monday and Tuesday thirty-
two ballots were had, and from the first
to the thirty-first ballot, Governor Col
quitt’s vote fluctuated between 205 and
212 and a fraction. The last ballot,
which was had under peculiar circum
stances, which we will hereafter nar
rate, gave him 210 and a fraction, as
reported by the clerk, though the mi
nority claim that there was an error in
the count in his favor.
You will observe that one of the
above rules of the convention, and
which were strenuously objected to by
all the opposition to Governor Colquitt,
the convention wag limited in its ballot
ing to a choice of one of the five gen
tlemen first named for Gouernor.
These rules were, of course adopted by
a majority vote, and that majority were
the friends of Governor Colquitt.
Their object in adopting that restrictive
rule was clearly to compel the minority
in the end to accept Governor Colqnitt
or nobody. They believed they would
and could thereby force the minority
to abandon their convictions of right
and doty to accept a candidate whom
the minority opposed on principle.
The minority saw their purpose, as the
sequel proved, and solemnly resolved
that, as freemen charged with a high
trust by you, they would never surren
der so long as they were denied the
right which Delongs to every freeman
in America, to cast his ballot for any
man he may prefer. That undemocrat
ic tyrannical rule enforced the gag law
and denied to the minority who oppos
ed Governor Colquitt freedom of the
ballot—a right which, even under Bul
lock's administration, was never denied
to a citizen of this State.
On the second day of the balloting
Dr. H. H. Carlton, a delegate from the
county of Clarke, presented to the con
vention the following list of names of
distinguished gentlemen in the State,
every one of whom you will recognize
at sight of his name, to be a man of the
highest character and in every way fit
for the office of Governor: General
Lawson, T. N. Norwood, J. C. C Black,
M. H. Blandford, M. .1. Crawford, Clif
ford Anderson, .lames Jackson, George
Hillycr, H. I). McDaniel, A. J. McIn
tyre, M. A. Candler, John I. Hall, T. G.
Lawson, A- H. Stephens, General Jack
son, J. B. Camming, J. M. Smith, P. W.
Alexander, A. O. Bacon, H. G. Turner,
Aug. Rccsc, G. T. Barnes, W. H Dsb
ncy, A. D. Hammond, D. K. Butler. R.
P. Trippe, Dr. Miller, N. J. Hammond,
J. Blount, and stated to the majority
that the minority were willingto accept
any gentleman whose name was on tlm
list, and vote for him unanimously; or
for any other man in the State whom
the majority would agree upon. This
proposition was repeated times without
number during the balloting for Gover
nor, and every time met by jeers and
laughs from the majority. On Friday
Hon Patrick Walsh, of Richmond, the
general spokesman of the Governor,
made a speech in which he declared that
the majority had come there "to nomi
nate Alfred 11. Colquitt and nobody
else!" On Saturday the minority, through
Dr. Carlton, offered the major
ity the name of Hon. Alexander II.
Stephens, with the declaration that if
acceptable to tho majority the minority
would vote foi him unanimously. This
proposition was met by the derisive
question, “by what authority is the
name of Mr. Sctcphcns presented to
this body ?" and no further notice of
the offer was taken by the majority, ex
cept the cry of “ballot!”
Again on Saturday. Mr. lteid, a dele
gate from Putnam, who was earnestly
patriotic and deprecated the possibility
of adjournment without a nomination,
pu* in nomination Judge T. G. Law-
son, of Putnam county, as a com
promise candidate. He did so with
the assurance of the minority that if
Judge Lawson should secure such a
vote from the adherents of Governor
Colquitt as to raise a hope of his nom
ination, the minority would change
their votes to him. The ballot result
ed in only 2?£ votes actually cast for
Judge Lawson.
On Monday Mr. Imboden, a delegate
from Lumpkin, and a supporter of
Colonel Lester, made tho proposition to
the majority that they might name any
sufferable man in the State of Georgia
and the minority would accept him
unanimously.
Again on Saturday a proposition was
made by the minority to raise a confer
ence committee, in which there should
be a majority of the friends of Govern
or Colquitt for the purpise of agrecii.g
npon a name to be presented to the con
vention. This proposition slso was
met hy laughter and cries of “ballot!”
On Monday and on Tuesday this prop
osition was repeatedly renewed and
every effort made to induce the major
ity to consent to a nomination of some
one else than either of the candidates
before the convention.
All these efforts were met by a reso
lution offered in the convention Tues
day morning by the Hon. Patrick Walsh,
which was as follows:
"Resolved, 1. That the Democratic
party of Georgia, in convention assem
bled, hereby renew its expression of
devotion to the great principles of the
Democratic party of the union, and
pledges the united and enthusiastic sup
port of the Democracy of Georgia to
General Winfield S. Hancock and the
Hon. William U. English, the nominees
of the Cincinnati convention.
“2. Whereas, after a long and tedious
session of this convention and a contin
uous balloting, it appears that no nom
ination of a candidate for Governor can
be made under the two-thirds rule.
"Therefore be itresolvcd, That this
convention recommend to the people of
Georgia General A. H. Colquitt as the
Democratic candidate for Governor of
Georgia at the ensuing election, pro
vided that this resolution does not go
into effect until three ballots shall have
been taken under the two-thirds rulo
and it is demonstrated that no nomina
tion can be effected thereby.
“3. Resolved. That a committee of
nine, consisting of one from each Con
gressional District, be appointed by the
Chair to notify Governor Colquitt of
the action of this convention and re
quest his acceptance.”
Upon this resolution the majority
called the previous question, thus pre
venting all discussion, and it was adopt
ed against tho protest of the minority
by a strictly majority vote, excepting
the votes of Colquitt delegates from
two or three counties who were unwil
ling for the convention to adjourn with
out a nomination.
That resolution of recommendation
was adopted on Tuesday afternoon.
On Wednesday morning the electors
and State officers were nominated, and
the work of the convention, except the
nomination of a candidate for Governor,
was finished. The majority, instead of
adjourning sine die, took a recess until
3 p. m. This object was a caucus se
cret, and was unknown by even some
of the Colquitt delegates. The minori
ty supposed and hoped their purpose
was to rescind the resolution of recoin ■
mendation and to resume the ballot for
Governor; but after the adoption of the
usual complimentary resolutions, a Col
quitt delegate moved an anjoiinnnent
sine die, which the minority opposed
and demanded a call of the counties on
the vote. Every delegate of the minor
ity voted against adjournment and all
the Colquitt delegates voted for it ex
cept about ten. After the vote on ad
journment was taken and before the
chaiV announced the result the dele
gates from Harris county changed their
four votes to Governor Colquitt, which,
added to the last ballot for Governor
taken the day before, gave Governor
Colquitt 223 votes. These facts are
stated that you may understand under
what pressure that number of votes was
obtained. The object of the recess till
3 p. in. was not to give the convention
an opportunity to ballot again for Gov.
ernor, but it was, as wc afterwards
heard, to have time to learn if the mi
nority were intimidated by the pros
pect of adjournment without a nomina
tion for Governor, and with the hope
that they would cravenly surrender to
the one-man' power and tyranny, which
from first to last, subjugated that con
vention.
We have thus laid before you in de
tail the actions of the Colquitt delegates
and the various offers of the minority
for a compromise and to preserve har
mony and the organization of the Dem
ocratic party, that yon may judge who
are to blame for the schism produced
by tho failure to make a nomination for
Governor. We, speaking for tho mi
nority, wero not sent to the convention
as the tools or slaves of any man. We
came as representatives to nominate
randidates for the united siillragc of
the Demecracy, and not to disorganize
and divide the party because our claim
or preference was not nominated. We
belong to no man. We set no msn
above his psrty. We hold the unity
of our psrty and the peace and prosper
ity of our State dearer to us than the
gratification ol the ambition or greed
for office, of any one man, or clique or
syndicate. Wo loath and detest one-
man-power. We would not then, and
we will not now, submit to it. When
we were put npon notice that the Co -
quilt delegates eame "to nominate Col-
q litt or nobody,’’ we accepted the defi
ant declaratienaud inflexibly resolved,
to a man, that we would never consent
to his nomination. To have dene oth
erwise would have been degradation
and a surrender of your rights. Gov
ernor Colqtii t is your servant, not your
master. You made him and you havo
the right (o unmake him. That defi
ance was to you, as the convention was
only the people of Georgia assembled
by representation. And had you been
unitedly assembled, even though you
■night have come together unanimously
infavirof Governor Colquitt, we mis
take your manhood and patriotism and
self-respect, if you would not have met
such a demand hy a unanimous and
indignant rebuke. If it he said that
Governor Colquitt was not responsible
for that declaration, we reply that Mr.
Walsh wis the recognized leader of
the Colquitt delegates; that the declar
ation was known by Governor Colquitt,
and he never authorized any one to
deny it in the convention; that his
course during the convention corrobo
rated the statement of Mr. Walsh, and
clearly proved that he was resolved
that no other man in Georgia should
be nominated except himself. This is
proved by the fact that he attended the
caucus of his delegates on Saturday
night, and made a pathetic appeal to
them never to desert him by the fact
thut the Augusta Chronicle, Mr, Walsh’s
paper, announced on Sunday morning
following that caucus that no nomina
tion for Governor would be made; and
by the farther fact known to you all,
that when Governor Colquitt and his
delegates became convinced that his
nomination by a two-thirds vote was
impossible, they determined to pass the
resolution of recommendation, and he
agreed to go before you as a candidate
on that certificate alone. Besides this
proof we present the further facts that
Governor Colquitt had a brother on the
floor, though not a member of the con
vention, every hour of its sitting, close
ly observing and actively at work, and
that an advisory cancus was held in
the executive office during each sitting,
and after each adjournmen t.
In view of these facts we submit the
grave question of the responsibility of
a failure to nominate a candidate for
Governor, to your decision. The Col
quitt delegatus proposed the two-thirds
rule and the convention adopted it
Mr. Walsh, on the first day of the con
vention offered a resolution declaring it
to he the sense of the convention that
the majority rule should be adopted by
all future Gubernatorial conventions.
On a call of the counties, which is
virtually a vote by ayes and nays, the
convention refused to indorse the
majority rule. Thus the convention
declared the two-thirds rulo to be the
ltw of that body and that it ought to be
the law of all future Gubernatorial con
ventions. The law of the convention,
therefore, was that no man could go to
the people as its nominee unless and
until he should obtain two-thirds ol the
votes cask That vote Governor Col
quitt never got. He is, therefore, not
the nominnee of the Democratic party,
but is a self-appointed candidate with
the indorsement of the Colquitt dele
gates. Those delegates insist that as
he is almost a nominee, therefore he is
a nominee. They say he had a large
majority in the convention. That is
true; but they enacted the law that no
man should go out of the convention
and tell you he is a nominee unless
they gave him a two-thirds vote. That
law was not repealed; and when the
Colquitt delegates and Governoi Col
quitt claim for him the right to your
support as a nominee, they and he arc
doing so in defiance of the law of their
own making. For while lie had a per
sonal following of a numercia! majority
he had a minority and received a minor
ity vote under the law which required
a two-thirds vote os a majority. Gov-
erner Colquitt, therefore, coincs be
fore you not as the nominee of your
delegates, but as a candidate recom
mended by a number of the citizens of
Georgia.
After the adjournment of the conven
tion the delegates who constituted the
minority remained in the representative
hall to consider what course should be
taken to give you the opportunity to
hare a choice of men for the high of
fice ef Governor. With Governor Col
quitt alone in the field you could not
do otherwise than tamely submit to
what we feel to be a great wrong. We
had agreed in the convention to give
you a nominee as a candidate for whom
a united Democracy could vote. We
were willing and anxious to present to
you any one of over a hundred good
and true men in Georgia. Governor
Colquitt held his delegates with an iron
hand for six days, and would not con
sent for you to have any other man in
Georgia but himself. Crushed und ;r
his grasp, the convention broke up, and
unless another candidate were present
ed you would have been left with no
right to choose. Wc believe it to be
our duty to you to give you the op
portunity to express your choice be
tween Governor 'Colquitt and some
other man. As your representatives
had failed to make a choice out of so
large a number of able and honorable
men in the State, it is your right tj
exorcise the power which you dele
gated to them, and which they refused
to exorcise for you. Wc therefore de- communication inviting ina to be a can-
termined to consult with citizens from [Concluded on fourth page.]
different sections of the Btate in order
to decide first, whether you dosired
another candidate, and secondly, who
would probably bo your prolerence for
Governor. Wc soon heard sn almost
universal demand for a Democratic
candidate to opposo Governor Colquitt,
and wo decided in a largo meeting of
citizons of tho State, including many of
tho majority in the late convention, in
tho representative hall, that the people
for the good of the State and in asser
tion of the manhood of the Democratic
party, which personalism had ruled and
mastered in the convention, should
have 'another candidate. We say for
the good of the State, because scandals
which have grown out of the very pccu
liar administration of affairs of State in
Georgia, during the last three years call
aloud for action anil redress. Tho in-
cuinpetency of the administration does
not admit of a doubt. The division of
opinion is not on tho incompetency of
tho present administration 'but relates
to still graver matters, and when criti
cism on the administration made by a
large portion of the Democratic party
is as severe as was made on Bullock's
administration, it is time for the Demo-
eracy to move for reform and purifica
tion. What tlic acts of the present
executive are, that have provoked such
grave charges, are familiar to you, as
they have been published ill the press
of the State and undergone review, and
discussion, until the opposition to an
executive almost unanimously elected
in 1876 will, we believe, work his de
feat in the coming election.
In order therefore, that the facts
herein set forth may be properly repre
sented to the people of Georgia and
that the voters and tax-payersjjof the
Slate may have an opportunity to pass
judgment upon the administration of
Governor Colquitt, is it deemed proper
and neccessary that a candidate be
brought forward who will reflect, not
only the wishes of our constituents,
but of a large number of the people who
have thus far taken do part in the pres
ent contest. Upon this point of select
ing a suitable candidate we have happi
ly found but little difficulty.
The occasion itself indicates the pro
per person to be presented to the peo-
>1e for their suffrages; but if we had
ieen in doubt, the manifestations of
puolic opinion in all parts of the State
would have dispelled that doubt. The
people in the cities and townsand along
the lines of railways, as well os in the
country where they could be reached,
have not been content with a single ex
pression of their preference, but they
have resorted to the rails and the tele
graph to swell the popular voices.
Yielding then, to the unmistakable
voice of the people of Georgia, and in
obedience to its mandate, we herewith
present the name of that spotless
patriot and gifted statesman, the Hon.
Thomas M. Norwood, of Chatham.
Whilst we found no difficulty in
making a suitable choice of a candidate
it is but just to say that it was only af
ter repeated calls and earnest appeals
that Mr. Norwood gave his reluctant
consent to enter the contest as the
standard bearer in the cause of reform
and good government. He had no
thought or desire to occupy the posi
tion of a candidate, and it was]only at
the last moment that he consented to
sacrifice his personal feelings and buoi-
interests, and to take the position to
which his fellow citizens have called
him.
Should the call now made ratified by
the people at the polls, we feel sure
that they will never find it necessary
to “investigate” Mr. Norwood’s official
conduct at every turn nor to submit to
such painful scandals as those at which
they now hide their faces; nor would
he, at the close of his administration,
coine before the country and ask for
a renomination in order to “vindicate"
himself against the criticisms of his
friends and supporters who shall have
elevated him to the high and responsi
ble position of chief magistrate of the
State.
[Signed by the committee.]
Josiah L. Warren, Chatham.
R. F. Lyons, Bibb.
H. U. Carlton, Clarke.
P. W. Alexander, Cobb.
I). B. Harrei.l, Webster.
F. G. Wilkins, Muscogee.
J. W. Staten, Echols.
F. M. Imboden, Lumpkin.
II. T. Hollis, Marion.
Geo. M. McDowell,.Pike.
Walter R. Brown, Fulton.
IIon. Thomas M. Norwood, Atlanta
■Dear Sir: As the representative of
the large and patriotic minority of the
late Democratic convention which as
sembled in this city on tho 4th instant,
and in obedience, as we believe, to the
wishes of a majority of the people of
Georgia, it becomes our pleasant duty
to inform you that you havo been se
lected as their candidate for the office
of Governor at the approaching elec
tion, and to request that you allow
thorn the use of your name for that
high and responsible position.
e are aware that you do not desire
and have not sought tho nomination,
yet we trust you will yield to the gen
eral wish, and permit your name to be
presented to the people of your native
State for the highest office within their
gift Meanwhile we remain, dear sir,
yours very truly,
[Signed by trie committee.]
Josiah L. Warren, Chathan.
R. F. Lyon, Bibb.
H. H. Carlton, Clarke.
P. W. Alexander, Cobb.
D. B. Harrell, Webster.
F. G. Wilkins, Muscogee.
J. W. Staten, Echols.
F. M. Imboden, Lumpkin.
H. T. Hollis, Marion.
Geo. M. McDowell, Pike.
Walter R. Brown, Fulton.
MB. NORWOOD'S LETTER OK ACCEPTANCE.
Atlanta, August 13, 1880.—Messrs.
Josiah L. Warren, R. F. Lyon, II. H.
Carlton, P W. Alexander, D. B. Har
rell, F. 0. Wilkins, J. W. Staten, F.
M. Imboden, 11. T. llollis, George M
McDowell, Walter R. Brown : Your
J. w. SHEFFIELD,
W. 8. BELL,
. Albany, Ga
WHOLESALE AMD BBT ALL SEAL BBS ZM
HARDWARE!
TINWARE,
UIUU 9
HOISlFlEIISHINfl GOODS I
IpeT BUILDER’S MATERIALS, &c.
c£S41
SPECIALTIES:
Table and Pocket Cutlery, Buggy & Wagon Wheels
Timbers, Plow Stocks and Plow Hoes.
WE ALWAYS KEEP ON HAND
Rubber Belting, Lace Leather and Belt Hooks,
NAILS, IRON and STEEL,
G-uns. Pistols, Powder, Shot, Caps & Cartridges
And in fact EVERYTHING that ought to be found in a First-Class Hard
ware Store. We respectfully invite yon to call and see our stock.
SHEFFIELD & BELL,
Next Door to Gilbert’s Drug Store, BROAD STREET, Albany, Ga.
Imported and Domestic
FRUITS, GANDIES,
AlfilBO FANCY AND
UluAflOi FAMILY
TOBACCOS, GROCERIES.
FISH, OYSTERS, &c
Next Door to Postofllce,
WASHINGTON STREET, ALBANY, GA.
J. FARRINGTON,
MHCHANT TAILOR,
}outicm to hts friends and former patrons that
he bu opened a
Mcrcbant Tailoring EstablisbneBt
In n r Ullngham 4 sBaUdinc, upstairs. Will cut and
make Coats, Pants and Vests in first-class style end
u cheap u any house In the State.
1 keep always on hind a full line of Cloths. Come
and oxamine my goods, and have your 8prlng8uita
made right away. Respectfully,
O. J. FARRINGTON.
HEADQUARTERS
-FOR-
GREEH ID DRIED FRUITS.
when
STOP
YOU UO TO AT LA XT A
A T THE HARK HAM.
Office of T21G RAILROAD COMMISSION,
Atlanta, Ga, June IV, 1850.
lb. maximum rates as to Cotton. Fertilizer, mod
Lumber: .ml on all other classes (100) one hundred
licr rent, on the “Standard Kata" Is allowed as a
maximum.
JAMES M. SMITH, Chairman.
R. A. BACON, Secretary. .
june!99*4t