Canton Mail clipping

Foote, William Henderson, 1843-1883; Gray, William, 1841-1919; Handy, Alfred Newton, -1913; Political conventions

The Radical Congressional Convention.

Last Friday, the 20th inst., was one of the darkest days in all the history of Madison county. At an early hour, in fact a day before, the delegates from the different counties began to pour in. There was white man and nigger, and the cross between the two; there was the carpet-bagger and scalawag - murderer and thief, high born and low born; men who were once respectable and respected, and others, who, never were and never will be. At 12 o'clock sharp, the Convention was called to order, and the color line and stench drawn by electing the Rev. (?) Senator Gray, of Washington, chairman, and Chancery Clerk Foote, of Yazoo, secretary, both Warner men - and here the devilment and rascality was immediately begun. A Committee on Credentials was appionted by the Chair, mainly of Warner men, and well it did its work in the interest of that bow-legged, marlplot and trickster. The day was occupied in filibustering and maneuvering, resulting, after several recommittals of reports and recesses in the throwing out of the Niles delegations from Holmes and Newton and the substituting in their stead, of the Warner delegations from those counties, whereby the latter's nomination was secured. When the Niles men found that they were outgeneraled they bolted, leaving the Warnerites masters of the situation and jubilant over their spoils. By sharp practice, Warner and his henchmen numbering eighteen, outgeneraled and put to flight Niles and his cohorts to the number of twenty-four. Conspicuous on the Warner side, voting and actively exerting themselves were Alfred Handy and Eugene Lieutwiler, neither of whom were delegates to the Convention, yet they no doubt thought it was all right and altogether honest to lie and steal, for they practically lied when they stood up to be counted with those who were entitled to vote, and they virtually stole when they changed the result of the ballots for Warner and against Niles. Yet these two men are proud of what they did, and take great glory to themselves for the part they have taken in the interest of their master. What is to be the result of the bolt we do not know. We understand that the Warner men say it will all come right, that, the bolters will come back, while many of the latter say they never will, no, never. We will see.