At this session of the Legislature there was not that bitterness on the part of the Democrats that had heretofore been exhibited, for the reason that the cause had been removed. Every session of the Legislature before that time had witnessed the unseating of Democratic members who had been fairly elected, which caused a great deal of bad blood. The civil rights bill had passed at this session without any great opposition, the whites knowing that all the negro wanted was fair treatment on railroads and steamboats-for he was not able to eat in the hotels even if he had a desire to do so, and he could not therefore give any trouble. Hart and the ring, anticipating Conover's course as United States Senator, entered into a plot to hold as many of the leading freedmen as possible. Conover not being very popular, it would be necessary for him to appoint more colored men to office than Hart. The ring and Hart were determined to beat both Conover and the negro. The plan was to send to the Senate the names of colored men to fill offices in Democratic counties whenever it could be done without exposing their object. Of course the Democratic Senators would object, and thereupon enough carpetbag Senators would vote with them to defeat the confirmation of the negro, and he having no way of knowing who voted against him, was told that Governor Hart and the ring did all that they could for him and had sent his name to the Senate, but the Democrats had defeated his confirmation. One colored man, whose name was sent up to the Senate from Waukulla County for Tax-Assessor, could scarcely write his name, but he had great influence among the colored brethren and could secure the delegation from that county in political conventions. He was not confirmed, of course, but his name being sent up secured him to the ring for all time to come.

This session of the Legislature was a very disastrous one for the ring. Scarcely had they got over the shock of being routed in the election of Senator before Hamilton Jay, Conover's secretary while Treasurer, was elected State Printer, which took the printing from the ring and placed it in the hands of Charles E. Dyke, who had assisted Conover in his election to the Senate. The Democrats who voted for Conover and the anti-ring Republicans now held a secret meeting for the purpose of laying plans

to continue their resistance to the ring for the next four years. At that meeting was Conover, Purman, Dyke, C. H. Pearce and a host of others. The Democrats seemed satisfied with the good intentions of all the Republicans, but it was evident that they had no faith or confidence in Mr. W. J. Purman. It was, however, agreed in that meeting that while the members of each party would retain their principles as such, they would continue to co-operate until the ring and its methods should be utterly swept from power in Florida.

After a session of forty-three days the Legislature adjourned on the 19th day of February, sine die.

ment.

CHAPTER XVII.

Death of Governor Hart. Stearns Assumes the Reins of GovernHe Attempts to Get Rid of Attorauey-General Cocke by Stratagem. The Preliminary Party Returning Boards. Stearns Attempts to Tie the Hands of a High Judicial Officer. Freedmen to Support Stearns' So-Called Administration. Election of Congressmen and Members of the Legislature of 1874. Frauds Committed in the Counties of Leon and Jeffer

son.

The

After the adjournment of the Legislature of 1874, Governor Hart was not able to attend to the duties of his office other than to sanction any appointments which Stearns and other carpetbaggers would desire; and while these appointments were supposed to be made by him, yet they were really made by Stearns. Many of the names that had been rejected by the Senate were now again appointed in utter violation of the constitution, notable among which was E. C. Weeks, of Leon County, as Sheriff. Weeks was now appointed Sheriff, which meant a death struggle for the supremacy of the ring in Leon County and a general war in the State to suppress all opposition to this formidable combination.

Governor Hart died in Jacksonville on the 18th of March, 1874, and was given a large and respectable funeral by all classes of citizens. At the news of his death Stearns, although in his proclamation expressing great sorrow at the departure of the deceased Governor, yet the catastrophe so lighted up his path to the United States Senate or to the gubernatorial chair that he could not hide the ecstasy into which he had fallen. In fact, a general rejoicing was indulged in throughout the carpetbag clan who were friendly to the ring, and social meetings were held at which they renewed the pledge to each other for fraud and plunder. Stearns was the most rotten piece of gubernatorial timber that was ever placed at the helm of government. Hart had attempted, during his administration, to force Attorney-General Cocke to resign his position in the Cabinet, but had

not succeeded. Stearns, now finding Cocke, by virtue of his office, a member of the State Returning Board, undertook to get rid of him by stratagem. He had an understanding with all the members of Hart's Cabinet to resign, and present their resignations in a body. This was to be done apparently out of courtesy to the incoming Governor, but the real object was to obtain Cocke's resignation, which would be accepted, while he would refuse to accept the resignations of the others. Everything was made ready to capture this Samson. Cocke had not informed the other members of the Cabinet that he would not be caught in this trap, and it was hopefully expected that he would follow in their wake. When the hour arrived to commence the play Cocke was missing, but the others proceeded to the Executive Chamber and presented their resignations to the chief, who, after looking around for Cocke, delivered a short address, refusing to accept their resignations, which was full of disappointment and distress. The play ended in failure, owing to the absence of the leading performer. The resignation of Jonathan C. Gibbs, who had been appointed by Governor Hart after a hard fight by the colored brother, would have been accepted but for fear of the same power.

Stearns, baffled in the effort to get rid of Cocke, now buckled on his sword for the United States Senatorial contest. He and other leading members of the carpet-bag ring met in Jacksonville and agreed to make a determined fight in all the counties-and especially in the Black Belt counties-to elect members to the Legislature of 1875 who would vote for a Ring carpet-bagger for the next United States Senator. To get Colonel Bisbee's individual support in this fight he was put forward as the candidate of the Ring; but those who belonged to the inner ring, consisting of Martin, Stearns, Wentworth and the "Little Giant," L. G. Dennis, were secretly arranging for the election of Stearns, he agreeing to appoint Wentworth Lieutenant Governor as soon as he should be elected United States Senator.

The Ring had succeeded in every one of the Black Belt counties in establishing county Republican committees in opposition to the regular Republican committees. These committees were even now denominated as the party returning boards of the

man.

different counties. These preliminary returning boards, whenever there were not enough Ring supporters in a precinct to bring up a Stearns delegation, would appoint delegates from other precincts to make up the full measure. A convict was as suitable for their purposes as the most honest man. The precinct returning boards, through the instructions from the county returning boards, would commit all frauds necessary to sustain the county returning boards in throwing out any precinct that was not solid for Stearns and the Ring managers. The county returning boards were to superintend, perfect and defend all frauds committed by the Ring, and make all necessary arrangements for taking any case in which the preliminary boards had failed to beat the masses to the State Returning Board, or to the Central Committee, of which Mr. E. M. Cheney was still ChairThe State Returning Board had a general supervision over all the frauds of these county preliminaries and decided all contests coming up from the counties in favor of the Ring; and the question of right or wrong, of majorities or minorities, found no favor with this corrupt carpet-bag party Returning Board. Another power assumed by this Returning Board was to prepare all the papers and make good all the frauds committed upon the ballot box in the different counties by the Ring, and define the same before the State Board of Canvassers. Whenever opposition in any county was so strong among the freedmen that money and intimidation was not sufficient to remove it the Ring would propose a compromise by having the two committees to meet jointly, and the side that could poll the most votes at the meeting should have the Republican organization of the county. To illustrate their desperate efforts when these committees would meet, the most of whose members were freedmen, the carpetbaggers would take members of the committee into their houses, seat them at their tables for dinner or breakfast, and give them money to come over before the committee took a vote; and when this failed, they would hand the freedman some fine book to read (when perhaps the poor fellow did not know "B from a bull's foot") and tell him to sit awhile in the parlor and enjoy himself; while they would retire, locking the door behind themselves and rush to the committee