All answering to their names except Messrs. J. L. Alcorn and J. W. Cutrer, of Coahoma: N. D. Guerry, of Lowndes; F. M. Hamblett, of Quitman; T. D. Isom, of Lafayette; J. S. McNeily, from State-at-Large; J. R. Puryear and W. P. Wyatt, of Tate. Mr. Burkitt offered the following which was adopted: Resolved, That in the election of officers of this Convention no nominating speeches be iudulged in, and that only a nomination and second shall be allowed. Mr. Love, of Amite, offered the following: Resolved, That the Convention do now proceed to the election, by ballot, of President of this Convention. Before action thereon, Mr. Powel, of DeSoto, moved that Hon. W. S. Featherston, of Marshall, be elected temporary Chairman. Which was unanimously agreed to. Gen. Featherston took the chair and declared the Convention ready for further business. On motion of Mr. Allen, of Tishomingo, the Chairman was authorized to appoint two temporary secretaries and three tellers, whereupon J. L. Power and E. L. Martin, of Hinds, were so appointed as secretaries, and Messrs. Dean, Smith, of Jasper and Love, as tellers. On motion of Mr. Thompson a committee of five on credentials was appointed. The chair named Messrs. Thompson, Taylor, Witherspoon, Muldrow and Yerger. Mr. Fewell moved that a committee of seven on organization be appointed. Amended by Mr. Guyton, to have the committee consist of nine. Mr. Dillard offered, as a substitute, the following, which was adopted: Resolved, That the officers of the Convention, for the present, shall be a President, a Secretary, a Sergeant-at-Arms and Doorkeeper. Mr. Burkitt offered the following, which was adopted: Resolved, That the Hon. J. E. Wheat be recognized as the delegate from Pearl River county, and that he be accorded a seat in this Convention. After some discussion, following the report of the Committee on Credentials, a point of order was raised by Mr. Simonton, and the Chair decided, the resolution admitting Mr. Wheat as informal and premature. The Committee on Credentials reported as entitled to seats the 134 delegates, as read by the Secretary of State. Report adopted subject to contest. On motion of Mr. Powell, the Convention proceeded to elect a President by ballot. Nominations being in order, Mr. Mayes, of Lafayette, placed in nomination Hon. S. S. Calhoon, of Hinds. Mr. McGehee, of Franklin, nominated Hon. Robert C. Patty, of Noxubee. Judge Calhoon was acordingly declared President of the Convention, and on motion of Mr. Patty, the election was declared unanimous, and Mr. Patty escorted the President elect to the chair. Judge Calhoon, on taking the chair, expressed his thanks in the following felicitous terms: GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION-I apprehend that you have made a mistake. If I had been defeated by the distinguished gentleman whose name was brought before this. Convention, after the nomination, so distinguished is his character, so distinguished is his ability, I should not have. regarded myself as defeated. I desire to say to this Convention what is the actual truth, so extremely improbable did I suppose it to be that, I should be chosen to preside by this Convention that I have not arranged my ideas with a view to the customary harangue on such occasions. I have never as an actual fact regarded such harangues as of any moment or of any interest. Who knows better than the gentlemen before me what is the occasion and the object of this solemn assembly. I must in the expression of my thanks for the distinction. bestowed upon me, say that I am deeply sensible of the honor, and in accepting this elevated position I enter upon the discharge of its duties with very much diffidence of my qualifications, tempered however with the assurance I feel that so magnanimous and distinguished and able a body will make my work less and easier. It is useless to say now that we have been convened for conference and conciliation for the promotion of public and not private ends. Mississippi, our common mother, whom we all love, requires us to do our duty for the people now living and who are yet to live within our borders. She requires that. Do not entertain any opinion but such as seek that end; reject none except upon maturest consideration, unshackled to the stone floor of fixed opinion, unchained to the walls of prejudice and passion. She expects that, with magnanimity for the opinions of each, we will throw all opinions into the common crucible of thought. She says to us that our position is so peculiar as to have attracted the curious examination of the outside world. She has assembled us together to look into that situation calmly and with no other consideration than the weal of the State. You are confronted by a colossal fact which cannot be obscured by the clouds of maudlin sentiment or pseudo philanthropy. That fact cannot be argued away or speculated upon; it will remain in spite of all discussion, of all criticism from outside parties, in spite of all reflection made by ourselves; that fact remains that there exists here in this State two distinct and opposite types of mankind. We find ourselves together and we must live together and the question is how it shall be arranged so that we may live harmoniously. This unfortunate fact exists and it is a fact that needs no argument of mine that there has not heretofore been in the history of the world, certainly not in the history of Mississippi, anything but heterogeneousness between those races. It is a fact that each race is fond of the other. There is no man who hears me who does not understand that the individuals of the opposite race are his friends in all the va rious transactions of life. There is no black man or colored man in the State of Mississippi who does not feel that in all the business of life the whites are his friends. That is one statement that is true; how is it then that we cannot have political homogeniety? How is it then that one finds them massed on one side to the other whenever it comes to any matter of Government policy? It does not arise from any dislike each for the other, not from lack of confidence each in the other. It arises, gentlemen of this Convention, in that principle of human nature, in that principle which has its root deep in human nature that when any of the five distinct races encounter each other in the matter of government, that from the instinct implanted in its nature, it desires to be in the ascendency. This is so true, so general, such a historic fact that it may be said to be a law of God. This shows the difficulty of one of the problems you have to encounter. This ballot system must be so arranged as to effect one object, permit me to say-for we find the two races now together, the rule of one of which has always meant economic and moral ruin; we find another race whose rule has always meant prosperity and happiness, and prosperity and happiness to all races. What does the instinct of self-protection require us to do? We have been twenty-five long years endeavoring to have strictly homologous political relations between those races. We have failed. We must never pass any ordinance, of course, that will work any injustice or oppression, but be full of benefit to all the citizens of this State and those who are to come. The policy must be so just and necessary that ruin shall not result but we shall have prosperity for all if possible. That is the great problem for which we are called together; that is the great question for you to solve, and the outside world is looking anxiously and our sister States of the South are looking at the solution we arrive at in reference to that question. But that is not the only, the sole question; it is not the only object of your meeting, that you shall determine if the governmental agencies which ought to control the State shall control it in order to the security of all who are within its borders. That is simply the greatest question you have, but aside from that, no doctrine of non-action ought to prevail in this Convention. That is a fact to which you will all assent when you come to examine the organic laws of other countries and States with ours in order to apply points of each. Our State requires us to make all amendments which really amend but to make no change simply for the sake of change, and to make none of such character as will produce dissatisfaction or engender dissension within the borders of the State of Mississippi. But you all see at a glance, you all know from an examination of the history of the legislation of Mississippi, and it is of prime importance -limitations on the legislative power do not now characterize the Constitution of the State of Mississippi. These are of first importance outside of the main questions which I have indicated. I desire to state we have other outside of the questions which I have indicated which have undergone discussion in our great State to which I have not alluded, not because they have not seemed worthy of discussion or are not as important, but simply because they do not rise to the dignity of the other questions or come home to the people as the other questions, but they will appear necessary to the State and exceedingly beneficial and conducive to our prosperity. These matters you will take under discussion and entertain the opinion of every gentleman on every subject, and endeavor to come to a conclusion which will redound to the honor of the government. I do not propose, gentlemen of the Convention, to extend these remarks which are extended much further than I anticipated. I desire again to render my thanks for the honor you have conferred, and renew to you my apprehension that you have made a mistake and to request all to assist me as far as they may in the arduous labors which shall devolve upon. me, or more properly I should say in the responsibilities I shall have to assume. Gentlemen of the Convention, I now wait the further pleasure of the Convention. Mr. Muldrow offered the following, which was adopted: Resolved, That a Committee of five be appointed by the President of this Convention-of whom the President shall be one member-to prepare and report rules for its government, and said Committee shall report how many and what standing Committees are necessary for the transaction of business, and the number of delegates of which each shall be composed. On motion of Mr. Jones, of Wilkinson: Resolved, That pending the action of the Committee on Rules, the Convention adopts the Rules of the last House of Representatives of Mississippi, so far as they may be appropriate. Mr. Boyd, of Tippah, offered the following, which was adopted: Resolved, That a Committee of seven be appointed by the chair to take into consideration the advisability of securing the services of stenographers to make full reports of the proceedings of this Convention and that said Committee report to-morrow morning, immediately after the opening of this body. Mr. Farish moved that a Committee of five be appointed to investigate the contested election from Bolivar county. On motion of Mr. Street, action thereon was postponed. Mr. Simonton, at 2 o'clock, moved to adjourn till 4:30. Lost. Mr. McLean, of Grenada, offered the following, which was adopted: Resolved, That the Convention do proceed to perfect its permanent organization, and that no other matters be considered by the Convention until such organization is perfected. On motion of Mr. Dean, the Convention at 2:05 o'clock p.m. took a recess until 3:30 p.m. AFTERNOON SESSION. The recess having expired the Convention resumed busi ness. Mr. Farish moved to suspend for ten minutes the pending order, election of officers, which motion was lost. Nominations for secretary being in order, Gen'l. S. D. Lee placed in nomination Mr. Geo. T. Hamilton, of Holmes, seconded by Mr. Pack wood, of Pike. Mr. McLaurin, of Rankin, placed in nomination Mr. R. E. Wilson, of Hinds, seconded by Mr. Sullivan, of Carroll. The ballot resulted as follows: Mr. Wilson received....... Mr. Harris received.. Total vote cast... 90 votes. 32 votes. 1 vote. .123 |