Description
There was a genuine Radical pow-wow at the Court House in the city last Saturday. The occasion that brought the Radicals together was a call for a meeting to appoint delegate to the state and congressional conventions. As part of the history of the times we will briefly give the salient features of the affair.
The clans arrived in the forenoon and there were black spirits and gray. The Negroes of Weston headed by Honorable Sir Sawney Vaughn, colored, were the only patriot individuals of that color, we presume, for the sable sons of the other portions failed to appear.
The meeting was largely attended by Democrats who went to see and hear a practical illustration of Negro equality. The Radicals in attendance numbered about 30 or 40 persons, black and white. Honorable Louis Georgean resided over the deliberations of the embodied loyalty of the house.
The first business was the appointment of the committee of one person from each township to report the names of delegates to the state convention.
White Radicals were appointed from every township except Carroll Township, as a representative of which a Negro, Sawney Vaughn of Weston, was appointed and the White Radicals of the township were ignominiously snubbed. The committee, headed by Sawney Vaughn, retired amidst cheers of derision.
In the absence of the committee the meeting was entertained by the Radical orators present. Ex Lieutenant Governor Smith, candidate for Congress, led off by saying he had the diarrhea and wasn’t much of a speaker anyhow, all of which he clearly demonstrated in a maudlin, illogical harangue of a half hours duration.
He was followed by Mark L. DeMott, another aspirant for congressional honors, who consumed the same length of time in a silly, puerile speech of no worth whatever and not deserving of notice. Jenkins, of Kansas City, was trotted out and commenced a vindictive harangue. He began like a locomotive to blow off steam and puffed and snorted like a steam tug for an hour.
Van Horn, the offspring of Rodman, then straddled out and in his idiotic, drunken style, spoke for the delectation of his satellites present. As Van Horn had never been before been guilty of making a sensible remark, he preserved a clean score this time. (Omitted)
Sawney Vaughn, colored, was then called out and made a more sensible speech than any of the previous orators. He took strong grounds in favor of enfranchisement, a question dodged by the white speakers.Date(s) of Creation
9/2/1870
