As a delegate to the National Republican Convention of 1900, I was
honored by my delegation with being selected to represent Mississippi on
the Committee on Platform and Resolutions; and by the chairman of that
committee, Senator Fairbanks, I was made a member of the sub-committee
that drafted the platform. At the first meeting of the sub-committee,
the Ohio member, Senator J.B. Foraker, submitted the draft of a platform
that had been prepared at Washington which was made the basis of quite a
lengthy and interesting discussion. This discussion developed the fact
that the Washington draft was not at all satisfactory to a majority of
the sub-committee. The New York member, Hon. L.E. Quigg, was especially
pronounced in his objections, not so much to what was declared, but to
the manner and form in which the declarations were made. In his opinion,
the principles of the party were not set forth in the Washington draft
in language that would make them clearly understood and easily
comprehended by the reading public. After every member who desired to
speak had done so, it was agreed that those who desired amendments,
changes, or additions should submit the same in writing, and that these
with the Washington draft be turned over to Mr. Quigg as a sub-committee
of one. A platform in harmony with the views expressed by members of the
committee would then be carefully prepared, and the same submitted to
the sub-committee at an adjourned meeting to be held at an early hour
the next morning.
The only amendment suggested by me was one, the purpose of which was to
express more clearly the attitude of the party with reference to the
enforcement of the war amendments to the National Constitution. When the
sub-committee met the next morning Mr. Quigg submitted an entirely new
draft, which he had prepared the afternoon and night before, using the
Washington draft and the amendments submitted by members of the
sub-committee as the basis of what he had done. His draft proved to be
so satisfactory to the sub-committee that it was accepted and adopted
with very slight modifications. Mr. Quigg seemed to have been very
careful in the preparation of his draft, not only giving expression to
the views of the sub-committee, which had been developed in the
discussion, and as had been set forth in the suggested amendments
referred to him, but the manner and form of expression used by him
impressed the committee as being a decided improvement upon the
Washington draft, although the subject matter in both drafts was
substantially the same. Mr. Quigg's draft, with very slight changes and
alterations, was not only accepted and adopted, but he was the recipient
of the thanks of the other members for the excellent manner in which he
had discharged the important duty that had been assigned him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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