Newton County GaArchives News.....LIVINGSTON OF NEWTON, SKETCH OF ONE OF GEORGIA’S CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR July 18, 1889 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Phyllis Thompson http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00011.html#0002524 June 11, 2005, 6:29 pm The Georgia Enterprise July 18, 1889 A Prominent Politician of Middle Georgia, His Strength Before the Farmers on the Stump. A Striking Figure. From the August Chronicle When the present candidates for governor of Georgia begin to tear away the brush and cross lots to get down among the people they may be able to write a book, just as Stanley did. “How I Found Livingston.” Livingston is already moving among the people, and in his quiet, effective way has been doing so for several months. He is a pronounced candidate as Governor Gordon’s successor, and there are a good many reasons why he is going to run well. The newspapers do not mention him much. There are frequent references to the eloquence of duBignon, the strength of Northern, the prospects of Tom Hardeman and the possibilities of other statesmen; but Livingston seems to be content with a pretty fair awing with the rank and file of the people, and when the returns come in, like they did for Joe Brown in 1859, the friends of Col. Livingston say the papers will be pretty apt to mention him. Did you ever see a man who knows so perfectly how to talk to the people? Newt Heggie, who attended the Columbia County cue the other day, asked this question when telling about the speeches. “There may be better orators and more finished men, but that man Livingston is one of the best posted men I ever saw.” This is a fact. Hon. L. F. Livingston, of Newton, knows a thing or two. He hasn’t been in politics these years for nothing. Last year the Farmer’s Alliance gave out that they were going to elect the next governor of Georgia. It looks now like they might do that very thing. Two of the strongest candidates in the field are W. J. Northern and the Covington statesman. They will divide the farming strength, and it is not yet known who will lead. But the ovation given Col. Livingston in Columbia last Wednesday, to be followed, I understand, by a rousing alliance meeting in Burke next month, has drawn public attention to him in this part of the state. I remember the first time I ever saw Col. L. F. Livingston. It was in the great Colquitt convention in Atlanta during August, 1880. He was there as a Colquitt delegate. Having already served one or two terms in the Legislature, he was recognized as a very shrewd politician. He was constantly moving about among the delegates and I then got my first idea of what a “whip” in the house of commons must be. The contest for the nomination was very close. The Colquitt side was accused of being willing to sacrifice their party for their candidate, when some Lester man, to put them on record or to test the question, introduced the following resolution: “Resolved, That the convention of the Democratic party in Georgia believes it to be of the first importance that a nomination for governor be made.” This was a poser. The Colquitt majority could not afford to vote it down. If they voted for it, the minority would immediately offer some of their compromise men, and urge the selection of a dark horse. It was a hot potato, like the one that Eugene Frye tried to put down Conkling’s throat in the Chicago convention. The Colquitt men were thrown into a hurried caucus. The minority were chuckling and clamoring for “question.” Finally a tall, slim figure, about the size of Puck’s picture of “Brother Johnathan,” was seen coming down the aisle. He had in his hand a slip of paper. The chairman (Trammell) recognized “Livingston, of Newton. “ He said: “ Mr. President, I wish to amend the resolution by adding to the statement of the importance of making a nomination, the words: “But the opposition of an obstreperous minority prevents such action by this convention.” At once a shout went up. The minority wanted to withdraw the whole resolution, but it was the property of the House, and the majority, amid cheers, adopted it with Livingston’s “rider,” and then appealed to the people. L. F. Livingston came from an old family that has been living in Middle Georgia for three quarters of a century. His father, a good staunch man, who I believe is now living, used to haul his cotton to Augusta fifty years ago, and the boy, now candidate for governor, would come along with the wagon, long before the Georgia railroad was built. He had been a farmer all his life, but has represented Newton County two or three times in the House and the Twenty- Seventh district, from which he went to the governorship, and afterward, H. H. Carlton, who represented it, went to congress. The people there firmly believe that whoever represents that district is bound to go up higher. Col. Livingston has been a conspicuous advocate of cotton bagging. He is president of the Georgia alliance, and last April when I met him in Atlanta he had a piece of cotton thread, talking to Oliver Porter and Sam Inman, two well known cotton spinners, and was even then weaving a shroud for the bagging trust. He is a man of strong native ability rather than scholarly attainments, with a ready use of vigorous language; keeps up on public matters and wants nothing better than a square lick at railroad monopolies, national banks, jute combines and such unrighteousness. He is power before the people. I remember very well talking to a prominent Covington citizen about the time of the Harrison investigation in Atlanta, when Col. Livingston and several others were accused of lobbying. He said that Newton county would give Col. L. anything he wanted at any time, and in some local contest, then going on, he believed if Dr. Felton and Livingston would make speeches, the contest would be decided in Col. Livingston’s favor. Three years ago I attended the centennial of Bethany Church, in Greene county. It was during the meeting of the presbytery of Augusta. Dr. Woodrow being arraigned. This was the first time I knew what Col. Livingston’s religion was, he being, I believe, a Presbyterian Elder. Next year he attended a meeting of the general assembly at Louisville, Ky., and made a memorable appeal for the union of the Northern and Southern wings of that church and protested against “waiving the bloody shirt in the pulpit,” deprecating the attack of Dr. Smoot upon the North, and begged the Presbyterians to follow the lead of business men. “Business men,” said he, “are hard-headed and sensible and the church needs some of their sense.” He has a quaint, sledge-hammer way of putting things that is effective with the people. Above all, he has that matchless quality, good temper, without which no politician can be strong before the people and entirely effective in statecraft. P. A. S. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/newton/newspapers/livingst2192nw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 7.4 Kb