But this involved two important points which had to be carefully considered.  First, it involved the retirement of Governor Powers, who was a candidate to succeed himself.  Second, the candidate for Lieutenant-Governor would have to be selected with great care, since if that program were carried out he would be, in point of fact, the Governor of the State for practically the whole term.

After going over the situation very carefully with his friends and supporters Senator Ames decided to become a candidate for Governor, public announcement of which decision was duly made.  This announcement seemed to have increased the intensity of Senator Alcorn’s opposition to Senator Ames, for the former did not hesitate to declare that in the event of Ames’ nomination for Governor by the regular party convention he would bolt the action of the convention, and make the race for Governor as an independent candidate.  This declaration, however, made no impression upon the friends and supporters of Ames, and evidently had very little effect upon the rank and file of the party; for the fact became apparent shortly after the announcement of the candidacy of Ames that his nomination was a foregone conclusion.  In fact, Senator Ames had such a strong hold upon the rank and file of the party throughout the State that when the convention met there was practically no opposition to his nomination.  The friends and supporters of Governor Powers realized early in the campaign the hopelessness of the situation, so far as he was concerned, and therefore made no serious effort in his behalf.

What gave the Ames managers more concern than anything else was the selection of a suitable man for Lieutenant-Governor.  Many of the colored delegates insisted that three of the seven men to be nominated should be of that race.  The offices they insisted on filling were those of Lieutenant-Governor, Secretary of State, and Superintendent of Education.  Since the colored men had been particularly loyal and faithful to Senator Ames it was not deemed wise to ignore their demands.  But the question was, Where is there a colored man possessing the qualifications necessary to one in charge of the executive department of the state?

After going over the field very carefully it was decided that there was just one man possessing the necessary qualifications,—­B.K.  Bruce, of Bolivar County.  He, it was decided, was just the man for the place, and to him the nomination was to be tendered.  A committee was appointed to wait on Mr. Bruce and inform him of the action of the conference, and urge him to consent to the use of his name.  But Mr. Bruce positively declined.  He could not be induced under any circumstances to change his mind.  He was fixed in his determination not to allow his name to be used for the office of Lieutenant-Governor, and from that determination he could not be moved.