Cardozo, for State Superintendent of Education. While Davis had made
quite a creditable record as a member of the Legislature, it could not
be said that his name added strength to the ticket. Hill, on the other
hand, was young, active, and aggressive, and considerably above the
average colored man in point of intelligence at that time. His
nomination was favorably received, because it was generally believed
that, if elected, he would discharge the duties of the office in a way
that would reflect credit upon himself and give satisfaction to the
public. In point of education and experience Cardozo was admitted to be
entirely capable of filling the office of Superintendent of Education;
but he was not well known outside of his own county, Warren. In fact his
nomination was largely a concession to that strong Republican county.

The three white men nominated,--besides the candidate for
Governor,--were, W.H. Gibbs, for Auditor of Public Accounts; Geo. E.
Harris, for Attorney-General, and Geo. H. Holland, for State Treasurer.
Gibbs had been a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1868, and
subsequently a member of the State Senate. Holland had served as a
member of the Legislature from Oktibbeha County. Harris had been a
member of Congress from the Second (Holly Springs) District, having been
defeated for the nomination in 1872 by A.R. Howe, of Panola County.
While the ticket, as a whole, was not a weak one, its principal strength
was in its head,--the candidate for Governor.

Shortly after the adjournment of the convention Senator Alcorn had
another convention called which nominated a ticket, composed exclusively
of Republicans, with himself at its head for Governor. The Democrats at
their convention endorsed the Alcorn ticket. While it would seem that
this action on the part of the Democrats ought to have increased
Alcorn's chances of success, it appears to have been a contributory