Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-01-26
ARTHUR AND GEORGIA.
LONGSTREET, FELTON,, ATKINS
& co.
Speer a Silent Partner-The PresI-
DENTS Plain Talk 10 Pledger-
"Beat The BOurbOns FirsI,s-The
Atlanta Ring Played Out-The
Head of the Firm E0thusIasIfe-
The Augusta Post Office.

WASHINGTON, January 25.-Gen. Long
street, Representative FELTON, and Mr.. At
kins, Savannah's ex Collector, are at the
head in Georgia affairs with President
Arthur. They have the inside track.
Pledger, Lee, Forsyth, ,and the others will have
to warm the back seats and content them
selves with the crumbs. They cannot get
the spare ribs and back bone. Pledger with
drew from the contest for the Athens Post
mastership, which is one OF the spare ribs,
because Longstreet and Atkins were sgin
him and forced him out. Now Pledger is
going for the position of Collector of the
port of Atlanta. That is one of the crumbs.
Pledger seems to be sorter happy too. He
does not seem to care so very much II be
can only lay captive hands on the crumbs.
The putting of FELTON,, Atkins and Long
street on the top has been decided on in the
past few days. General Longstreet has been
here some time, and has been working 1t all
along. He is fully in love with the great
scheme for Georgia's future. He is so full
Of that love that he has neglected his office,
which is now regarded at the Department Of
JUS ice as the most loosely conducted gov
eminent office in Georgia. He leaves all
of his business to his son, who
is not capable of doing the work prop
erly. 1t should be stated that Emory
is included in the firm of FELTON,, Long
street 81 Atkins, but he is not very promi
nent partner. As a result OF conferences
with President Arthur and among them
selves, the regular r ,dical negro politicians
have been quietly but firmly sat down upon.
There is not the fsintest semblance of SEN
timentalism in this administration. Hayes
himself was not so cold to the moans OF
those who claim to have suffered much
in the cause of "the party" in Georgia as
Arthur is. As a representa- We OF these
Pledger was recently accorded private
interview with the President. He was en-
couraged to tell all he knew of the political
situation, and the hopes and fears of the
members of the estate Committee When
asked what he wanted from tine administra-
ton in the wav of support, he began to
parcel out the offices. Here the President in
terrupted him by the question, Suppose
| do just as you dictate, 40 you think you
can feel up a ticket which will beat he
BourbOns, and secure Legislature to beat
Ben Hill or COlquitt?" Pledger could not
pledge his word for such result, unless
there was "fair, free vote and sn honest
count" "Well," said the President, with
a straight Republican ticket and but one
Democratic ticket, can you get thal?
NO" $50 l thought" said Ar
thur, "and l think you had bet
ter beat the Bourbons first, and
get your free, fair vote and honest count
afterwards. You men have run things for
the Republicans of Georgia for years. You
once had possession of the State. Under
your leadership it was lost. You have
grown feebler as party Organizatio ever
since. There is not the fatntest hope Of
your ever winning an election. Party leaders
who cannot win are useless, and worse than
useless. They ought to and they must give
way long enough for others to try the ex
pertinent | am determined to work only
with those who can show me some results
The Virginia situation points the way, and
If you men In Georgia are not wise enough
to see it and to take it you must be left
to your own devices. The administration
is going to work with new material. !"
The plain talk of the President at first
startled Pledger, but he recovered and told
the President that the 81, 900 negro voters
of Georgia would not be traded away so
summarily. He, for one, would not be re-
tired for men whose R9publicanism dated
from yesterday, and perhaps had no
date at all. Arthur was fully pre-
pared to meet this, and told Pledger
that one of the very best things that could
possible happen to the party would be for
the negro voters to be somewhat divided
The bitterness Of the opposition to the Re
publican party in the South arose mainly
from the assertion that it was a negro party.
That prejudice would be broken down If a
section Of the colored vote should be thrown
for the Bourbon ticket. The result might
be that two white votes would come to
take the place Of each colored voter
thus abstracted. His aspirations for the
Athens post office received a check, and, /,
although several days have elapsed, he has
not recovered his self-coDfid 4nce.
General Longstreet was in consultation
yesterday with the President. He warmly
favors movement for Felton, for Governor
this fall. He is very de cided In his opposition
to any attempt to form a coalition with the
old Atlanta ring of Republican statesmen.
He says they must be told thaF their coun-
sci and leadership is not wanted. He be-
lieves that they have no real influence with
the colored voters, and is not at all fright
ened at their threat to bolt or to go over to
the Democrats. He is enthusiastic In his
belief that FELTON, can be elected
with a Liberal Legislature. The Presi-
dent is on his side. Longstreet proposes
to run ticket without single Republican
on IL. He proposes that the ticket shall be
made up of men who have been Democrats,
but who are willing to lead the "new move
ment." Those are the plans. That they
will amount to anything nobody posted in
Georgia matters has the least idea.
THE AUGUSTA POST OFFICE.
1t is stated that Postmaster Prince, Of Au-
gu ia, is going to Oregon. There is a man
here after the succession, who is doing some
lively working for himself. His name is
Holden, and he is from Charlottesville. He
evidently thinks that Augusta has not ma
terial enough inside her outer walls to fill a
vacancy in the post office.
RoBEsoN's LEADERSHIP.
Some Republicans of the House are be-
ginning to kick against Robeson's assumed
leadership. The extra-stalWarts, however,
still cling to Robson. Il is painfully evil
dent by this time that Robson is no leader.
He does not possess any of the qualities of
one. He is not quick, not ready in debate,
although he can make good speech. Aside
from this, there are really some Re-
publicans in the House who think to have
Robson as a leader reflects badly before
the country in the light OF RObeson's re-
cord. Rooeson will not find his self
assumed leadership as strongly supported
as it has been in the past. 1t is just little
possible that in two or three weeks the
Congressional Record will not be dotted over
so premiscuously with the name of Robe
son. POTOMAC.
A FEARFUL DEATH.