Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-30
OUR ATLANTA LETTER,
STOLEN COUNTY RECORDS AND
RIVAL CANDIDATES.


changes may occur within the next three
days.
Overhead everything is lovely and clear. and
has been for several DAYS, but underfoot it is
damp and muddy, some of our streets and
sidewalks being almost impossible In many
places.
No city in the South makes haste as slowly
as Atlanta in the matter of permanent i'm
proVements IN her streets. Our city govern
ment Is generally composed of men who have
100 many private Jobs to look after, and the
puDllc welfare is a secondary concern.
Oh monday next we inaugurate new Mayor
ana lew new Councilmen. but this does not
argue any improvement in our municlpal af-
Ialrs' as the same ring viii virtually control
ahars and run the machinery, as heretofore.
more IN the interest of land spectators and
private interests than for the public good.
There Is nothing ''Arcadian" in the politics
OF Atlanta. Our local politicians believe
strongly in substantial persuasive" system
OF securing votes, and this has banded to-
gether the worst elements of the white and
negro races, who hold the balance of power
ana give us just such officials as they please.
80 great has this evil become that the aues-
ton Is discussed as to whether it would not be
wen to deprive the negro of suffrage This
however, Is not the proper way to reform the
eNH. 30 long as white politicians purchase
iSSlO NOlCSs anu encourage THIS class TO de-
grade their suffrage, just so long will the curse
femaln-fOr 1t IS curse, both to the negro
ana the people at large, and needs to be re-
We are wi shout a Democratic organizatiop
ana anybody and everybody can run for Of
nee and purchase votes at various prices. Ne
groes swarm the polls on election days and have
everything their own way The candidates
who have the most money are enabled to Sc
cure the greatest following and win the race.
A hVely candidate can spend ten dollars
day Tor month before election i'm single
WHISKY contributions to the street corner
ioaIers VINO promise him their votes. Such
IS, to-day, the sacred % right of suf(er)rage.
THE STOLEN RECORDS.
As legitimate result of the above named
eyll, refer to the present sensational scandal
about the stolen books from the Clerks office
of the Fulton Superior Court which is now
agitating the public mind.
Two years ago Judge Strong defeated DR..
Holloway for reelection as Clerk; and now
both parties are again in the field as candi-
dates for election in a few days The contest
Is both sharp and bitter, and the spirting away
OF the books is evidently an electioneering
do not say that DIR. Holloway would father
such transaction, but there are plenty of
ward politicians in Atlanta who are mean
enough for more villainOus work than this if
by 1t they could secure success to their side
and carry out their schemes. No damage has
been done to anybody or ANYTHING as the
books were quietly removed from the safes by
false keys.
1t may be tina II am mistaken, but Hook upon
the whole matter as a trick to defeat Judge
Strong for reelection, and believe the books
Will turn up all right after, if not before the
day of election. a bitter and unreIenting
fight is being made to clean out the present
Clerk and Sheriff, with all their assistants, and
the mysterious absence Of the record books
can be used to good effect in the contest
As to property owners and persons having
cases III court, no damage can come if the
books are never returned, / say returned,
instead OF found, because that, in my opinion.
is the only way they will ever get back.
Duplicate books. in whole OF in part, are
within easy access of Clerk Strong and his
assistants and 1t will not take long to put his
Office IN good shape again. He is already at
work in this direction, and the public mind is
easy.
But above all this, and vastly more impor-
tant to Fulton county, is the political in
huence given to this affair." 1t has opened the
eyes of our large property owners and leading
business men, and hereafter they will give
more attention to the custody of our impor-
tant county records. Ii is hOped also that
a reform will be inaugurated in the manner
in which our county officials are elected
Charges of fraud and illegal voting have been
openly made as to previous elections, but
timely compromise has generally kept off a legal
investigation of the matter. In a few days
another electiOn-as bitter and as bad in its
contendlng elements-will be upon us, and the
form to be inaugurated.
MINOR TOPICS.
Hon. j. f. Dart, of Brunswick, the wide
awake member of the General Assembly from
Ilynn county, is in the city, and will leave
Ior i,,, N,,l, asnl9gton to.morrow, where he will
urge upon the attention of our Senators and
Representatives in Congress the Importance
OF needing the ''memOrial'' of the General As
semDly IN regard to suitable public buildings
at Brunswick for custom house and post
office purposes The claims of this growing
seaport are such as merit due consideration,
and Captain Dart has the energy and the rare
glft OF speech necessary to make a strong and
full presentation Of the case to our Senators
and Representatives and the Federal officials
in the matter
Dealers in fertilizers, as well as farmers, are
interested IN an act, approved by the Cover
nor on December 9, making it unlawful for
any person to sell or offer for sale IN this |
state any formulas for composing fertilizers,
patent or otherwise, unless the same has haen |
submitted to and approved by the Commits
sloneF OF Agriculture, whose certificate must !
be shown to purchasers. In violation of this |
act, any person so selling or offering for sale
formula will be guilty of a misdemeanor, |
and be punished according to section 43iO OF /
the Code of 1873. The Commissioner of Agfi-
culture Is bound to secrecy az to an formulas |
q approved by him, but can make public such as |
he fails to commend.
MILITARY GOSSIP
r. Cadet Lewis ID. Pace and Cadet Walter L.
Iaylor, OF Georgia, are the latest from this |
state at West Point Military Academy.
Gen. j. r. Lewis, of this city, a Colonel on
the retired list of the army, is not seeking anV
political office. He is quietly engaged in the
Insurance business ="
am sure u Would be a pleasure to Gen. |
Henry j. Hunt, in command of the Depart |
ment OF the South, to attend the Sesuui- en-
tennial with the Third Artillery, and lis tine
band, from st. Augustine. '''A
- Gen. HUNT was classInate at West Point of
General ,legeny r. Gilmer and General A. r.
Lawton, and is an old soldier. He Command
ed the military display at the Cowpens Cen |
tennIal n Iil;,i at spart;anburg in fine style,
1t Will astonish the readers of the MORNING |
NEWS to learn that q purely military tnstitu
tlon mas turned out more graduates in civil !
ne, as farmers Bnd planters, than any other
one occupation. West Point has furnished 300 (
farmers and planters, and the next highest ia
lS7 civil engineers. =
Now put all the political Offices together.
from PRESIDENT down ia members of a State !
that have been held nv West
Pointers, and they number only POS q mere |
traction over the farmers and engineers This !
Is remarkably good showing out of 2759 |
graduates from the Military Academy.
Nearly all the young officers in the army |
from Georgia are married. The recent en-
gagement of Lieutenant James b. Erwin fof (
Savannah), of the Fourth U. S. Cavalry. to |
Mrs. Borup, charming widow well known in |
army circles, is announced in St. Ionis !
Lieutenant james R. Lockett, the same regi |
ment, was married some two years ago. and
married recently. ~
Sergeant Lee NJ. Melbourne, Of the Signal |
service, Is ordered from Fort Smith, Ark, to [
ney est, RIA, where lac viii Telieve private |
huthefiord =. 5,aAton, IN charge Of the sta |
ton, VINO reports to Washington for a new as |
5Ignment. sergeant Melbourne is an able and |
experienced officer, and will greatly imnrove |
the service at Key West station,
General Franklin ID. Calender a Colonel |
retired, IN the Ordnance Department. died AZ I
oregon, III, on December 15 aged IS. His |
ast I service was in charge of the arsenal at |
Augusta, wheIe lie viii be mourned by a large |
circle OK friends. He graduated at West PoiIl /
n 1859, standing number eight in his class
General Jeremy f. Gilmer, ofSayannah beIng /
number four, and General A. r. Lawton man,
a 3er lhlrEeeh Of that distinguished class of /
thirty members,
The old veteran General Henry j. Hunt.
loW Colonel OF the Fifth Artillery was also q |
member OF this class, and am glad to see that
5eneral Rosecrans has introduced a bin Iu +
congress TO provide for his retirement as a
5sflga9ler 81 General, Alter forty three years
md fame h0n0red and sp0tless both AZ the
Sortn ana the South, it would be an act of
ustloe as Wen as graceful tribute to TINS re-
ire tins grim old warrior. ~ +
FINAL PARAGRAPHS
1t is gratifying to natiee that the great bulk
u western travel to Florida is now going via
,aF&nnah from this point. The 'sForest Citv
~toute ~ Is now the most popular and best pat
My last letter was written an ebristr,os !
morning. and predicted day OF layyiess de
Nor was | mistaken. Even the
Atlanta press, without a dissenting voice
res out against another such celebration al
nc eHeht. For years nave written and la
'Ofeu 10 brlng about such united action and |
low nope tQ ace Q radical reform advocates
lble holiday. SeS''4As ~ 0'i'e0'-
The report that eur efficient and ponular
sIiel ,.het q E-9llss was defed by mob OF young