Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-23
POLITICS IN THE STATE.
AN INTERESTING BUDGET OF
GOSSIP FROM ATLANTA.

AndersOn's WOrk-Governor Mcdaniel
and the Boys In Gray.
Regular Correspondence OF the Mornia0 Neaos
ATLANTA, July 21.-Despite the intense
hot weather, the Mayor and Chairman of
the Street Commission are having very
heated controversy in the papers as well
as at meetings of the Council. The prob
ability is that the Mayor and Council will
get their bill passed through the Legisla-
ture to abolish the Street Commission. as
1t has proved to be an expensive and use
less luxury fer so small a city as Atlanta.
we are to have lively times bye-and-bye
in our municipal affairs, as the people are
beginning to get their eyes open, and
some of them are bold enough to question
the right Ofcity officials to open and i'm
prove streets near their own property
while other localities are sadly neglected.
The colored politicians are trying to
defeat the election of Lieutenant Isham
Lewis as Lieutenant Colonel of the Second
Battalion of Colored Volunteers. with
headquarters in Atlanta. He is Quiet.
worthy colored man, porter at the Gate
CITY National Bank, and has worked his
way from the ranks to the position of Ad-
jutant. He has been nominated, and is
well qualified, but Pledger and a few
other notorious politicians are seeking to
gain the position for the purpose of in
creaslng their political power. Lewis
not being OF their class. If we are to
have colored officers of rank in the State.
1t is highly important that they should be
safe and prudent men. Violent partisans
should not be put in command of large
bodies of armed men, nor should they be
allowed to use State military Organiza-
tlons for questionable political purposes.
GOV. M'DANIEL HAS FINALLY SETTLED
the SOlicitOrship centest by the appoint
ment of EX-RecOrder Howell Cobb Glenn.
whose confirmation was promptly and
unanimously made by the Senate. And
yet there are dissatitied politicians, who
still cry out against him, 1t would have
been the same if he had given it to Zach
ry, to Brown, or to Thomas-all worthy
young men. Some personal, selfish mo-
tive would have been Matched out for the
appointment of either. If Brown had
gotten it, they would have said the Gov
ernor, being Baptist, gave it to a Bap-
tist. If Thomas had won the prize. it
would have been said that the Governor
gave 1t to him because he came from
Athens, the city that sent the strong Nc
Daniel delegation to the convention. The
fact is, Governor Mcdaniel is sharing the
fate of Governors Smith. COlquitt and
Stephens, who never could please rejected
and disappointed candidates and their
Jealous supporters.
There is one State official who is pretty
sure to earn his salary during Governor
McDaniePs term Of office and that official
is the Attorney General. Although the
present Governor is one of the ablest
lawyers in the State, he never acts ON
public questions involving intricate legal
points without consulting the Attorney
General, and these consultations are not
mere surface wOrk-it is persons and
papers, and the law and the constitution"
no matter how laboriOus the investiga-
tiOn may be.
l was amused at a remark Attorney
General Anderson made to me the other
day in connection with a pardon case.
His reply to me was: "Yes, the Governor
is bothering me good deal lately about
these matters" What higher compli-
ment, although spoken in jest, could he
have paid the Governor.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
has not yet taken in its gang planks, and
every day the cargo of new bills is in
creased. The committees are kept busy,
and only one session a day can be held
until new business gets to low ebh.
Only one bill, up to this time. has reached
the Governor for his approval. Both
branches have worked hard, and have
performed an immense amount of labor,
but 1t has not yet reached point of COM
pleteness where the public can see the re-
suits. And then, again, important meas
ureS are coming up for final action, and
these demand some discussion. The Ran
KIN railroad tax bill, vital measure both
to the State and railroads, was ably dis
cussed for two days in the House, and it
will probably occupy longer period in
the Senate. Rays fertilizer bill will re-
quire the same consideration, followed by
the general temperance bill, the new road
law, the new capital BILL the redistrict-
ing bill, the normal school and school of
technology bills, not to mention several
other measures. We shall be here at work
on some OF them during the early breezes
of September.
L WAS MISLED BY THE PRESS TELEGRAMS
into an error in regard to the flag recently
returned to New York regiment by the
cadets of the Virginia Military Institute,
not having the records of the war before
me and writing from memory. General
Francis HI. Smith, the venerable and
honored head of the institute, has kindly
called my attention to the error in a
private letter, in which he saws:
81 do not know when | have been as
much touched as l was at YOUR beautiful
tribute to the corps of Cadets on the Occa-
sion of the return of the flag to the New
York regiment. The flag had not been
captured by them at New Market,
although they did accomplish what con-
irmed the victory of General Breckin-
ridge, by capturing a seven gun battery,
which was given to them as a testimony
of their valOr. The flag returned had
been captured by General Rosser, and
had been formally committed to the corps
OF Cadets by him, as expressive of his |
confidence in their valor and patriotism.
1.-The return was very gratefully and |
gracefully accepted, and the Buffalo Sun !
day Truth entered very fully into the his |
tory of its capture, in an account fur |
nished by Captain who was also cap
tured, and pays a very proper tribute to |
the courtesy of General Rosser. who. |
having captured the wives of three of |
their Captains, kindly treated them and |
promptly restored them to their friends.v |
stated in my special telegram last |
night that | thought the Governor would |
hesitate before signing the bill passed to |
exempt disabled Confederate soldiers from |
poll tax. AS this happens to be the first |
Dill presented to Governor Mcdaniel for |
his approval, it will require some of the |
nerve and fortitude he displayed in the |
held OF battle TO put veto upon the |
measure. My reasons for thinking he |
will hesitate are, / think, we'll founded. l |
still remember the efforts of General |
lOOmDS IN the constitutional COnVen-
tion of 1877, to give the manned soldiers |
legs and arms, and ''such other aid as |
may be deemed wise and just" But the |
conyention-made up almost entirely of |
Confederate soldiers-struck out this last |
clause, and restricted all constitutional |
aid to legs and arms, or the equivalentin in |
money.
Already it has been discovered that |
even this seemingly wise and Just pro- |
vision has, in too many cases, been SADLY i
The money has been taken and |
squandered to the injury of the soldier /
himself, and without any benefit to his |
family. A leg or arm ought to have been
provided, Tor life. to each MANNED soldier
who was without sufficient means to pro-
cure one himself.
The convention fully discussed the SOL
dleTs' aid question during the debate on
tne homestead law and exemptions, and
the bravest and truest soldiers in the
oedy opposed any trifling exemptions or
laVOrs for this class OF taxpayers, and
none were granted. Nor was the Con-
ventlon willing to leave the matter to the
discretion OF future Legislatures. as Gen.
IoomDs desired, by adopting the amend
nent giving, In addition to legs and arms.
'such other aid as may be deemed wise
and just"
Now as to the effect of this action.
ind that the few political demogo0ues
who sought to use this sympathy for
nalmed soldiers in the convention for
heir own advancement, have been ssleftv
)y the ''dear people," and the gallant
soldiers who dared to oppose their
schemes, and to defend the honor and
bride of the poorest soldier in tho State |