The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-31
The klliott-smalls Contest.


Robert Smalls, who is contesting the seat
of Col. William Elliott, of the Seventh
South Carolina district, is talking a great
deal in Washington about his contest. He
pretends to think that there is nodoubt that
he was elected, and if his statements were
true he would undoubtedly be accorded the
seat. Unfortunately for him they are not
true. They are like those which Mr..
Thoebe made in his contest for Mr. Carlisle's
seat. They seem to be genuine until they
are inquired into, and then they have
very different appearance
Smalls says there are So, sos colored voters
in the Seventh South Carolina district. and
only 1895 white voters He assumes that
all the colOred voters were at the polls and
voted for him. He will never be able to
prove this assumption. The only argument
he advances i'll support of it is that all col
ored voters in the South always vote the
Republican ticket. There is abundant testi
mony to prove that this is not true.
1t is probable that there are $1,000
colored voters in the district which ST., alls
wants to represent, but they did not all 90
to the polls at the last Congressional cleo
ton. Indeed, a very small percentage of
them voted, and a great many of those who
did vote did not vote for Smalls. The fact
is, the colored people of the Seventh district
have not much use for Smalls.
Those of them who are recognized
as leaders raw long ago that he was able to
do them no good in Congress, and they de-
termined to get rid of him as soon as they
could. At the last Congressional election
therefore, the great majority of the colored
voters took no part in the election. and
many of those who did voted for Col.
Elliott. They knew Col. Elliott and re
spected him, and were convinced that he
could be of benefit to their district
Smails' henchmen did their best for him
but that was not much. His Incompetence
was recognized, and, besides. he had made
himself extremely unpopular with the peo
pie of his race by conducting himself as if
he owned them. The five terms he had
spent in Congress had made him arrogant
and overbearing. The colored people re-
ented his pretensions and showed their re-
sentiment by their indifference to his polit
ical aspirations.
The election was quiet one. The charges
of intimidation and ballot box stuffing
which SmallS makes can not be proven, be-
cause they have no foundation.
The other day Chicago policeman picked
up out of the snow man who was loaded
with jewelry. Around his neck were four
gold chains with lockets, and every finger
and both his thumbs were heavy with gold
rings, while around his arms were gold
chains and his coat was thickly ornamented
with gold pins A casket filled with mis-
cellaneous assortment Of jewelry lay ON the
snow before him. The man vas asleep,
probably dreaming of the streets paved with
gold 1t was not the jewelry, however,
that had weighed him down, but whisky.
lie was taken to the barracks, and it was
ascertained that he had robbed jewelry
store, and then celebrated his success by
getting drunk.
The Boston Herald is responsible for the
statement that Congressman Charles +.
Crisp, of the Third Georgia district, belongs
to a theatrical family and was educated for
the stage. His father, it says, was an actor
and supported Mrs. Anna Cora Mowett
when, after the fashion of Mrs James
Brown Potter of to-day, she went from So
ciety into starring. His brother was an
actor at the Boston Museum. Mr.. Crisp
seems to be man of versatile genius. lie
made fine Superior Court Judge II Geor-
gia, and as a Congressman he is certainly
success Though he did not become AN ac-
tor, his career on the stage OF life gives
promise Of being brilliant and useful.