The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-27
WAR OF THE FACTIONS.
TROUBLE BREWING IN THE RE-
PUBLICAN CAMP.

Col. a. N. Wilson's Chances for the
Postoffice = The Breach Growing
Wider Between the Johnson and
Doyle Factions-Col. Atkins Trying
to Straighten Matters Out-The
Plan OF the Georgia Republicans
and What They are Doing.
Col A. N. Wilson, ex-postmaster of Sa-
vannah and the possible successor to the
present incumbent of the office, ate bis
Christmas turkey with his personal and
political friend, Capt. J. G. Clarke, up in
Efingham county, and yesterday he came
down to the city to look after his fences.
Col Wilson didn't find the republican
family, that is, the representative head
lights of it., very harmonious one. In
| fact, there is an interesting undercur
rent of cross purposes between the
Doyle and johnson factions which
has already begun to crop out.
Col Atkins is kept busy denying that he has
mixed in the fight, and in his interview in
the MORNING News, and in his statements
| to others declares that it is premature to
| talk about customs collector this early in
the canvass. This polite waving aside of
the question does not satisfy the Doyle
party, and it holds that Col Atkins is the
| last man to say That any talk about col
| lector of customs is premature, for he Wis
| tied Capt. Doyle three months ago and sug
gested that he was just the man for the
| position. In fact the friends of Capt. Doyle
say that Col. Atkins first set the customs
house bee buZzing in the bonnet Of the cap
tain and that he encouraged the music until
he returned from a trip to Atlanta and In
dianapolis.
| WHAT COL. WILSON FOUND OUT.
| Col. Wilson also learned yesterday. if he
| had his eyes and ears open, that friends
whom he thought were ready to boom him
| for the postoffice, when they found that
Capt. Doyle was becoming too formida BILE
| candidate for collector of the port, were
willing to lay Col. Wilson on the shelf
and rid themselves of Capt. Doyle by
rendering him the postoffice on silver
| salver, but the captain wouldn't consent to
being sidetracked in any such fashion.
Summing up the situation in brief, it
would appear that the hope of the Atkins
| party is i'll the selection of Sherman as
| premier Of the Harrison administration.
1t is said that the Georgia republicans were
never for Sherman at any time, and it re-
quired the Italian hand of Col. Atkins to
| send Sherman delegation. Col. Buck had
to be won over, and tbs was in
directly done through an Alabama
friend of Sherman, who was a
Had Sherman been the lucky man instead
| of Harrison, Buck would have been recog-
niZed and Atkins would have had plain sail
| ing with Peasants and Deveaux booked for
CHI ice morsels, as the last three combined to
control affairs in this end Of the state and
leave Mr.. johnson at home.
WHAT THE PLAN NOW is.
Sherman failing, the policy now is to get
second hand from Sherman in the cabinet
| what would have come direct in the first
| contingency Harrison was not even
second choice of the Georgia delegation, but
| it is the first to send its ladle to the public
trough for him to fill it with SOUP said a
Doyle man, land it was Blaine who nomi-
mated Harrison, not Sherman"
Meantime the uncertainty of Sherman be-
coming Secretary of State as long as the
plumed knight stands like lion in his path,
| while it encourages the Doyle party has a
correspondingly depressing effect upon the
other faction. Some of the friends of Capt
Doyle say that it was strange piece of bad
temper for Col Atkins to call names when
the impression went out that his visit to
Indianapolis was in Mr.. Johnson's interest,
and they say that it was Indirectly in his
interest, for that Col. Atkins first suggested
Capt. Doyle for collector of the port, and
| next declined to indorse him for the posi-
ton, claiming that he would indorse neither
of the candidates. Col. Atkins, it is said,
disclaims having negotiated loan here
from the sources to which a loan was
attributed but it is believed by some of
| Capt boy ELS friends that there is a wheel
loose somewhere, and that as Buck was not
| a partisan of Col. Atkins in the candidacy
of the latter for a judgeship some years ago,
| Col. Atkins would not now become his
| spokesman to the President-elect if there is
not cat in the meal tub.
WAS THERE CAUCUS.
II is said that there was a little caucus
among the republicans here on the eve of Col
| Atkins visit to Atlanta, to which nethe
Capt. Doyle nor his friends were invite d.
1t is also rumored that the meeting was
called by Col Atkins, and that he was
present This, it is understood, the colonel
| denies, aud movement is on foot to inves-
| tigate the matter, and if it is found that
there was such meeting and the Doyle
| folks were ignored, the harmony will not
deepen any between the rival factions.
HnThere Is also a rurnor, apparently well
founded, that the johnson party is not I'M
likely to have dissension over one of the
candidates for subordinate position. Mr..
johnson and some of his partisans do not
| want to give the position to the all-along-
recognized candidate, and it is said that
three of the moneyed men who had been
| expected to go on the bond of the collector,
| declare that they do not want an office
themselves, but if their friend is not ap
pointed they will seal up their inkstands
with Spading's prepared glue and sign moth
ing. In. the light of all the rumors,
and with only about two months until the
Harrison administration will be inaugu-
rated, Col. Atkins has not been intensely
successful 10 convincing the friends of
Messrs. Johnson and Doyle that it is prema-
| tuI @ to discuss their relative chances. 1t is
a very pretty fight as it stands, and is not
likely to lose interest for several weeks to
| come.