The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-27
TO BE IN AT THE START.
CONGRESSMAN LESTER TO LEAVE
FOB WASHINGTON TODAY.

tional Public Building ApDropria-
ton, and Change OF Site - Col
LISTERS Position on the Tariff.
usCongressman r E. Lester expects co
leave tonight via Atlanta for Washington
tobe present at the converting Ofscongress
next week.
Col Lester represents one of the largest
districts of the state in area, and one of the
wealthiest. The entire Georgia coast is
embraced in the district. 1t embraces
three great seaports: Savannah, with a
population of nearly 10000, the first
naval stores port of the world,
and the second largest cotton ak
porting port on the continent, and with
two of the principal railroad systems of the
south terminating here, and the headquar-
tiers Of five lines of steamships Brunswick.
q CITY of 10000 population, with "a large
humber and rosin exporting trade, and the
southern terminus of two railroads, aud
Darien, a city of over 1900 population. and
one of the principal timber exporting ports
of the world. Two of the principal naVigar
BILE streams Of the state, the Savannah and
Altamaha rivers, are in the district.
A REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL SECTIONS.
The district embraces eighteen counties
of varied industries and agricultural pro-
ducts, and its representative having been
born and reared in the agricultural or rural
districts, and having lived since the war in
the principal seaport city of Georgia, com
bines a knowledge Of the legislative wants
of both the urban and rural population Of
mis- district
Col. Lester was born in Burke county
Dec ~, 1887, and was admitted TO the
Savannah bar in the year when the war
between the sections broke out. He en-
listed at the beginning of the war in the
Twenty-ffth Georgia regiment. and was
made its adjutant general, and at the close
of the war ranked as colonel. His mill
tary service the first year of the
war was on the Georgia coast,
and the remaining years he did service
in Mississippi, Tennessee and upper Georgia.
He was twice wounded in the holly con-
tested battle of Chickamauga. After the
war he returned to Savannah, and actively
engaged in the practice of his profession
until 1868, when he was elected to the state
Senate, in which body he served until
1879, being honored with its presidency
during his last term. In 1883 he was elected
mayor Of Savannah, and was reelected in
1885 and 1887. He was nominated and
elected to congress in November, 1883, de-
feating Floyd Snelson, rep, by majority
of $3.50 in a total vote of 1852. After the
Rifemen, a crack military organization
which formed from the nucleus of the
Sixty-third Georgia regiment
COL. TESTERS ELECTION.
Col. Testers nomination to congress was
the result of a compromise between the
friends of ex-COngFessman Norwood and
Capt. w. w. Gordon, at the Brunswick
convention, which, after several days of
balloting, being unable to agree upon either
of the two gentlemen, went to Col. Lester,
who was not a candidate, and who was not
present at the convention.
When MORNING NEWS reporter sought
to interview Col. Lester on the eve of his
departure for Washington, Col. Lester said
that he recognized the responsibilities OF
representing a district of such Industrial,
commercial, agricultural and maritime i'm
portance as the First district is.
with the exception of one of the New
Hampshire congressman" said Col Lester
81 think am the only congressman who
represents the entire coast counties of
state. The Georgia coast is between 100
and $50 miles in extent and has three i'm
portant harbors. 1t will be my duty, as it
will be my pleasure, to look after
the harbor improvements for the
district and the improvements to the Sa-
vannah and Altamaha rivers, the two great
water ways in the district, and to do what
Sioe III my power W duVAuce Lne uaVlRaDle
interests of the ST. Mary's and Satilla
rivers.
TO LOOK OUT FOR THE HARBoRS.
Referring to the harbor of Savannah,
Col. Lester said that the 26-foot project is a
necessity TO the commerce of Savannah,
and congress ought not to hesitate in max
Ing sufficient appropriation to insure the
carrying out Of the plan. He says that the
$5OO,OO0 appropriation recommended by the
war department evidently means the carry
ing out of the 26-foot project, and congress
ought to make the appropriation.
With reference to the needs of appropria-
tons for the harbors of Brunswick and
Darien, Col. Lester said: "As far as L am
able they shall have their share In the river
and harbor appropriations
Col. Lester says that he will urge an ad-
ditional appropriation for the new govern
ment building. A new site, he SAYS, is a
secondary matter, but he thinks that Sa-
vannah, with its wonderful growth, should
have more imposing and commodious
building than that which the government
has been working upon up to the last few
days. He will therefore urge greater ap-
preparation.
The river and harbor appropriations, the
appropriations for navigable rivers and
the needed appropriations for public build
lngs, Col Lester says, embrace the special
legislation Wnlcn concerns the district.
THE TARIFF ISSUE.
On the general subjects of legislation in
which the district is concerned is the tariff
question, and on that Col. Lester said, II
am tariff reformer, but If we cannot have
tariff reform then [ shall favor such pro-
portionate protection to our rice and other
products as the north LAYS on its iron and
other manufactured products. | do not
want to see a tariff law which will dis
criminate against our own people,
On the proposition to enact federal laws
providing for the control of elections in the
states, Col. Lester, believing in the SOW
ereign rights of the states to conduct their
elections, will unalterably oppose federal
interference, and actuated by the same
principle that the reserved rights of
tho states should not be infringed
upon by the federal authorities beyond the
constitutional powers of the government,
he will oppose any such legislation as was
contemplated by the Blair educational bill.
TO RELIEVE THE COURTS.
"A lawyer himself, Col. Lester recognizes
the necessity of doing something to relieve
the pressure upon the supreme court of the
United States, which, he says, is three
years behind in its work; and also to pro-
vide for relieving the inferior courts, which
are behind, and will favor such wise legis-
lation as will tend to facilitate the business
of the federal courts
sSFor whom will the democrats cast their
complimentary vote for speaker!" he was