The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-10
GORDON VS.. THE FIELD.
INSIDE GLDEPSES OF THE SENA-
TORIAL CONTEST.

Gen. Gordon in the Lead-The Hard
Fight the Opposition Is Making
Against Him-Tactics of Those Who
Are Opposing Him-CaUcuses Have
Accomplished Nothing as Yet-Some
Fine Work to Be Done This Week.
ATLANTA, Nov. 9.-Ge7. Gordon's chances
fer the senatorship seem 10 be much more
promising at present than at any time since
the meeting of the Legislature. He has now
committee which is looking after his in
terests, and some effective work will be
done for him this week. The alliance mem
bers are beginning to appreciate that the
statements that have been 50 earnestly aud
vigorously circulated that he is hostile to
the alliance have no foundation whatever;
that he occupies the same position virtually
with reference to the sub-treasuEy
bill that other candidates do who
are being urged by alliance leaders for
the aenatorship; that he is now, and has
always been. the firm friend of the farmers,
and that since he has national reputation
and is influential with men Of influence Ia
national affairs he is better able than any
of the other candidates to promote in con-
gress the interests of the farmers. They
are beginning to understand also that the
arguments that are being used against Gen.
Gordon are intended to mislead them, be-
cause a little examination of them shows
that they will not stand the test of truth.
MOTIVES OF OPPOSITION LEADERS.
The alliance members are gradually dis
covering that there is a great deal of self
ishness and much personal feeling back of
the opposition to Gen. Gordon, and that
some of the men who are leading the fight
against him are not influenced by desire
70 advance the interests of the alliance, but
by purely personal motives, or by desire
to get even with him for refusing to grant
them favors while he was governor, or
when he was in the Senate These things
are having their weight with the alliance
members, and gradually sentiment among
them friendly TO Gov. Gordon is cropping
out.
The first ballot on the senatorship will, OF
course, take place week from next Tues
day, Nov 18, and from present indications
the anti-Gordon forces will do great
deal Of caucusing but will not an
nounce their choice this week. The
leaders of the opposition to Gen. Cor
don will bend ali their ener-
gies toward consolidating their forces
and getting them into harmony,
so that they can vote them for
the candidate they finally decide upon,
if, indeed, they succeed in deciding upon
| one.
They have been making extraordinary
exertions for several days to draw Gen.
| Gordon's strength from him. They have
called quite number Of men of promi-
nence from different parts of the state by
kilograms to Atlanta who are known to
have considerable popularity, and this they
have dono not with the inten-
tion of making any one of them
the candidate Of the opposition to
Gen. Gordon, but hoping that each one
would draw some votes from him, and hav-
ing thus broken his lines, they would be able
to unite all the opposing elements and thus
defeat him. 1t is barely possible that they
will take some of these men as their candi-
date, if they find one strong enough to sat
isfy them, and ii they cannot form CON-
bination in favor of the man they are
really working for.
THE MAN THEY ARE PUSHING TO THE
| FRONT.
One of these men is Mr.. duBignon, who
is very popular, particularly with the
younger members Of the legislature. He i:
recognized as a strong man, and he has
friends in all parts Of the state. There are
| a good many members of the legislature
who would like to vote for him, believing
that no better man could be chosen for
senator. He was called to Atlanta too
soon, however, for success. If he had been
pushed to the front just before the day on
which the balloting is TO begin he woul d
have stood an excellent chance OF being ac-
cepted as the candidate of the alliancemen,
provided they had not already agreed upor
candidate, and he might have
drawn away from Gen. Gordon
some of the latter's friends, but as
soon as he appear ed here last week
the friends of the other candidates began
their attacks upon him, and the movemen
that was made in his behalf was checked
| Whether or not it will gain headway
again cannot be determined. 1t is thought,
however, that he has more real strength
than any of the other candidates, except
| Mr. Pat Calhoun, who have thus far been
mentioned in opposition to Gen. Gordon.
While it is estimated that Mr.. Norwood
and Judge Hines have between forty and
| fifty votes between them, Mr.. Pat Calhoun
is the man whom, it is understood, the al
lance leaders are striving to make senator.
| He is young, able, ambitious and
| full Of resources. As yet. howev-
| er, the leaders have not succeeded
in uniting the alliance members upon
him, and it looks as il theiropportunity for
doing 80 had passed. Outside Of alliance
councils the understanding is that it was
the purpose of the alliance lenders TO make
him the alliance candidate at the first alli-
ancs caucus. The programme was, so it is
said, to get all the alliancemen to agree to
abide by the decision of the alliance caucus,
and then to push Mr.. Calhoun to the front. 1t
is thought by shrewd observers that this
| programme would have been
carried out successfully had it
not been for the appearance
in the alliance caucus of alliance leaders
who are not members Of the legislature
The attempt of these leaders to lead the
catlc1ls and dictate its action was resented