The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-14
CAPTURED THE MEETING.
An Incident of the Political Mass
Meetings Of Former Days.

An Incident of the Political Mass
Meetings Of Former Days.
The mass meeting as a piece of party
machinery for selecting delegates TO con-
ventions is not altogether popular, but the
general impression is that it is the most
practicable and the most satisfactory until
such time as some legislation is had 70
clothe the primary elections with such safe
guards as surround the general elections
system, when the mas meeting for noml-
mating tickets or selecting delegates to COM
pose conventions will be relegated TO the
rear in Savannah, as it has been IN other
states where the primary election system Is
protected by provisions similar to those gov
erning general elections.
Many interesting incidents have occurred
in the party mass meetings IN this city.
Often the delegate tickets are "cur and
dried" as the saying goes. The meeting is
called to order, and some one pops up with
a list prepared in a little caucus by hand
full of local politicians who have taken the
precaution TO have the h8ll well filed with
their crowd, who receive the ticket with
approving shouts. the question is put and
carried with a hurran, and the meeting adj
journs.
Hon. W. g. Charlton relates an amusing
anecdote Of how the tables were turned in
one of these mass meetings. He had been
in the habit of attending the meetings re-
gularly, the tickets were presented in the
usual manner, and he always voted mo, T"
while the chair with the utmost composure
would announce that the motion had car
ried unanimously. MIR. Charlton says
that on the eve of one of the mass meetings
the late L. H. de Montmollln suggested that
they go together and have little fun in
opposing the stereotyped method of selecting
delegates. Mr.. Charlton told Mr.. Mont
molhn it was no use, as there would be but
two votes in the negative, to which Mr..
Montmollin replied that they would have
some fun, anyway.
True to their agreement the two jokers,
without any expectation of carrying any
measure. attended the meeting. After the
meeting had been called to order some one
arose with list of delegates whose names
were read out, and a motion was made
that they be elected by reclamation.
Montmollin was on his feet in
a moment, and offered an amendment that
a number Of names, which he read, be put
in hat, and that the first six drawn out
should serve as a committee to select
the delegates. The amendment was
seconded by Charlton, and Mont
mollin followed with an oratorical
effort that captured the house. The other
side didn't have any speakers that
could cope with him. Montmollin,
when an alderman tried to pass a resolution
that any one finding goat running at large
should be authorized to shoot it down, and
one Of the gallery gods from Goat alley.
who was in the mass meeting, tried to dis
concert him by crying out goats" but
Montmollin merely paused long enough to
look up at the representative from
the Old Fort and smile, and
then went on with his speech. As result
the amendment went through with a
hurrah, the names of the committee of six
were duly drawn from a hat, the committee
retired, and after a short session, came out
with an entirely new list of names for dele
gates, who were selected by a rousing
majority.
Speaking of Montmolliu, Mr. Charlton
says he was an accomplished politician and
natural orator. The days of oratory,
said Mr.. Charlton, are fast disappearing.
The newspaper has taken the place
of the orator There remains
nothing new for the orator to say that the
masses have not already learned from the
newspaper, and the lawyer who attempts a
lengthy oratorical effort before the jury of
the present day will tire it, and he will not
be SO apt to get verdict as the lawyer who
has carefully prepared and skilfully con-
Quoted his case aud submitted it concisely
IN q iurv