The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-23
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.
The Chatham Delegation Wouldn't
Talk Before the Citizens Committee.

Talk Before the Citizens Committee.
Part Of the Committee Returns Home.
Mr.. Saussy's Argument Against the
Registration Biu-CourtesY of Fa-
voring a Solid Delegation an Unwrit-
ten Law in the Committee Room-Mr.
Rockwell Didn't Answer the Argu-
ments Against the Measure.
Gen. McGlashan, MIR. J. R. Saussy, Mr.
W. c. Hartridge and Mayor McDonough,
mem bers of the committee of citizens
who went up to Atlanta to oppose the
bill proposing a change in the county re-
gistration laws, returned yesterday
morning.
a member Of the committee said yes
terday that Mr.. Saussy presented some
/ strong arguments against the bill. He
/ followed Maj. oRyals, who pointed out
some of It's defects, and made a brief,
! concise and strong statement of the faults
/ in the proposed amendments to the regis
! tration law. He referred to
/ the amendment with regard to
| the time of holding the registration,
/ which is bad on account of the fact that
! fewer people would register during the
| summer months than during the spring.
| He referred to the fact that the present
! board of commissioners, which was elected
| by the people under bill introduced and
| supported by the Chatham delegation
/ had never had an opportunity of conduct
| ing the registration, and showed that
| the fraud which the delegation made it
| appear existed, if it existed at ALL was at
time when the members were elected,
and probably had some weight
in ,fn linz Il. 3D.
! by frequent ques tions, and at the conclu-
sion of his remarks colloquy ensued be-
tween the members of the special iudici-
airy committee and the citizens commit
tee with regard to the time of holding
the registration, it being clearly shown
that the months of March, April and
May were far better than the summer
months.
THE REFUSAL OF A CONFERENCE.
| EaWhen the committee reached Atlanta,
| it asked for conference with the Chat
| ham delegation. MIR. Saussy said yesterday
that the conference was refused outright
! unless an apology were made for the tel
| egram sent by Gen. McGlashan to the
| chairman of the special judiciary commit
| tee, and read at the bar of the House.
| Gen. McGlashan replied that he thought
| the interview he had with Mr.. Osborne
| was all that was necessary. He thanked
| the delegation for the courtesy in getting
new hearing of the measure, and said
| that he regretted that a conference was
refused
ut was undoubtedly shown" said Mr..
| Saussy, that the bill is defective and
| ought not to pass, but [ suppose the COM
mittee was guided by that courtesy,
| which amounts almost to an unwritten
law, where delegation is solidly in favor
! of local measure, and recommended
| 1t favOrably anyway The Chatham dele
| cation was asked to make its argument
| in favor of the bill that we might know
what they had to say, and be able to
answer them. We wanted to know where
the measure originated, who was respon-
| SlOle for 1t, who drew it and who of Sa-
| vannah's citizens fathered it, but the
! delegation would make no statement
! while we were there. Mr.. Osborne re-
! piled that it was not customary for the
| members to enter into discussion of any
| subject outside of the committee, and the
| chairman of the committee stated that it
| was usual for those who opposed a measure
! to make their statement. and If the others
wanted to say anything in its favor they
! could do so or not as they chose. 1t ap-
/ pears since through the public prints that
! Mr.. Osborne made his statements after
! the citizens committee had retired and
! that MIR. Doolan read some extracts from
| the MORNING News. The citizens COM
! would have been to have made any state
mcnts the representatives had to make in
! its presence and not behind closed doors
! where the committee had no opportunity
to answer them.
MR.. ROCKwELL's SPEECH.
'Mr. Rockwell didn't attempt to reply
! to the arguments at ALL Mr.. Saussy
said, he didn't deny that the effect Of
making one years tax receipts prima
facie evidence that all taxes had been
| paid would be pernicious, nor did he
charge that there had been any fraud in
the management of the registration lists
| in the past He said that there were
| rumors Of fraud, and when asked if he
made the charge he said he didn't He
only knew that there were rumors of it
and dissatisfaction on that account.
''Of course the passage of the measure
| viii be resisted to the last,n said MIR
Saussy, land the citizens committee is
subject to call at any time by Gen
! McGIaShan to fight it before the Senate
| committee. Senator Wright would not
express himself one way or the other
with regard to the matter, but he as
sured US that the citizens committee
would have a fair and impartial hearing
when the matter came up. Several
members of the legislature who
heard the circumstances in connec-
tlon with the matter expressed the opin-
ion that the committees action was not
justified by the facts and statements, and
after the committee had adjourned they
expressed themselves as favorable to the
old law, and opposed the new one. The
committee has not held another meeting
yet, but will probably do so soon, and de-
eide upon what course is to be pursued. -
1t is understood that Mai p. w. Mel
drim and others will join the citizens
committee in the fight on the measure
which viii be made before the Senate
committee.