The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-17
STATE CAPITAL POLITICS.
Some POpuliSt Successes Causing
Comment.


Atlanta Sept. 16.-"What do you think
of this'" remarked Gov Northeu yester-
day, as he affixed his signature to an o fl
cial looking document When he turn ed
it over it proved to be thecommission due
Tax Collector CIotfelter, recently elected
in Rockdale county.
Il beat Col Peek 319 votes in Rocl6dale
his own county, too" continued the
governor. "Now you see am issuing
commission to third party tax collector.
What do you think of it, say"
The gentlemen present in the office ap-
peared to think there was something
smelly in Denmark.
And Col, Peek is about as popular a
man in his county as you could find
there. But MS friends didn't indorse his
politics. Last December they were dem
ocrats. In January this same Clotfelter
was the third party candidate for county
treasurer, bn was defeated by good
majority. The people of Rockdale were
stil democrats. But markyou six months
later there is such change
in their sentiments that they forget what
it cost them to stand by the old party dur
! ing last years campaign and follow the
, populist candidate to the polls"
| Governor Northen does not take a
bright view of the situation. Neither do
other political leaders, for that matter.
! Since the action of Rockdale and Whit
| field and DeKalb and Washington and
| Warren tOo-the outlook for the old time
| democratic walk over throughout the
! state in next years elections is not calcu-
| lated to inspire smiles
In Whitfield county Hon. Paul
| Trammel went to the legislature with a
| sound democratic majority. But when
| he resigned two months ago to accept the
! position of internal revenue collector, the
! third party fell into line and literally
| swept the county by the election of Ged
| dings, their candidate
| In DeKalb county the only thing that
! saved the day for democracy in the recent
! legislative race, was the candidacy of
| Hon. Milt Gambler, the veteran congress
man from the Fifth district-and
| one of the very strongest democrats
! in it. Then there are Washington and
! Warren counties. Both are firmly in the
| third party column, hopelessly, for the
| present, at least
| THE RECORD AS IT STANDS.
These.are the items already on the rec
| ord. Other entries to be made are nat
urally of keen interest. The next en-
! try that will be made is that of the
| Thirty-tirst senatorial district. Senator
! Louis Davis has accepted q federal ap-
! pointment and his resignation is daily
| looked for at the executive department.
| The counties of Hart, Habersham and
| Franklin, comprising the Thirty-trst
| district gave Senator Davis an aggre-
| gate majority of about $50. The expert
ence of Whitfield and Rockdale counties
! shows that it would be an easy matter for
| these three counties to overcome this ma
jority for the third PARTY if the move
! ment has kept pace there with its in
| creased strength in other sections.
Gov. Northen's what do you think of
| it," is food for thought. The third
party people did great
deal of talking and buster
ing during the past cam
paign. They are going ahead
rather quietly now, and they have made
such showing already that the demo-
cratic leaders are becoming serious over
the outlook
The gubernatOrial campaign will very
probably develop a most interesting news
paper fight here in Atlanta. There are
strong indications that the Constitution
and the Journal will oppose each other,
as usual 1t can De safely said already
that the journal viii support Gen. Evans
| that is, if Col. BlOunt is not factor in
1
! The Journal plainly leans toward the
! statesman from Blob county and is for
| him first, but will come out for Evans
| squarely when it becomes evident that
! Blount is not lin it," Just at present
the journal is devoting most of its politi,
| cal columns to cOntradicting the reports
| that BIount would be backed by the ad-
ministration influence, should he become
a gubernatorial campaigner. The old
adage the least said, soonest mended"
| seems to apply in this case,
| for the more the Journal ham
mers away to show that the
| administration could be of no service to
| MIR. Blount, the stronger will the opposite
| impression be made. There are a great
many men in Georgia who feed at Uncle
| Sans crib, and their influence cast in
any direction would be a considerable
| boost to a gubernatorial or senatorial can
| didate.
THE GUBERNATORIAL FIGHT
just as it is evident that the Journal
will espouse Blouut's or Evans cause, it
! is also beginning to appear that Steve Clay
| will get the backing of the COnsti-
| tuition. He has always stood
| in with that paper, and it
is taken as a fOregone conclusion that his
rabbit foot will work again this time.
Mr.. Atkinson does not seem TO be in it
at all with the newspapers here-though
that may not be so much of a disad vantage
after all.
Since Gen. Evans has put himself
squarely in the race, much speculation
| is INDUCED in regarding the management
of the campaign. His individual strength
| is readily recognized, but there is much
in management-mdnipu and the
interesting question is the identity of the
| men who will do this work for
! him. 1t is easy enough
to read the hands of the other possible
! candidates because they have made
business of politics. But Gen. Evans is a
new Richmond in the political field, and,
| therefore, dinicult to locate.
The prediction made in this column
sometime ago that Congressman Moses
would have a hard fight on his hands is
verified by the announcement that Judge
Sam Harris will oppose him. Hon War
ner Hill of Meriwebher county may also
take hand when the time comes
The principal complaint against Mr.
Moses is that he pays more attention to
getting Offices for his family than to
pressing the claims of his constituents.
Bob Whitfield, of Baldwin is also to
make the fight on Congressman Cabaniss,
it is said here. Berner was sidetracked
by fat government job, and will not be
! troublesome this time, as was predicted.
| The vote on the silver question is likely
to get more than one congressman into
hot water The Fifth district will pre-
2 A H.