The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-18
rhe Challenge Declined.

The reasons given by Judge Hines for
. declining Hon. ". y. Atkinson's invita-
ton 20 Jointly discuss the issues Of the
/ campaign are not such as TO lead the pub
lie TO believe Judge Hines is anxious for
a joint debate. The impression his .rea-
sons make is that he is Of the
opinion that the populist party has moth
ing 10 gain by such a debate, and would
! likely lose ground by it.
! The reasons are that the invitation was
| sent too late and that the democ ratio
/ executive committee declined to recon
mend division of managers CT the polls.
There is no force in the first reason.
The election is more than two weeks of,
and there is still time to make converts.
Judge Hines thinks there is, because he
says if he engaged in a Joint debate he
would have to abandon some appoint
ments he has already made. lie doesn't
want to abandon them for the reason APP
parently that he thinks he can do his
cause good by keeping them. He knows,
however, that if ne should engage in a
joint discussion the newspapers would
give wide circulation to mis- speeches, as
well as those of Mr.. Atkinson. He would,
therefore. reach great many more people
than by speaking alone. He would reach
democrats as well as populists, and
if be has confidence in the populist de-
mands, ne ought to be glad of an OPP
portunity to get them, with his comments
upon them, before the people.
His second objection, namely, that the
democratic executive committee has re-
fused to recommend that the populisGs be
given managers at the ballot boxes, and
that, therefore, the means Of having the
| judgment of the voters expressed upon
the Joint discussions has been denied, is
| even weaker than the first objection. No
| fair-minded man doubts that all the ballots
of the popuGsts will be counted. The insin-
uation that they will not be will be inter
| preted by many as meaning that the pop
ulists are laying the foundation for an
| assertion that their party was not dealt
with fairly at the polls.
Judge Hines can rest assured that all
the votes cast by his party will be fairly
and honestly counted. The democra is
! purpose winning the election so fairly
and squarely that the populists will have
no reason whatever to excuse their de-
| feat by the cry Of fraud.
The populsts will not feel elated by the
refusal of their leader to meet Mr. At
! kinson Some of them doubtless are so
innocent as to believe that their demands
are so just and fair aud their leader so
much superior to the leader of the
democracy that a joint discussion
would result in an overwhelming
victory for their leader. Judge Hines
refusal to meet Mr.. Atkinson in debate
and to have the populists' demands com
| pared with democratic doctrines ought to
| open their eyes TO the fact that they are
in the wrong camp-that they are being
misled-and that it is impossible for their
| chosen leader or any one else to success
| fully defend their platform. f.
If the Joint debate had occurred Judge
| Hines would have found himself greatly
overmatched, and the demands of his
party would have been so clearly shown
| TO be impracticable that many populists
would have become disheartened.