The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-10-06
POPULISTS IN FOR A FIGHT.
Notice Given Of Contests in Four
Counties.

The Legislative Seats for Monroe,
Cobb, Heard and Clayton Counties
TO Be Claimed Before the Legislators.
The Democratic Defeat of the Com
bine of the Populists and Negro Re-
publicans Big Victory.
Atlanta, Ca, Oct. 5.-The cry of fraud
which is going up in vigorous tones from
the throats of the campaign managers
has begun to assume definite form. To-
day Gov Northen was served with notice
Of contests in four counties-Monroe,
Cobb, Heard and Clayton.
T. B. Davis contests the seat of Rev.
A. o. Hall, the democratic member of
the legislature in Heard.
In Monroe R. P. Hill and A. q. Zeller,
populists, who ran for the legislature,
claim that they were counted out,
S. T. Jones, in Clayton, and in Cobb,
John Awtrey and R. N. Holland, the
democratic members, are sought to be
ousted.
other contests may be looked for.
Tom Watson and his advisers are very
much wrought up, apparently, and are
making charges of fraud by the whole
sale, both in the election for governor
and members of the legislature. They
claim 81 members of the legislature,
though the best information gives them
only thirty in the House and in the
Senate.
The official returns from over half the
counties of the state have been received
up to this afternoon by Secretary of State
Gambler. The packets containing the vote
on the state ticket will not be opened un-
til the legislature meets. The returns for
members of the legislature and constitu-
tional amendments will be opened and
consolidated on the 18th inst. Gov. Nor
then and Secretary Gambler set this date
to-day. 1t will take a couple of days to
consolidate these returns. When this is
done the total vote cast in the state can
be very nearly approximated. The Off
cial vote taken from the record for the
election two years ago shows: Northen,
l40 492; Peek, 6S $50. The total vote cast
was POS 1872, Gov. Northen's majority be-
72,502 While this was Gov. Northen's
majority over Col. Peek, the democratic
majority for President Cleveland was
only 34,799, in total vote of 223,973 On
Wednesday the democrats had a combi-
nation of everything opposed to democra-
cy against them, which shows that the
majority received is almost the maximum
nominal democratic majority. In 1892 the
republican vote was $780, the populist
vote LOT W edNef 4ZS3J ana the pfOnlDl-
ZIONIST 9SS There were 1855 scattering.
The populsts had the solid republican
vote with them Wednesday,, and on a ba-
sis of the vote two years ago, without
conceding any considerable populst
gains, these two parties combined, it is
estimated, gave Hines about 10000, pos
slbly 100000, votes on Wednesday, while
the returns indicate that the democratic
ticket received the same vote cast for
President Cleveland, about 130,O 900.
The capture of the negro vote solidly
is the explanation of the populist showing
of strength.
Attorney General Terrell who returned
from Meriwether county to-day, iii dis
cusing the populist victory there, said it
was accomplished wholly by the negro
vote. More white votes were cast for the
democratic ticket than were polled two
years ago. In Meriwether there are
about 1900 negro voters and 1900 whites.
Gov. Northen returned from Hancock
county to-day He would not be inter-
viewed about the election but is busy
getting the business of his Office in good
shape to turn it over to Gov. Atkinson.
TO-day's figures give some hope that
the supreme court amendment has
passed. a number of the larger counties
have voted pretty strongly for the amend
ment. Judge Marshal J. Clark one of
the candidates for the supreme bench,
in case the amendment is adopted, fig
ures it out that 1t has been carried.
Judge Gober another candidate, takes a
different view.
The populist strength developed in the
Ninth and Fourth districts has given the
politicians a good deal to talk about.
Hon. Carter Tate of he Ninth was in the
city to-day. He realizes that he has a
fight on hand with Newt Twitty but is
confident in the final triumph of democ-
racy.
Hon. w. H. Fleming of Augusta is in
Atlanta pushing his candidacy for the
speakershp.
To-day Mr.. Fleming has a new rival in
the person of John II. Reese of Rome,
who has announced his candidacy.