The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-28
PoPULIsT GRAND STAND PLAY.
Senator McGreRor Makes a Minority
Report on the whitley Contest.

Senator McGreEor Makes a Minority
Report on the whitley Contest.
Atlanta. Ca, Nov. 27.-CoL Charlie Nc
| Gregor, Tom Watson's partner in the
newspaper line, and populist leader in the
/ Senate, made a great grand stand play
/ in the Senate to-day. by submitting a
/ sensational minority report Of the Whit
/ ley-WilHams contested election case. and
making an impassioned attack upon the
methods employed to seat DR.. Whitley.
His report cited various frauds practiced
at some of the election precincts, where
/ Williams received large majoriues, and
also at other precincts where Whitley re-
ceived majorities. The report also cited
the fact that Williams had not paid his
taxes for three years before his election,
and for that reason was not entitled 10
a seat in the Senate. 1t recommends that
Williams be unseated and Whitley be
given the seat.
Senator McGregor alleges gross frauds
in precincts where Whitley got MAORI
ties the use of liquor and money and
the intimidation Of voters. lie charges
leading democrats of the district, naming
District Attorney Joe James, Hon. War
ner Hill and Capt Terrell, brother to
Attorney General Joe Terrell with be-
ing parties to these illegal dOings. His
report winds up by recommending that
on account Of the frauds, the office of
senator from the Thirty-sixth district
be certified to the governor as vacant, and
that he be asked to order another cleo
ton for senator from that district.
Senator McGregor moved that both re-
ports be laid on the table until tomorrow
and that they be printed for the use of
the Senate, but this was voted down.
Senator McGregor then moved the adop-
ton of the minority report, and stated that
while he recognized that he was in a
hopeless minority, he had right to pro-
test against giving this seat to Mr.. Whit
ley; that the record was reeking with
fraud and saturated with whisky
Mr.. Beeks took the floor, and in a Wig
orous reply to Senator McGregor said that
the minority report and the speech of the
senator from the Nineteenth called fer
reply. His minority report and his
speech, Mr.. Beeks declared, was not in
tended as reply to the majority report
but speech to the people to make politi-
cal capital. The conduct of the sitting
member was far more repTehensible than
that of the contestee, he said. There
was more influence and more trickery re
sorted to by the populists than by the
democrats. The committee gave both sides
a patient hearing, and were forced to the
inevitable conclusion that the sitting
member was not entitled to his seat
Senator Bryan secured the floor and
cited the law bearing upon the action of
the committee.
Mr.. McGregor again arose and said, adj
dressing the Senate in an excited manner:
If you democrats think l am making a
political speech and am opposed to Geor-
gia, you Will find that your report will be
answered at the polls two years hence
/ stand for fair elections, and my report
asks for fair election, and that shall be
fair. II you want to sustain Joe James
and his ward heelers do so; l will not.
The candidate of the majority was re-
pudiated by his neighbors but there is
an effort to seat him by fraud and trick
cry, that is beneath the dignity of this
body. l stand here not as a populist,
not as Charlie McGregor, but as a senator
for the state Of Georgia demanding fair
elections. Why did you refuse to have the
report of the case printed? Are you
afraid to let the people of Georgia see
it?'
Chairman Little closed the debate by
lengthy review of the evidence in the
case which overwhelmingly justified the
unseating of the popuist member and the
seating of the democrat. The Senate
then adopted the report of the committee
and later on Dr. Whitley was sworn in
by Associate Justice Atkinson
This afternoon the populist daily fairly
goes into Mysteries over the unseating of
Mr.. Williams.