The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-07
BOTH SIDES IN LINE OF BATTLE
THE STATE ELECTION TO BE HARD
FOUGHT AT EVERY POINT.

1htNN NAtN
Gov. Atkinson VIII Garry the state
by 10000 MaJOrity-Chairman Cum
ningham of the POpultsts Predicts
"A Majority of 10000 for His Party
"If He Can Get a Fair Count"
Atlanta, Ga, Oct. 6.-To-day closed the
work Of the state campaign The record
has been made up The casting and count
ing of the ballot is all that remains to be
done.
Both sides are drawn so soidly together
that neither expects to make any inroads
upon the other at the polls.
The campaign has been so systematic
and in many respects so intense that there
is no room left for the usual eleventh hour
conversations. In some respects the fight
has been one of the most remarkable in
the political history of the state. for Bit
terness and personalisms on both sides 1t
has not been rivaled since the war.
Issues have been injected that served
to excite partisans to the pitch of passion
and the candidates themselves, with the
aid of their chief lieutenants. have in
some instances thrown courtesy and eau
ton to the winds and opened their walls
of abuse.
With this feeling of bitterness through
out the state it is easy to predict that the
contest at the polls tomorrow will be a
memorable one. Here in Atlanta the head
quarters of the two parties were deserted
to-day.
Gov. Atkinson and his field marshals
were out making their final rallylng calls
to their followers, and the populist leaders
were also in the field at the same work,
though tonight the latter are ALI assem-
bled together i'm Atlanta for a final grand
charge upon the democratic lines in Gov.
Atkinson's stronghold. With these big
chieftains of the populist cause from Wat
son, Wright, Hin and Graves on down to
Blackburn and the lesser lights, all
brought together to make the last stand,
Fulton county will tomorrow be the CEN
trail point of interest in the general engage
.pnent.
The popuist leaders have been making
bold claims to this county and have gone
to an expense that shows they have some
faith in their claims.
While they have been thus active, the
democrats have been listless and without
any organized effort. This has caused
even the best democrats to doubt the re-
suit, and as a matter of fact, while tho
probabilities are that the capital city of
the state will remain to the democratic
ticket by a majority at least equal to
that of two years ago, 100, tonight all
the old-timers are at sea.
Chairman Steve Clay of the democratic
committee spent part of the day here. bur
left for his home in Marietta this after
noon. After voting there tomorrow, he
will return to Atlanta and keep the head
quarters open until enough returns have
come in to show which way the day has
gone.
Chairman Cunningham of the populist
state committee will do likewise. He has,
however, he announces made arrange
ments in every county to receive the re-
turns as they are consolidated on Thurs
day at the various county sites.
Under the law the managers of eacn
precinct are required to meet at the
county site at noon following the day Of
the election and make the consolidated re-
turns.
While the returns win be slow In some
of the remote counties, in the great Nit
joritv the official count viii be known
Thursday afternoon.
The popuiists, in pursuance of their
plan Of raising the cry of fraud on every
pretext, have been placed under instruc-
tions by the state committee to gather at
the county sites to see the consolidation
of the precinct votes and ii is Thought
this means the state committee will watcn
for the returns.
The democratic managers have made no
especial arrangements for getting the re-
turns, but will depend upon the bulletins
to be posted tomorrow night by the local
newspapers.
All the papers have made elaborate ar
rangements for receiving the returns in
every county and as fast as they come In
they will me shown by stereoptcon on
in the heart Of the city where all can see
them.
The populists are prepared to raise the
cry Of fraud in any county where there Is
any slowness in getting the returns, but to
discount or prevent this arrangements
have been made which will show the un-
official returns in the most remote coun-
ties. so that the undisputed result may
be known the day following the election.
with the democratic managers IT is only
a question Of majority. They are all con-
fident that the state ticket viii be elected
by q decisive vote. All the estimates made
upon the basis OF information received
from all the counties goes to show that
the democratic majority VIII be anywhere
from $1,000 to $4,000.
Chairman Steve Clay places II a the lat
ter figure, and very few place It below the
former. The democratic campaign has
been a systematic one. Chairman Clay
has been in touch with the whole field
from the very outset and knows therefore,
better than any other man In the state
what the real conditions are. When,
therefore, he declares that Gov. Atkinson
will beat his opponent by $1,000 votes his
estimate can be relied upon as being as
nearly accurate as is possible In figuring
this result.
The colored vote ia largely relied upon.
Two years ago Judge Hines received the
colored vote almost solidly, and then the
total vote cast by that element was not
nearly so large as will be cast to-mor-
row, Judging by the registration lists.
This year, however, despite the efforts
of Boss Buck, the colored vote will go al
most solidy for Gov. Atkinson. The
managers are sure Of this. They have
had the best kind of evidence that the
colored people are en- masse supporting
the democratic ticket and do not count
upon the element Of strength I'm the dark.
While the democratic campaign has
been managed with system and foresight,
the other side has been scattering In
fact, the managers do not even pretend
to figure inteligently on the result They
have no estimate for the couties, and so
far as Is obtainable harldy know where
their strongholds and weak points are