The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-26
GOLD FROM HANNA TO GEORGIA
POPULIsT CANDIDATES FOR CON-
GREss MAY BE AIDED.

Suspicion Aroused by COnversn-
tion Accidentally Overheard on
the Telephone between Atlanta
and CoIumbia-The Republicans
Believed to Prefer PopuIist Con-
Eressmen to strafeht-out Demo-
Gratis.
Atlanta, Ga, Sept. 25.--Information was
received at democratic headquarters to-
day which indicates that the Hanna re-
publican campaign corruption fund will
play hand in the congressional contests
in Georgia whore the democratic nominees
have opposition from populists or republic
cans. 1t may also be tapped in the state
campaign, If, in fact, it has not already
honored drafts of the populist managers.
The fact upon which the information
given to the democratic managers is based
is conversation by telephone which wan
accidentally overheard by a well-known
democratic official. This conversation was
in progress between Atlanta and Colum-
bus with Col. Carey j. Thornton, the pop
ulist candidate for congress in the Fourth
district, on the Columbus end of the wire,
and Chairman John d. Cunningham OF
the populist state committee on the Atlan-
Ia end When the Atlanta man took up
his phone and unintentionalIy interrupted
the thread of the conversation between
the two populist plotters, according to
the report made at democratic headquar-
ters, Col. Thornton was asking Chairman
Cunningham for money to be spent down
in the Fourth district for campaign pur-
poses. To this Chairman Cunningham re-
piled in effect that he had "tust sent east
to see about chat matter and would know
FOR sure In day or two-and he thought
he would get it."
1t Is well known that the republican
campaign fund is easily available in other
states for congressional contests where
there Is any chance at all OF the defeat
OF the democrats, and 1t has been report
ed that the same fund was to be used to
elect populists rather than allow demo-
Gratis to get seats, where there was no
chance Of electing republicans. but UP to
date Georgia has been regarded as being
outside the line of operations. From this
fragment Of conversation between Chair
man Cunningham, who was a life long re-
publican himself before ne espoused pop
ulism, and Col. Thornton, who wants to
90 to congress at any price, Ii seems
that the plans have not been fully UNDER
stood. The republicans made several at
ANAiPAa W AtA III open luSlUn on congress-
men, but It was declared that all such
negotiations had utterly failed. But af-
| ter all 1t may be that Boss Buck has
been playing a deeper game with the
| populists than any one ON the outside has
suspected. and the apparent failure Of the
fusion schemes was for purpose.
Two days ago when Tom Watson re-
turned from the west 1t was Boss Buck
and his chief lieutenant Mai w IL
Smythe, together with Maj j. r. Han
son OF Macon, who were at the depot to
meet him, and hold a confab with him
and Chairman John Cunningham. All
laughed about the meeting when ap-
preached by newspaper reporters, and
declared that 1t was merely accidental,
but that may and may not have been
the truth about 1t. Another significant
fact which may be coupled with the
meeting Of Boss Buck and Maj Hanson
with Watson on his return to Georgia is
that ex-Postmaster w. w. Brown of Ma
con and ex-Marshal w. p Corbett of the
southern district under President Har-
rison, have just returned from a pilgrim-
mage to the shrine of Hanna in the east.
What they went for and what they saw
or did they have studiously kept locked
within their own bosoms. AS to the
part the Hanna barrel plays to the state
campaign Is another question. Since the
eyes of the democratic managers have
been directed toward it on account Of
the overheard conversation between
Chairman Cunningham and Col Thorn
ton, tho democratic managers have
begun to think very strongly
that they have found the explanation
of the apparently inexhaustible fund
which the populists must have at their
command to operate such an extensive
business as Is conducted from their head
quarters in this city. Chairman Cum
ningfham has persstently declared that he
had no money to run his campaign, but i'm
the face Of this dozen or fifteen people
are constantly employed at his head
quarters writing letters and sending out
literature, while Chairman Clay and one
| typewriter do all the work at the demo-
cratic headquarters 1t takes money, and
a good deal OF It to keep the populist state
headquarters In operation, and since the
managers contiue to assert that they have
never haised any, there must be some
explanation. If this explanation is the
| Hanna barrel, the democratic managers
fear all sorts Of trouble on election day.
when It is fully turned loose among tha
| negroes for whom it Is intended.
SAVANNAH INSURANCE RATES