The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-16
THE FIGHT FOR SOLICITOR.
DOTH CANDIDATES SEEKING
EVERY POSSIBLE ADVANTAGE.

MIR. OsbOrue's Friends Claim He Has
a Majority of the Members of the
Lower House Pledged to Him.
Stand of the Members of the Bar.
Not believed That the Effort to
Bar the Chatham Delegation From,
the Democratic Caucus VIII
Amount TO Anything-WOrk of the
Registrars.
The politicians do not seem yet to have
landed Sena tor Elect W. w. Geiger. as to
the solicitor generalship and other local
issues. Both sides seem to think that a
great deal depends on him, and Mr.. Os-
bornes friends still insist that there is no
doubt that Judge Geiger favors their can
didate though 1t is said he has as yet
given his Endorsement in writing to no one.
A representative of the Morning News
saw the petition yesterday that is being
circulated in behalf Of Mr.. w. w. Fraser.
1t had upon it sixty names of members Of
the bar, among them some of the most
prominent attorneys in Savannah. There
are about 100 lawyers in the city, and of
these about ten will stand neutral. refus-
ing TO sign either petition. Mr.. Frasers
friends say he will add at least five or six
more names to his list before it is COM
pleted.
Some of Mr. Osborne's friends state that
he has personal assurances from more than
a majority of the members of the lower
house that they will stand solidly to him.
! This, they say, will practically give Mr..
| Osborne a majority in the democratic eau
1 Gus. They say, however, that they have
made no allowance for politics and they
do not know just what effect that will
have upon the situation. Mr.. Fraser's
friends assert that he, too, has assurances
! from a majority, and the only question to
! be determined now, seems to be as to
| which majority will be the larger.
Another feature of the fight is Gov. At
| knson's stand. Friends of both candl-
! dates claim that he is with them, ana
| both say they have letters from the gov
| ernor direct to substantate their claims.
! This is considered rather peculiar feat
| ure, to say the least, and It may be that
Gov. Atkinson is like Judge Geiger, and
| does not care TO say where he stands un-
| der certain conditions, all of which have
not yet developed.
The report that some attempt would be
made by the Citizens Club to keep the
| recently elected representatives from
| Chatham county out of the democratic
| caucus on the ground that they were
elected outside the democratic party, has
been quite freely discussed.
! Politicians on both Sides however take
| very little stock in 1t. Members of the
! Liberal Club look on any such movement
as altogether too absurd, and too much
! out of all reason to need any comment
nj q fe 1af
! they say, and the majority has spoken.
! They put 1t on the ground that they APP
pealed from the executive committee TO
| the people, and the people sustained them
Even members of the Citizens Club do
not think anything will come of the move
ment, if there be such a movement The
representatives,, they say, have been regu-
| larly elected, the fight was merely a local
| one between factions, both of which were
| composed of democrats, and they say
| there is no reason why the legislature or
| the democratic caucus held there should
go into the local issues of Chatham coun-
| TVS fight, and take sides either with one
! faction or the other. The gentlemen who
were elected, a prominent member of the
club said, are clearly democrats, and sim
ply because of local differences there is
no reason why their standing in the demo-
cratic caucus should be in any wise affect
! ed.
The newly appointed registrars, Messrs.
| A. S. Way, r. J. Warrick and VIM Pease,
| will begin their work Of revising the regis
| tration lists next Monday, Oct. 10. The lists
| have been closed for the national and con-
! gressional elections, and they are practic-
| ally now in shape to be placed in the
| hands of the registrars. Their work will
| be done at the court house, probably in
the city court room where the work of the
! other registrars antecedent to the state
| election was conducted.
One of the registrars said yesterday that
| their plan would probably be to take up the
work on the lists at the Second district
where it was left off by the other regis
trars, and go through with them from that
point. He said they did not know whether
they would be able to get through the lists
entirely or not, but If they finished all the
other districts they would go back to
| the First district and do whatever work
was necessary to be done on that.
There has not been a sign or a suggestion
| of opposition against Judge Robert Falli-
! CANT for reelection as judge of the SUI
| perior court of the eastern judicial circuit
! There is no reason why there should be
any opposition to him. Judge Falligant is
not politician; he is judge, and his po-
sition as such has been kept aloof from
politics. He believes in maintaining the ju-
dicial dignity of the court, and though Of
ten called upon to decide questions in
which local politics are involved, he has
been careful always not to discriminate
for or against any faction or party. Judge
| Falligants name has been mentioned
| prominently in connection with the SUI
preme court judgeship race, but it is well
known among his friends that he is a cam
| didate only for reelection to the office
which he now holds. Judge Falligant says
nothing upon the subject for publication,
but he takes the position with Mr.. Bar
row. and has so told his friends when
asked about the matter, that he preferred
| his home and his friends in Savannah to
a residence in Atlanta for a greater part
of the year, which would necessitate Civ
ing them up. even though a supreme
court judgeship went with it.
Citizens Club men have discovered that
the act changing the time of election Of
county officers from January to October
does not specify county commissioners
and that its wording is such as to leave
a doubt whether the county commits
1t. e Ia. n