The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-19
CITIZEN CLUBITES RALLY.
THEY JUBILATE OVER THEIR JAN
UARY PROSPECTS.

The Defeat of the Public Works
Commission Repeal Bill the Chief
Theme of the Speeches mt Last
Nights Meeting-The Club TO Hold
No More Meetings Until After the
Holidays.
There were some spicy speeches at the
Citizens Club meeting last night. Presi-
dent Cam, in opening the meeting, said he
had been too busy qualifying voters who
had been turned down by the Liberal Club
registrars to prepare a speech. The most
eloquent speech that had been made late
ly, he alleged, was the cold dull thud
which fell upon the Liberal Club people
when the bill to abolish the Office of COM
missioner of public works died in the Sen
ate Their utterances on the subject he
claimed were simply a TRADE against
plain facts.
When the bill passed the House OF Rep
resentatiYes without opposition, the Lib
eral Club people said it was due to leglsla-
tive courtesy, Mr.. Cam said. When the
same bill failed to pass the Senate by a
practically unanimous vote they said the
senators were fixed. The bill failed, he
said, for the same reason that any bill on
this line proposed by the Liberal Club
members would fail, because it was par
tisan measure, and the general assembly
was tired of passing bills for one faction
at one session and repeating them for an
other faction at the next session.
Mr. A A. Lawrence was introduced as
one of the young orators of the club, who
had not been heard from in some time. His
speech was hot and spicy from start to
finish.
He charged that the Liberal
Club was only a band of pol
iticians leagued together for the
sole purpose of securing the spoils of
office. If the city treasury was placed
in its hands, he said, its funds would melt
Lawrence said the trouble with Chat
hams representatives was they knew
where Savannah is. and they
knew where Pooler u.s. but they
did not know the great state of
Georgia extended to the north and the
west and the south and that it is the great
est commonwealth south of Mason and
Dixon's line. Mr.. Lawrence rehearsed
the failure of the representatives to ac-
complish anything in Atlanta. The his
tory of the Citizens Club, he said, had be-
come part of the history of the state. 1t
is known from the mountains to the sea-
board. 1t is the only organization, he in
sisted, which opposed the organization
which is seeking to get control of the Of
fees. The other people, he said, have
charged that the action of the Senate was
due to the efforts of Osborne, Willink &
Co. They will find before the cam
paign closes, he said, that this is the big
gest firm which has ever done business in
the city.
Mr.. ]. p. Figg was called upon. His
speech was somewhat spicy, also. He
referred to the attempt to prevent him
from serving as a manager in the state
election. because he was not a landowner,
and said that if his guardian angel, who
sits at he head of the county commits
sioners' table," would permit he would
address a few words to the audience. He
drew a picture of the death and burial
of the Liberal Club.
There were loud calls for "Geger"
from the rear of the house. This gave the
crowd the idea that Senator Geiger was
present and that a pleasant surprise was
in store. There was a general demand
for "Geiger" and after a while 3 young
man in the rear of the house arose and
stated that he appreciated the compi-
ment very much, but he was no political
speaker.
ator Geiger's son, who resides at No TIA
Jones street.
Mai. John Juchter responded to calls
and took the stage. He said he hoped
they were all good, honest upright citi-
zens. In order to be so 1t was necessary
for them to cast their ballots at the next
election for those whom they believed
would give them good government.
President Cam said. In concluding the
meeting. that they proposed to see that
every man who was entitled to register,
Liberal or Citizen, was allowed to do so.
1--WE can let them put every man favor
able to the Liberal Club on the regis
tration list" he said. land then beat them
by 700 majority" on account of the hol-
! iday he said. the club would adjourn
until the first Friday in January when
he promised the members they would
hear from some OF the ablest speakers in
the city.
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