The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-05
THE POLITICIANS BUSY DAY.
INFLUENCE BEING BROUGHT TO
BEAR ON THE COLORED VOTERS.

Deputies to BE There to Preserve
Order-COI. RusseII's Affidavit In
Reply TO MIR. ROsSignOfs Circular
Last Days Work of the Registrars
Everything was apparently very quiet ir
political circles yesterday. At the same
time there was a great deal Of work
going on among the politicians.
The managers of the campaign on both
sides were kept busy comforting with
their ieutenants and workers, and inter
esting conferences were held all day
long. Apparently the colored brother cut
a very important figure in these confer
ences. Colored political workers were go
ing in and out Of the Offices in the neigh
borhood of Bryan and Drayton streets.
The real political headquarters Of both
sides are in that neighborhood The Cit
zens Club leaders are evidently making
efforts to get their share Of the colored
vote. in spite of the fact that they have
charged their opponents repeatedly with
relying upon this vote.
1T is true" said a citizen Club leader
to a Morning News reporter, that the
bulk of the negro vote is inclined towards
the Liberal Club. 1t is natural that it
should be. We have made but little ef-
fort to influence the negro vote We have
expended no money in paying taxes to
register negroes, believing it to be bad
policy The few that we have registered
are those in the employ of members of the
club who could be depended on to vote
with their employees. We will get this
vote. We will get good
share of the votes which the
Liberal Club has been paying to reg
lister. A man who registers with the in
tention of selling his vote had just as soon
sell to one side as to the other. Mind
you, don't say that We intend to pur-
chase any votes, but we have been In
politics long enough to know a few things
and if we want these votes we will get
our share of them. The Liberal Club has
raised the expectations of the purchase
bic element so high that it will find that
1t is not such an easy matter to buy votes
as has been the case in other elections.
The negro who wants to sell his vote will
want a fancy price for it,"
1T is well known that there were a good
many white voters bought in the mayor s
election nearly two years ago. 1t is not
believed that this will be the case this
year The prejudices of the white voters
on both sides have been aroused to the eX-
tent that it is believed they will vote ac-
cording to their prejudices and that money
will have but little effect. Dlsreputable
as it is, vote buying has become so no.
torious that il is not worth while to pro-
fess ignorance of it. The very notoriety
which has been given it is likely to result
in effective measures against it. There
are many good citizens to whom this state
Of affairs has become intolerable, and they
are ready to go into the courts and give
evidence against any whom they find en-
gagged in such work. Threats have been
made of immediate arrest and prosecution
of all persons found violating the law.
There is little apprehension of any
trouble at the polls Wednesday. In all
probability, the election will be a quiet
and orderly one. 1t is pretty well recog-
nized now that any attempt on either
side at intimidation or violence will meet
with prompt retaliation from the other
side with probably serious results, and
the knowledge of this very fact will OPP
crate to prevent disorder. Ample means
will be taken to prevent and quell disor-
der. Chief McDermott has announced
that he will have sixty police on duty
at The court house all day, with strict
instructions to preserve order and to ar
e rest all persons acting in the least disor-
derby, or attempting to interfere with
voters. In addition to this, Sheriff Roman
has been authorized by the county COM
rnissioners to appoint twenty deputies to
preserve order in and around the voting
places.
The preservation of order in the court
house will be left entirely to the depu-
ties and the police will not enter the
building unless the deputies should find
themselves unable to cope with the crowd.
This means that eighty men will be eu-
gagged in preserving order in and around
the court house and it certainly seems
that this number should be sufficient.
even should the crowd be inclined to be
disorderly.
This talk about trouble at the court
house Wednesday is all nonsense" said
Mai. Karow, chairman of the police COM
mission, yesterday. Il have no idea there
will be any trouble at all. Neither side
can afford to have any trouble for this
reason: There are over $500 votes regis
tered, and it is going to be a difficult
matter TO get all the votes in.
In the Fourth district there are ZOO
votes, 900 TO each box. This means thai
the managers must handle nearly 100 votes
an hour and / doubt If they can do it
And disorder will interfere with the
work of getting in the votes. Therefor,
/ think the leaders have too much gooC
sense to allow any disorder IL they car
prevent it,"
glance at the registration Will show
that the managers at the Third distric
box viii have harder time even thar
those at the Fourth district boxes. Their,
are 1913 votes registered in this district
and only one box in which they can go
This means that the managers must ge
In over 100 votes an hour even allowing II
per cent. off for those who will fail tC
vote The poles will open at and clos,
at O'Clock. so there are just clever
hours in which to get in the vote. The
man who wants TO make sure of getting
in his vote will probably have to stand il
line for some time. Whatever attempt a
blocking the polls are made will hkel,
take place in the afternoon, when one sid,
or the other concludes that it has got il
the bulk of it's vote and that IL is to its in
terest to impede the voting at certain
boxes.
Mr. c. p. Rossignors circular attack
ing County Treasurer Waring Russell
was a topic OF conversation yesterday
The general verdict was that the circu
lar would effect very few voters one wal
or another Col. Russell furnished the fol
lowing afiidavits for publication las
night:
Georgia chatham Conpt,, T5orgo,,