The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-01
WRIGHT SAYS HARD THINGS.
HE ROAsTs THE DEMOCRATS FOR
TWO HOURS.

All Democratic Leaders Painted
BIack-TThinks Bryan n Good Pop
uIIst, But Says That He, Himself
Is n Better Democrat Than Akin
son and All the Rest of the Demo
cratic Leaders Put TOgether-The
Party, He Said, Has Gone Into the
POpunst Hole and Is Now Trying
to Pull the Hole in After 1.-THE
Believes in Prohibition, But Does
Not want to BE Hard on the
Liquor Men.
Hon seaborn Wright, the populist can
didate for governor was given fiatter-
ing reception at odd Fellows hall last
night The hall was crowded, every seat
being taken and number Of people stood
in the rear. The gallery was also crowd
ed.
1t is doubtless true that majority Of
the audience was present out of curl
osity. The business element was well rep
resented there being a number of we'll
known gold men present. The local dem
ocracy was out in force, probably TO hear
what Mr. Wright would have to say about
it. in which case its representatives had
nc reason to feel disappointed. number
of active Citizens Club men had front
seats and enjoyed themselves before the
meeting began by cheering their
acquaintance as they entered the
hall. Their opponents were also
well represented and doubtless enjoyed the
roasting the machine" received. About
dozen ladies occupied seats near the plat
form. Up In the gallery there was u small
crowd of colored voters in one corner VINO
gave close attention to everything that
was said.
The crowd was not disappointed in Mr..
Wright. He proved himself a bright and in
teresting talker, possessed of a great deal
of shrewd wit and his continued sallies
kept everybody entertained. 1t was a good
humored crowd which laughed even when
the point was against 1t and applauded
every bright hit the speaker made.
Mr.. Wright devoted the greater part of
his time to the democratic politicians
whom he roasted numerically, giving spe-
cial attention TO Gov. Atkinson. Congress
man Livingston also seemed to be a pet
aversion of the speaker He did not touch
upon the financial issue and the only issue
which he did really discuss was prohibi-
ton, which ELECTED less applause than any
other portion of his speech.
Mr.. Wright entered the hall at S35
O'Clock, accompanied by George II. Miller
Esq, populist candidate for congressman
in this district, d. Fl. Clark, Esq, candi-
date for attorney general on the populist
ticket, Mr.. w. U. Stubs and several
others. He was introduced by Mr. Stubs
There Is a great fight on in Georgia, "
said Mr.. Stubbs "One in which a great
issue is to be decided in this country
every man Is a sovereign, and II depends
upon each voter Individually to say
~1,a41, -.
bad. You will be called on in short
while TO elect an exec utive head OF the
government of this state. There are two
things which should control you in decid-
ing how you will cast your ballot. One is
the policy advocated by the candidate
and the other is the character of the man
himself, which guarantees whether or not
he will pursue that policy in Office. Prin-
ciple is above party. When a party
ceases to ballot for the principles for
which II was organized its usefulness is
ended and our allegiance to il ceases.
Two platforms were displayed in large
letters on either side of the speakers
stand, one that Of Mr.. Wright, and the
other purporting to be that of Gov. Atkin-
son.
Mr.. Stubs pointed to these platforms
and asked: rs there not more democracy
In the platform on which this man (Mr.
Wright stands than in the one on which
that man Gov. Atkinson) stands?
In the democratic platform, he said,
there are but two references to state is
sues, one a weak promise to perfect the
school system. the other a promise for
more law against lynching. Every plank
of this (Mr Wrights) platform, relates to
state issues, he said.
Mr.. Stubs discussed the other issues
outlined in the two platforms. Free pass
es must CO." he declared. Can any hon
est man receive a gift and not feel under
obligations to tie giver?"
The fee system was referred to. On the
subject of fair elections, Mr.. Stubs said,
the stencil of the elections in Chatham
county rises to the nostrils of the Cog of
nations.
The most democratic plank in the plat
form in the opinion of many he said, is
that declaring that saloons must go. He
declared it to be democratic in his belief
and If the majority of the voters of the
state had an opportunity Of expressing
their views the saloon, he said, would go
Mr. Stubs discussed the evils of the sa-
loon briefly and said that the mothers and
children of the state asked but one thing
and that was that the saloon should go
The evidence is in, he said, and the voters
of the state are the jurors which will de-
eide the issue. He then presented Mr.
Wright.
Mr.. Wright received an ovation. 1t was
his FIRST visit to Savannah, he said and
he was glad to meet the people
I'VE are all Georgians," he said. I'VE
all love our state and all ought to be in
terested in good government. Although
we differ politically, we should listen to
the expression of each others opinions. ="
Mr.. Wright said that he was not a
politician. Seventeen years ago he was
elected to the legislature. served one
term, got enough and quit. Since that
time he has attended to his business as
lawyer.
Il will never forgive my friends who
forced me into this campaign" he de-
clared but now l am in it, / shall re-
main to thu finish"
Mr.. Wright declared that with a fair
count he would be elected the next gov
ernor of Georgia. The democratic politi-
clans are lodging around now. he said
They are natural born dodgers. II there
is anything really cruel, he said, IL IL
TO force the average democratic politi-
clan to take a stand on any question
which is being discussed before the peo-
pie.
Mr.. Wright said he was elected to the
legislature as an independent democrat
and he had been Independent ever since