The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-14
WILL HAVE A NEW PRESIDENT.
MIR. OSBORNE RESIGNS THE PREsI-
DENCY OF THE CITIZENS CLUB.


nounced at Last Nights Meeting.
A Ticket Named for TO-dny's Pri-
mary Mr.. Manucy Predicts the
Discomfort of the Clubs oppO-
nents In the Convention.
Hon. w. w. Osbornes resignation as
president Of the Citizens Club was ten
dered and accepted at the meeting of the
club at Odd Fellows hall last night. This
had been anticipated. Mr.. Osborne was
not at the meeting, and in his absence
| Vice President r. NJ. Hitch presided.
There was no election for president, but
| it has been quietly given out that Mr..
Hitch will succeed Mr.. Osborne in the
| presidency Mr.. Hitch is a young man,
| popular with the members of the club,
and has already demonstrated a capacitE
for politics which has made him prom,-
nent in the clubs councils.
The meeting was not as largely attended
as is usually the case with the Citizens
Club meetings. There were about 300 pres
emit A feature of the attendance which
was noted by the leaders was the pres
ence of some of the old members
of the club who have studiously
remained away from the meetings for the
last several months. 1t is claimed by the
leaders that the strength which was lost
by reason of the agitation of the A. p. A.
| issue is now returning to the club.
AS soon as the meeting was called to or
der, DR.. l.. A. Falligant moved the ap-
pointment of a committee to select six
names to be voted for in to-days primary.
The motion was carried and the chair APP
pointed the following committee: DR..
| Faligant, James Mcclure, James Mcbride,
Thomas Screven and Harry Willink.
The committee retired to the supper room
| to make up its ticket.
While awaiting the return of the COM
mitteo Acting Secretary Lamotte read Mr..
! Osborne's letter of resignation. In view
of the prominent part which Mr. Osborne
has played in local politics as president of
the Citizens Club his letter is of interest.
IL is as follows:
Savannah, Ca, Nov 49, 1S96-To the
| Members of the Citizens Club: Gentle
| men-My recent election to the office of
| solicitor general of this circuit, and the
| fact that l will very shortly be called on
| to perform, in an impartial manner, the
| duties which devolve upon the public
| prosecutor renders it impossible for me
! to continue as president of this club. For
| this reason, after mature elaboration, l
| have decided to tender to you my resigna-
ton as president of the Citizens Club
| 1t is needless for me to say that my
! election to the office of president of this
! club, and my retention there, was an
! honor, of which 1 am justly proud. 1t is
! idle for me to say l regret to resign. You
! have given me every mark of your es-
| TEEN, and of your confidence. 1t has been
my one ambition to merit it. 1 sincerely
trust that, as / step back in the ranks,
I shall carry with me your warm friend
| ship.
The almost unbroken line of successes
| which have come to you have been partic-
ularly gratifying to me. They are con-
elusive evidence to the right thinking
mind that when this club was formed
there were great public wrongs that need
ed to be righted. The public soon appre-
ciated this, and hocked to you to rally
around your banner. They saw for the
first time in twenty years an opportunity
| for the people themselves to be heard in
the direction and management of public
! affairs. They hailed your advent as 1T
bespoke the downfall of ring-rule and the
return to government by the people.
Your short and brilliant career is one
| of which you may well be proud The
cause of good government demands that
you continue in the course you have al
| ready marked out. l adJure you to stand
by your party organization. Staunch ad-
herence to the principles, upon which this
club originally founded its hope, means
peace, and prosperity to this community.
Very respectfully, w. w. Osborne.
Mr.. Hitch said that he knew he voiced
the sentiment of the entire club when he
expressed his regret at Mr.. Osbornes res
ignation Under his leadership it had
won three victories and suffered one de-
feat, but since that defeat IL had won a
victory in Atlanta in the election of Mr.
Osborne as solicitor general, which com
pensated for the defeat more than four
R.,1
a man who could fill his position.
The resignation was accepted and Maj.
John Juchter moved that a committee of
five be appointed to draw up resolutions
of regret at the resignation. He also
moved that the same committee select a
name to be presented to the club to fill
the vacancy for president. The motion
was adopted. The chairman stated that
/ he would appoint the committee at his
| leisure.
The committee on ticket reported the Sc
lection of the following named gentlemen:
Hon. Pope Barrow, Messrs. Ambrose
Ehrlich, John Juchter, George I. Cam, A.
A Lawrence and r. NJ Hitch.
Mr.. Hitch made a few remarks on the
selection of delegates. A mass meeting
would be held at Catholic Library hall, he
said, to elect delegates to contest the right
to represent Cha county in the con-
vention with the delegates selected at the
same old fight is to be fought over again.
He thought It had been fought often
enough for everybody to know who was
the democracy of Chatham county Three
democratic conventions, he said, had de-
cided that the primary democracy is the
regular organized democracy Of the coun-
ty and 1t is the duty of all good democrats
to rally to its banner. He greatly re-
gretted that the community should con-
tinue to be torn over this question. The
matter at issue was of small Importance,
and he had hoped that the other faction
would enter the primary and settle the
matter am.cably Instead it had issued a
call for mass meeting for several days
before the call for the primary. He called
upon all present to vote at the primary
and to insist upon all their friends doing
So
Mr. A. N. Manucy said the question OF
the delegates to the convention was of
: importance, because the admission of the
delegation meant the endorsement of the
executive committee, which ordered the
| haf L In