The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-24

times as being a barrier to Mr.. Crisp's
eligibility to the vice presidency, which is
the first step in the line of succession to
the presidency. His father was an Ameri-
can citizen, and was on a visit to England
at the time of the birth of his son.
Whether the accident of foreign birth
made Mr.. Crisp ineligible to the highest
Office in the gift of the people has been
| discussed pro and con by many of the
! leading thinkers of the country His
! rather was an actor and theatrical mana
! ger and stood very high in the profess
SION MT crisp himself followed the stage
| Tor time, in his younger days. His
| rather was at one time manager of tbe
| theater In this city. In the management,
OF tne mouse he was succeeded bv Mr.
tlemlnS. 1t is an interesting fact that M
the breaking out of the war the elder
lisp entered the confederate army ana
became colonel, while his successor en-
tered the federal army and became a
| colonel. N04A'0
CHARLES F. Crisp received a. common
schooi education in this city and in Ma
con Ihere are many citizens Of Savan-
nan VINO were his schoolmates and who
later went with him to the war. They re-
member him as a bright. quick bov. and
fearless soldier. He went into the army
win the Tenth Virginia Infantry, and
| was lieutenant of Company X That was
| III May, 1861. In the same month Of the
year 1864 he was captured by the federals
ana was confined as prisoner of war in
| fort delaware. He was in prison for
| thirteen months, until June 1865 after the
/ cessation of hostilities. Upon his release
| from delaware he returned to Georgia
| I1Is parents Were residing at Ellaville in
| Scnley county, where he Joined them. He
InLimealately resumed the study of law,
Whicn had been interrupted by the war,
| ana IN 1866 was admitted to the bar at
Americus. His first professional shingIe
was hung out at Ellaville where he prac-
| tlced until he was appointed to the Office
| or solicitor general of the southwestern
circuit in 1872. His services in this capaci-
ty were of such high order of merit that
| ne was reelected at the end of the unex-
| pred term which he was serving to the
| tulI term of four years. His incumbency
of the Office of solicitor general lead to
ms removal from Ellaville to Americus.
which has been his home since 1873.
In the office of solicitor general he de-
| veloped such marked legal ability that
when the time came for the filling of the
| important and honorable position of
| judge of the circuit, unexpectedly made
| vacant, he was appointed to the judge
| ship. That was in 1877 and the next
| year the legislature elected him to the
| same position for two years. Two years
| later he was reelected to the bench
| and served until 1882 when he resigned
to accept nomination for congress. As
is very well known, he was elected, and
| mas served the same constituency ever
| since, signal ability, honor to himself
| and credit to his country
MIR. Crisp's ability was soon recognized
| in congress, and he was made a member
OF the ways and means committee
Later in the Fifty-first congress- he took
a prominent part in the Debates was the
| leader of the House democrats and
| proved the most eXasperating thorn in
| the side of ''Czar" Thomas B. Reed
then speaker of the House. In the sue
ceeding congress Mr.. Crisp was elected
to the speakership, against such oppo-
nents as Roger Quarles Mills, William
| l.. Wilson and w d. Bynum. In the
speakers chair he displayed ability of
the highest order, turning Reeds own
| rules against him and his party at times
when it was most exasperating to the
| republicans, though he never adopted
Reeds repugnant method of counting
| quorums. He had parliamentary law at
his fingers ends and could cite prece-
dents to sustain his rulings, even in the
| most intricate cases, without a moments
| notice. He was thoroughly posted on
| the tariff, and 1t was due to his efforts
| in a very great measure, that the So
| called Wilson tariff law is now on the
| statute books.
Upon the death of Sena tor Colqutt in
| 1894, Gov. Northen offered Congressman
| Crisp the appointment to the Senate for
| the unexpired term. But he considered
that his duty to his party required that
he should remain in the House, and de-
| clined the honor. During the current year
| a number of counties expressed them
| selves upon the matter of the successor
| ship to Senator Gordon, whose term will
expire next March, and whose successor
will be elected by the Legislature shortly
to be convened. Mr.. Crisp had declined
a denomination to congress from the
| Fourth district, and made a canvass for
| the senatorial nomination upon a free sill
yer platform. The counties giving voice
to their preferences by a large majority
/ designated Crisp, and it was a foregone
conclusion that he would have a walk
over for the position. The probabilities
! are that he would have been elected on
| the first ballot, and by acclamation. OF
! late he has been too much ndisposed to
| do active campaign work. About a year
/ ago he made a trip to Europe for his
| health, and it was thought that he had
| been benefited, and would soon be in his
| usual robust health. Lately, however, his
! physicians warned him that his heart was
| weak, and that he must be careful with
! himself. Even then his friends were 10th
| to think that his condition was critical.
| The announcement of his death came al
most like a thunderclap out of clear sky.
TWO KILLED IN A RUNAWAY.