The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-09
WEAK PLEA PUT UP BY WATSON
HIS FIGHT FOR BLACKS SEAT SURE
TO END IN DEFEAT.

Col. Glenn of Atlanta and the Partner
of BIOcks-Of-Five Dudley the Law
yers of the EastwhiIe POpuIiSt
Leader-They Make Reckless
Assertions of Wholesale Fraud.
Bribery and Intimidation But They
Fall Flat.
Washington, Jan. S.-There was large
sprinkling of Georgians in the House cleo
tions committee No. l this morning to
hear the argument in the contested case
of Watson VS.. Black, from the Tenth
Georgia district. Mr.. Watson will be re-
membered as the recent populist candidate
for the vice presidency, while Mr.. Black
has been for many years a member of
the House.
1t was expected that Mr.. Watson would
present his own case, but he failed to APP
pear and was represented by William c.
Glenn of Atlanta.
Mr.. Black had an imposing array Of
counsel, consisting of Joseph B. Cumming,
Joseph R. Lamar, c. H. Cohen and Boy
kin Wright, all of Georgia.
Judge Turner. one of the veteran men,
bers of the House from Georgia, was an
interested spectator, leaving for a time
The hearing before the ways and means
committee, of which he is a member. The
presentation of arguments occupied the
entire day, and it may be fortnight he
fore the committee makes its report to the
House.
The argument and also the facts
We're on the side OF Judge Back
throughout the proceedings, and there
appears to be but little doubt
as to the result. Col. Glenn had associa-
ted with him Gen. Michner who is the law
partner of Blocks of Five Dudley. Con-
gresham Black was present during the
hearing and he frequently aided both
counsel in presenting the facts to the COM
mittee. The line of argument presented
by Col. Glenn was to show that a polit-
ical conspiracy was concerted to crush
Tom Watson in Augusta. Bribery at the
rate of ten cents a head for votes was
charged. Intimidation, fraud and other
political crimes were also laid at the door
of the democratic machine. Col. Glenn
did not allow himself to be hampered by
the testimony while endeavoring to enter
tain the committee in the interest of Tom
Watson.
Representative Bartlett and several 9TH
er members of the committee, interrupted
the fiippant colonel and tried to hold him
down to facts. He said he was not poll
tician and could not help seeing things in
| Georgia just as they are. He added that
| if Tom Watson or any other man in the
| south attempts to turn his back upon the
! democratic machine and move out into a
clearer and purer atmosphere, as Mr.. Wat
| son has done, he is regarded as a danger
| Gus man and must be got rid of. He
/ a Of cra
against machine politics in the south and
\ bore a striking resemblance to John
| Wanamaker, who was recently mangled
| by the Quay machine in Pennsylvania.
Col. Glenn was gliding along smoothly
in one of his more holy than those" flight
! of Georgia rhetoric when Representative
| Bartlett brought him to the ground with
a sickening thud by the inquiry: "Mr
| Glenn, did you not suffer defeat at the
| hands of the machine you so vigorously
| condemn"
This question visibly nettled the colonel
| who said he was pleading for the purifica-
| tion of southern politics and a sharp per.
sonal colloquy ensued between Mr.. Wat
sons attorney and Mr.. Bartlett He was
forced to admit that he was a defeated
candidate for a state office, and that weak
| ened the force of his previous assertions
in behalf of Mr.. Watson
Mai Cumming conducted the argument
| in behalf of Representative Black on the
came dignified and courteous plane thai
Judge Black would have pursued had the
| latter conducted his own case. He pune.
tured the wicked and unwarranted asser.
ton of Col. Glenn with wit, satire and
sound argument basel on quotations from
the testimony, and made very favorable
impression upon the committee. He dem
onstrated beyond reasonable doubt that
| Representative Black was fairly and hon.
estly elected. and when the committee ad-
journed the opinion was freely expressed
that Mr.. Watson has no case.