The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-06
THE MORNING NEWS: THURSDAY, MAY s, 1897
BUCKS SUCCESSOR AS BOSS.
4 SUSPICION THAT THE COLONEL
WONT RETURN TO GEORGIA.


Lively Fight for Control of the Party
Machine to Follow His Departure.
The CoIored Wing of the Party Ex-
pected to Make n Determined Ef-
fort 10 Gain the ACCOMMODATIONS
said to Be Backing Deveaux for
the CoIIectorship of Customs at
savannah.
Atlanta. Ga. May 5.-Col z. A Buck,
past grand master Of the Georgia repubh-
cans. and envoy extraordinary and minis
ter pIenipotentary OF the United States
to the court OF the mikado, left tonight
over the Southern railway for Washing
ton.
He will remain at the capital. where he
will De met By his wife. who departed yes
terday. for a week or two putting the
finishing touches upon the Georgia aD-
pointments, which he is supposed to con-
troll.
During the last few days Of his stay,
Col Buck has been besieged by the appli-
cants for position, among them ]. H. De-
veaux. the Savannah negro applicant for
the position Of collector of customs. The
two had quite lengthy confab over the
situation. II is said by one who claims
70 know that Deveaux Will receive Col.
Bucks ful. Endorsement for the place,
and that in case Deveaux is landed in Sa-
vannah as a recognition Of his race the
colonel viii do what he can to mollify the
situation in Augusta over the postof1ce
there by urging the withdrawal of Lyons
Before he started on TO the capital. Col
Buck had the satisfaction Of seeing all Of
his households goods auctioned off and
his home place finally disposed Of. In
connection with his departure and the sale
Of his home, one Of the interesting pieces
OF gossip is that Col Buck does not ex-
pect TO come back 10 Atlanta to take up
the leadership of his party at the expira-
ton Of his term Of Office in Japan. AL
though he has planned TO leave the i'm
preston that he is to resume the position
Of boss by having Walter johnson APP
pointed vice chairman of the state central
committee, thus making 1t unnecessary
for him to resign as chairman. it is said
that Col. Buck really considers himself
out OF the game in Georgia when he sets
sail for Toxic from San Francisco in a
few weeks.
While he is absent, there will undoubtedly
be a determined struggle over the vacant
leadership. Some of the lieutenants have
come to see what a good thing it is to be
the boss, and they will go in to get hold
of the reins for all they are worth while
they have the best chance Of their lives
Col Buck was made minister in con-
sideration Of the delivery of the Georgia
delegates to President Mckinley at Louis
vile, and four years hence some one will
want these delegates again. The man
who can deliver them will be able to strike
a good bargain; hence the scramble to get
hold of the reins dropped by Boss Buck
Will be a lively one. Who will get them
remains to be seen. Col. Buck has tried
TO give Walter Johnson the advantage in
the scramble, but there are others in the
field. 1t may be that some OF the colored
leaders will win Every one who is ia
miliar with the situation and the manipu-
lation knows that no one but Col. Buck
could have successfully opposed the col
ored wing of the party under the leader
ship of Pledger, Wright and Love of Sa-
vannah, and several others who bolted his
management last summer. With Buck
gone, these men are sure to be heard from.
Pledger is now enjoying the smiles of the
colonel, expecting a good position, while
the story goes that 1t is this anticipated
control by the colored wing that has given
Lyons prominence for the Augusta post
office, Deveaux in Savannah, and Win
bush and Rucker in Atlanta. The white
bosses, including Col. Buck himself are
fearful that unless they put some Of the
colored leaders in good places they will
lose their grip and be unable to manage
the machine the next time.