The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-20
SNARLINe AT THE SOUTHERN.
MACON's LITTLE CLIQUE NOT To
ABANDON THEIR FIGHT.

Application May BE Made Early This
Week to Have Judge Speer Pass on
the Legality of the Roads Hold
ings in GeOrSia-The Clique Great
ly Dissatisfied with GOV. Akin
sons Failure to Act on the Petition
Presented 10 Him.
Macon. Ga, June l9.-The fight against
the Southern railway will be renewed and
kept up until a decision is reached. one
of the attorneys interested in the case said
to-day: The withdrawal of the petition
directed against the Southern railway.
signed by Macon merchants, and which
had been in the hands of Governor At
knson for the last thirty days, does not
mean that the movement against the
Southern is at an end. This morning a
conference of lawyers was held, and the
chances are that something will be done
by Monday.
Judge Emory speer will be asked to
pass judgment on the legality of the hold
ings of the Southern. The papeBs will
probably be filed early next week"
The lawyers are reticent, but are deter
mined. They do not approve Gov. Akin
sons course, and say that his action in
publishing his letter to them without also
giving their letter was unfair to the pub
lie. The letter written by the petitioners
TO Gov. Atkinson. in withdrawing the petit
ton, was to the effect that they did so
because he could not give them any def
mite idea as to when the matter would be
considered and decided. There is much
dissatisfaction among the lawyers inter-
ested because Gov Atkinson did not con-
slider the paper after having it in hand for
four weeks. The lawyers in the case feel
aggrieved and for this reason will work
harder than before to force the receiver
ship.
Atlanta. Ga, June 19.-The burning
question of the hour is "Why did the Ma
con people who wanted the governor to in
stitute proceedings against the Southern
Railway Company suddenly withdraw
their Petition
Washington Dessau of the firm of Des-
sau, Bartlett & Ellis, attorneys for the pc
titioners, is here in attendance upon the
supreme court. There is, perhaps, no 9TH
er man in the city who could answer the
question, and he won't. He was sought last
night and again to-day, but said there
had been an agreement among the law
yers to give nothing to the press without
a general consultation. He possesses a
COPY of the letter from the attorneys TO
the governor, but would not consent 10
give out its contents.
The governor came in from the Griffin
encampment, which he pronounces in ane
shape, a little before 10 o'clock tonight,
but ne said he preferred not TO give out
the letter. He said the only ground al
legged in the communication for withdraw
ing the petition was that he had failed TO
name a date on which he would act
upon it.
Many speculative grounds, political and
other, have been alleged, but it seems
that the real reason, at least so far as
the documents allege, for the withdrawal
of the suit was the impotence of the
petitioners. The governor regarded the
matter as a very grave one, and did not
feel like taking the risk of wrecking so
important a property without due rehec-
ton. He appears to doubt If any one
has a right to demand of him a specific
date on which a question that he has I'M
der consideration shall be decided. The
real reason. he said, why he had not an
swered the petition was that with so
many criminals about TO hang and heir
friends coming constantly to his office in
their behalf, he was too much occupied
10 give serious attention to less pressing
matters.