The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-26
LIBERALS SURE OF VICTORY.
THOUSANDS OF ENTHUSIASTS JOIN
IN THE REORGANIZATION.

A Mile or More of Voters. Torch
lights, Brass bands, Transparent
cies and Tin Stars-Transparency
Tributes to Mai. MeIdrim and the
Clubs Candfdates-The Procession
Passed Mai. MeIdrim's Home.
Thousands Watched 1t as II Pass
ed the DE SOtO-Appcarance of .hc
Speakers and What They said-Au
OF Them Predict victory and by IA
Good Majority.
Two political demonstrations which
have surpassed anything of the kind ever
seen in Savannah have just taken place;
which one actually surpassed the other in
meaning and importance, will be deter
mined at the conclusion Of to-day's lmpor-
tant event-the election of a mayor and al
dermen for the next two years.
The members of the Liberal Club with
out doubt made a remarkable showing
last night. They did more than was expect
ed Of tnem and what they did left doubt
in many a mind that before that time
thought the other side was sure to win.
Many conservative men who saw both
demonstrations said while they might
have a slight inclination one way or the
other as to the outlook. they still felt the
same hesitaney about making predic-
ton, that they did before either of the
affairs took place.
The assembling of the Liberal Club or
ganizauons, at Bull and Broughton
streets, was like the gathering of the
hosts Of Israel on the banks Of the Red
sea, preparatory to crossing over on their
way to the promised land. If ever crowd
felt and believed that it was on the way
to return to its own, the crowd which as
sembled last night. so felt and believed
Its enthusiasm knew no bounds and as
each division reached the scene the en-
thusiasm vented itself in repeated cheers
The divisions Of the members
and supporters of the Liberal Club met
at their respective headquarters. The
business men who headed the column be-
gan to gather first, and some minutes
before the appointed hour for moving, $50
o'clock Col. Merritt W. Dixon, chief mar
shall and his aides We're at the rendez-
vous
Col. Dixon was assisted by the follow
ing aides Messrs, f. c. Gleason. A. 5.
Guckenheimer, A. L. Well r. X Doug
lass, T. n. West, A. d. Johnston, II. A.
Mcleod j. f. Furlong, Lambert Gar
many, G.. b. Pritchard. f. w. OConnor
q. A. Leonard, Samuel Reynolds. w T
Belford J. A. Gallagher. Charles Car
McDonough. Jr, j. r. Lyons and several
others
Each division, as it came up. was loud
" cheered, and a report was promptly
made by it's chief TO the marshal. The
first division was commanded by Mr.. VIII
liam Gibbons, the second by Mr.. Il. w
OConnor, the third by Mr.. f. A. Leonard
and the fourth by Mr.. Charles Carroll
Each chief of division had several aides
on his staff, and a brass band followed
him.
The procession, which was a mass of
men, torchlights, flambeau and transpar-
encies from beginning to end, started
promptly on time, at $3.50 O'Clock. 1t was
headed by about 100 prominent business
men, and in the van were Capt. Henry
Blum, DR.. William Duncan, Mr.. Thomas
Ballantyne, Mr.. George J. Mills. Mr. e.
A. We'll and many others equally as well
known. These, of course followed the
squad of police, and the grand marshal
and his aides, and next to them came
the different divisions as they had been
formed.
The line of march was on Bull street to
Congress, around Johnson square, Con-
gress to West Broad, to Broughton, to
East Broad. to Jones, to Bull, to CASTOR,
TO Jefferson, to Liberty to Whitaker, to
Macon, where the parade passed Maj Mel
drims residence, around Madison square
to the De Soto hotel.
The head of the cloumn had covered the
first part of the line of march and reach
ed Bull and Broughton streets again some
time before the last of the procession had
taken it up. 1t took the line a little more
than % minutes to pass a given point on
Broughton street, where practically no
stops were made, and according to two or
three well-known gentlemen who made an
actual count of the number
in line, there were from 1900
to $500. The procession passed
the given point at a rate OF a little more
than 100 minute, so it may be considered
that this count is about correct
feature of the procession was the gem
eral absence of small boys and non-vot-
ers. No doubt there were some in the
line who could not vote, but those who
were barred on account of their age were
conspicuous by their absence The long
line of torches stretched on Broughton
street from West Broad to East Broad.
and still the ends of it were around cor
ners so that they could not be seen
The transparency was a prominent fig.
ure in the procession, and some of them
were very applicable Among the most
| interesting of them bore the following in
scrptions and notices: THE Major Be
comes the Mayor Tomorrow" ''Yama-
| craw and the Old Fort VIII Vote the Same
! Way" "These Voters Cannot Be Bought
The Liberal Club Knows Where II
| STANDS, 1alnaCraW STANDS by Her
| Son; All Will Vote the Same Way" Mel
| drim Never Voted Before lie Was a CHI
zen. ''Meldrims Salary Has Never Been
| Cut" The Father of the Old Fort To-
1 nightly, +. Red-Father of the City To-
morrow Night" Maj. Meldrim. our
Next Mayor He Has Always Been a
/ Friends to the Colored People," and. last.
but not the least interesting, NO 20
Cents and a Glass of Whisky Marches
| Here"
The parade demonstrated that the Citi-
zeus Club had not by any means hired
all the brass bands in The city. There were
] five of them in line. and one of two other
incipent bands which may learn to make
! brass music in time.
The line of march was followed out. and
by Maj Mcldrm's residence and around
Madison square to the DE Soto. where il
was viewed by several thousand people.
who gathered TO witness the demonstra-
ton. All sorts of remarks were passed
with regard to st. Many were certain
they could see a good many boys in line.
| others, Citizens Club men, were disap-
pointed, TO others it was the greatest
thing of the kind they had ever seen in
! their lives and here were MANY who