The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-07
TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT.
REPUBLICANS WOULD LIKE TO
KNOW WHERE THEY STAND.


Savannah JObs-The Mig PIums
Sure to Go TO the Hard Workers.
A Suggestion That After All the
Custom House May Go to Mr.. john
son aud the POstOfIlce to MIR. Doyle.
other Candidates in Line for Any
thing That May Turn Up.
Now that Mckinley is President, with
the patronage at his disposal. the local
republican political pot which was only
few weeks ago s!mmering. Is now boiling
away at furious rate, and the amount
OF steam generated has somewhat OBJ
scured the situation.
To the casual observer never before at
the Inauguration of republican Presi-
dent has there been such state of affairs
in the republican ranks. 1t seems that
every republican In the county is either
after something for himself or is aiding
the candidacy of another.
The heavy-welghts, those. who did the
ante-convention heavy political fighting
are interested in the contests for collec-
torship and the postmastership, while
the lesser lights, those, fguratively
speaking who acted as bottle-holders,
time-keepers, rubbers-down and water
carriers, have a hungry eye on the custom
house clerkshIps, messengerships. etc, the
size of the places sought for depending
upon the supposed influence and political
standing of the applicant.
Every day knots of eager colored poll
ticians gather at the corner of Bay and
Bull streets and thoroughly absorb all
the informa ton in the civil service bulle-
tin hanging there, which announces that
candidates for position in the customs
service will be examined some time in
April. The examiner will have, perhaps,
a harder job than he ever had before.
While 1t is too early to state with GER
tainty the outcome of the collectorShlp
and postmastership fights. II fights there
be, so early in the game, there is belief
among many of the politicians that the
collectorship will go either to Mr.. Tomlin-
son f. Johnson or Mr.. Joseph F. Doyle.
A leading politician, in talking of the
outlook for the Offices, said:
THE war is becoming hot now, and
there is a slight tendency manifested on
the part of the friends of some candi-
dates to indulge in airy persifage and
suggestive innuendoes at some other can
didates expenses. Take the latest candi-
date for the postoffice, for instance. 1t
As said that he is of good republican
stock" whereas only several years ago,
when McKinleyism and all that It repre-
scented received terrible setback and 1t
looked as IL the present President was
shelved for life, the good republican
stock himself rose up and said the peo-
pie of the country are sick and tired of
protection, and protection itself Is dead"
or words substantially to that effect. This
utterance and others of a like kind are
going to rise up like Banquo's ghost and
will not down. Regarding the postmaster
ship, It can be said that no comparatively
new man will be given the place. good
worker will get It,"
Some of the candidates are working
openly and others in the dark; some are
ostensibly for one position, while in real
ity they are looking for others. There is
Prof. Morse. for instance, at one time
messenger in the custom house. He is
sly, very sly, like Maj. Bagstock. He
has announced himself in the race for the
collectorship, when 1t is believed he stands
in Court House square watching the new
public building Of marble rear its beauti-
full proportions, while he fondly
fees in his inside coat pocket for his APP
plication for the position of custodian.
Nothing has yet been heard from Prof.
Wright of Thunderbolt, and his Blair ed
vocational bill. 1t was thought at one time
his Friends would have the pleasure of see
ing him minister to Haytl but he failed
TO connect at Atlanta and he and his bill
were dropped by the wayside. He and
Rev Love were sorely disappointed, but
simply because the latter has not sounded
his tocsin and jumped into the arena IL
need not be supposed he is dead. He is
too vigorous a fighter to retire defeated
He may be at times Respondent, but never
bea ten He is like the harlequin in the
patomime, appearing in unexpected places
and at uncertain periods
Capt Pleasant Is not saying a word
but he is looking forward to boarding in
coming vessels in the fun glory and radi-
ance of blue cloths and brass buttons.
Coming to the fight for collectorship,
there are three avowed candidates, Mr.. T.
+. johnson, Mr.. J. F. Doyle and Col. J.
H. Deveaux. 1t is remarkable the lack
of sympathy the people of Col Deve-
aux's color give him. His strength is
greater the further you go away from
Savannah, eliminating in Atlanta. 1t is
not believed by those in a position to pre-
dict accurately that he will be consid-
cred for the place in Washington. He
viii undoubtedly secure a good position,
because he was a good Mckinley man
from the beginning of the Mckinley stu
hunt for delegates.
Mr.. Doyle was postmaster here for
more than three years, having
been removed from Office be-
fore the expiration of his
term. Mr.. Doyle made a good run for
congress last November his friends say
out of the way the republicans might
have defeated Col. Lester on that day,
the men, the money and the opportunity
being on hand. 1t is a point worthy of
note that Mr.. Doyles total, too, was
only seven ahead of Capt. Peasants,
who ran for congress several years ago,
against the solid democratic strength.
''Mr Johnson" said the politician, has
the remarkable record of having held the
custom house appointment under three re-
publican administrations following almost
one after another. He has been the bus
mess mems candidate on each OF these oc-
casions and 1t is likely he will be this time.
In fact many of the business men on the
Bay are signing a petition in his behalf
Mr.. Johnson is a lifetime republican
though of democratic ancestry, his
father Hon. Herschel V. Johnson, having
been the candidate for Vice President on
the ticket with Stephen A. Douglass. I
have heard II said that there Is a posi-
billy OF the matter being settled by the
appointment of one OF these candidates to
the collectorship and the other to the post
office, but that, of course, remains to be
SEEN"
TO EXTEND IT'S tn ACTS