The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-07
CHANGE IN THE CONSTITUTION.
CAPT HOwELL's RETIREMENT THE
TALK OF ATLANTA.

Clark Howell May Follow His Father
and the Paper Abandon Its AdvO-
cacy of the Free Coinage OF silver
Heresy-A Widespread Belief That
the Real Motive For Capt. HOVvcIIs
Retirement Has Not Yet Come to
the Surface.
Atlanta, Ga. April 6.-The retirement of
Capt. E. P. Howell as the head of the
Atlanta Constitution, which occurred yes
terday and was stated in these dispatches
las, night, has been the most talked about
event in local affairs to-day.
Capt. Howell stated to-day that the
price he received for his fourth interest
in the company from II. T. Inman was
100000 cash. This is a lower rate than that
at which the block of stock held by Mr..
Grady sold for eight years ago.
There are many who think that there
must have been some very strong reason
TO induce Capt. Howell to surrender his
holdings at an apparent sacrifice. There
are various stories in circulation in refer
ence to the inside of the transaction, and
the general opinion is that there is some
thing back of it which the public is not to
be let into just yet.
BY the retirement of Capt. Howell, the
Howell influence, which has always dom
mated the paper, is superseded by the
Hemphill and Inman influence. For some
time past, it is known, there has been
good deal of friction between the Howolls
and the Hemphills in regard to the policy
of the paper. The Hemphills and Inmans
since Capt. Howell is out they will cause
considerable changes in the policy of the
paper, though these changes are expected
TO be brought about gradually. unless
something happens 10 produce a climax.
Although S. NJ. Inman was a free silver
man in the late campaign, ii is said that
since he took up his residence in New York
last fall. he has changed his views, and
that he and his brother, who is the new
influence in the management, will insist
upon the abandonment of the silver agi-
tation, If in fact the paper is not brought
squarely in line with the sound money
policy in the end. If this should happen
Clark Howell. who is still to have the
management of the paper would probably
be inclined to step down and out as he is
Incorporating in his adherence to the
free silver theory.
Another explanation of the retirement
of Capt. Howell is that he was disappoint-
ed at the action of the Hemphills and 9TH
ers in suTendering the Evening Constitu-
ton, being of the conviction that the in
vestment was a good one, and despite tenn
porary embarrassments on account of the
failure of the United Press Association
things would come his way all right in the
end.
But whatever the cause of the discord,
IL is known that the meeting of the di-
rectors yesterday, at which Capt. Howell
pulled out was a red hot one. The fact
that the force employed by the Evening
Constitution has been held together by or
ders from the management, and will be
kept intact for several days at least, has
given rise to reports of another newspaper,
but nothing definite on this line can be
learned. The names of both Capt. Howell
and Clark Howell are connected with this
report, as well as that of R. b. Cramer,
the son-in-law of Capt. Howell, who came
here from Philadelphia to manage the
defunct evening paper.