The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-16
STATE POLITICAL SITUATION.
GAMBLER AND TERRELL AS GUBER-
NATORIAL RIVALS.


Terrell Apt to Withdraw From the
Contest if other Aspirants Shy
Their CastOrs Into the Bing-Inter-
esting Little Beminiscence of n
Conversation Anent the Governor
ship once INDUCED in by the Pres
ent Candidates-The Candidates
for the other state Offices.
Atlanta. Ga, Jan. 15.-Despite all news
paper booming Of probable candidates that
has kept steadily on, there have been no
tangible developments in the political sit
uation this week. II is still a 10-to-1 shot
that Allen Gambler and Joe Terrell win be
the rivals for the Governorship. Neither
has made any formal announcement of
his candidacy, but both have declared that
they are in the hands of their friends,
which amounts TO the same thing.
just now Col. Joe Terrell might be said
to be upon the anxious bench. While
he is generally regarded as a candidate,
his closest friends say he would not 90 into
a scramble for the nomination. He is
ready TO make the race against any one
man, but does not want a three or four
cornered contest There was once some
talk to the effect that he would not OPP
pose Col. Gambler, but in his own words,
very recently, he would just as leave
tackle the Secretary of State as any one
else. What he is anxious about is to see
the list of entries made up If several
others should throw their casters into
the ring, 1t would be no surprise at all
t. the Attorney Generals friends here IL
he should refuse to fight. If there are
no others than Col. Gambler, then he
is in.
In connection with the anxiety with
which Col Terrell is watching the situa-
ton, hoping that he will have no one else
to go up against except Col Gambler,
gentleman who is familiar with the facts
told an interesting incident to-day as to
how and why Col Gambler got the guber-
material bee in his bonnet. Some months
ago, according TO this account of the de-
tails leading up to the Secretary Of States
present designs on the executive chair, he
and Mr.. Terrell had a little confab over
the matter. The supposition is that the
Attorney General was trying to swing the
pective boom. During this conversation,
Col Gambler said nothing about running
for the Office himself, but said the ambi-
ton of his declining years was to get his
old seat back in Congress. This confession
was comforting to the Attorney General
who was just beginning to bud his guber-
material flower, that in the fullness of his
satisfaction he is said TO have remarked
that If the Secretary of State should hap
pen to take motion to run for Governor
himself, he'd retire in his favor and not
oppose him. This was the origin of the
story which gained some currency recent
ly that Attorney General Terrell and Col
Gambler had agreed not to oppose each
other.
But 1t seems that there was a combina-
tion at work in the Ninth Congressional
district, the one that Col. Gambler repre-
scented in his palmy days, and which he
confessed 1t was his ambition to represent
again, and the Secretary of State was not
in the deal. When he found that he had
been hedged in by the other congressional
aspirants from his old district, Col. Cand-
ler's eye is then said TO have turned toward
the governorship. The next time that he
and the Attorney General met and the sub
iect of politics was preached, the Secre-
tary Of State, who is always frank, told
the former about how things had shaped
up in his congressional aspirations and
then and there put him on notice that he
might expect in time a rival for the gov
ernorshiD.
But up to date Col. Terrell has not re-
tired in his favor. On the contrary it is an
open secret among his friends that his
fondest political hope now is that the con-
test may be left to himself and his friend
the little Secretary of State without the
interference of others. If the situation
should finally shape up this way the peo-
pie of the state will In all probability. have
one of the most high toned and orderly
campaigns for Governor that they have
ever participated in for a long time. Both
Col Gambler and Attorney General Terrell
are honest, clean, high minded men, and a
contest between them would be pitched on
a scale in harmony with these characteris-
tics.
For the first time, the people will elect
the state school commissioner this year.
Heretofore the commissioner has been an
pointed by the Governor, but years ago
the legislature changed this, and the peo-
pie ratified it at the last general election
So far the only candidate is the present
commissioner, Prof. G. r. Glenn. and the
indications are that he will have a walk
over, as will Capt. Wright for Controller
General and w. j. Speer for Treasurer.
One fight that is now on in earnest is
for Secretary of State, to succeed Col
Gambler. Senator Phil Cook and Hon.
Mark Hardin, for twenty years clerk of
the House, are the rivals. Senator Cook
is a son of the late Gen. Phil Cook Score
tary of State He is the boom candi-
date while Col. Hardin is making a still
hunt for the Office. His candidacy makes
way for scramble for a clerk of the
House. and at the present writing there
are at least dozen from all sections of
the state laying pipes for it.