The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-26
COL. GAMBLERS SUCCESS.
A Little Controversy AS to who Is
Entitled to the Credit for 1t.

Entitled to the Credit for 1t.
There are some folks round about
Gainesville, Hall county, who seem to think
the Atlanta Constitution has good deal
of gall in claiming all the credit for the
success of Col. Gambler in the primary Of
June s. Is Col Gambler one of them? His
home paper, the Gainesville Eagle, las
something to say about the matter. It
contends that Col. Gambler is entitled to
the credit for hfs success. This is what
the Eagle has to say in reference to the
CONSTITUTIONS claims:
THE state OF Georgia now has a re-
naTkable instance of a big hog trying to
swipe all the swill--a big, hungry hog, at
that just in from the commons and a con-
slant and uniform diet of thistles and To-
Gust bushes, with her ribs all showing and
the hoofs rafting together.
I'VE refer to the Atlanta Constitution
and the election of Gambler. Everybody
knows the Constitution, everybody knows
Gambler, and everybody knows about the
election of June 6. And nearly everybody
knows of the Constitutions piratical act
in claiming all the credit for the great
victory which Gambler won single-handed.
ION the day after the election the Con-
stitution contained several columns of
| mendacious stuff laying claim to the non
| ors of the victory.
And on last Sunday IL contained an
other column from the Washington cor
| respondent of the Chicago Times Herald
| which had been written by, or at the in
stance OF Col. Jos. Oil, the CONSTITUTIONS
| Washington correspondent. After giving
some "reminiscences of Gamblers cam
| paign, his previous races, etc, this article
had the following conclusion, which is
| the milk in the cocoanut, the hub of the
whole thing:
But there is another feature of this
| election story, and it is this which gives
/ ii more than local character While
| Gambler is the beneficiary, the real victory
| is with a great Southern newspaper and
/ the young man who IS It its head.
| Il am told that when the result of the
/ contest became known throughout the
| state messages of congratulation poured
| into the office of the Atlanta Constltu-
| ton. They ascribed the victory without any
| qualification TO Editor Clark Howell ana
| the Constitution, and no person was more
| emphatic in declaring that to them be-
! lcnged the credit than was Col. Gambler
| himself.
Newspapers seem to play a dual role
| in the politics of the South Not only do
/ they exert influence through their edtO-
| rial and news columns, but they direct
| the oVernents of the candidates whose
| cause they espouse. This is true. certain
| ly, of the Atlanta Constitution. 1t has been
! so since Henry Grady and Evan Howell
first made it a power in the direction of
| political affairs years ago, and il is true
to an even greater degree now. In the
| Gambler campaign the Constitution has
from the first been-to use bit of current
slang-the whole thing 1t put Gambler
into the race, made the fight for him
through its columns, and was so promi-
nent in IL all that the chief cry put out by
the opposition was that Gambler was the
Constitutions candidate Editor Clark
HowelPs activity was by no means con-
fined to his newspaper. He was the life
of the Gambler campaign management
He mapped out the plan of campaign and
directed every move that was made The
opposition was right when it called Cand-
Ter the Constitutions candidate.
Two men ran against Gambler. They
pooled their issues, making common cause
against HowelPs man. The power Of the
state administration was at their back
and some of the shrewdest of Georgia S
politicians were enlisted In their behalf.
The overwhelming character OF their de-
feat is shown in the fact that of 1877 coun-
ties in the state Gambler carried ninety
eight. OF $50 votes in the states conven-
ton Gambler will have 26S. The popular
vote shows an even greater proportion for
the man who wins.
Back in 1885 Henry Grady and Evan
Howell and the Constitution won ia
nous victory by electing John b. Gordon
Governor over A. .. Bacon, when the
politicians were all with Bacon and 1t
seemed a waikover for the present sena-
tor before Gordon came out at all. That
victory to put the Constitution 10 the front
as the great political power in Georgia.
This victory which Clark Howell has won
IS just as great or even greater, for he
had to fight two men backed by ire state
administration and a clique OF politicians
that had been in control of Georgia poll
tics for four years. The odds seemed all
against him, bun the people are evidently
with him and his great newspaper
'Th0se congratulations to Howell and
the Constitution We're certainly de-
served"
1--WE don't want You to forget that this
piratical slush was written by or at the
suggestion of Joseph OIL who represents
the Constitution in Washington ana doc
tors and pads the news to suit that great
combination Of Ananias and Capt. Klld.
This bold and audacous piece of freeboot-
cry Is without a parallel. The Coustitu-
ton has been on the hungry list so long
that it mas really turned its head to be on
the winning side. / pinned it's fortunes
TO Grover Cleveland i'm 1881, and came out
in the swim Soon afterward IL left Grover
. and has been out in the old fields over
since and as near the fragile edge as thew
ever get except when its editor soft-soap-
ed tho Alliance in 1890, and got elected
! speaker
Z "Since It made its unenviable record
as a protectionist. il has been in bad re-
pute and a Jonah to whatever man or
cause IL has espoused
Look at its hastiy-cooked and covert
effort 20 beat Colquitt with Grady IN 1855.
Look az its effort TO beat Gordon with
Grady's old clothes in 1890. Look at it's
effort to nominate Hin in 1892 and elect
z its editor-n-chief as national delegate.
The editor-in-chief didn't even get a tail
hold on the ticket, and It's presidential
candidate Jared likewise. Look at its