The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-22
JENKINS CAN TAKE A JOKE.
TEAsED ON HIS POSSIBLE CANDI-
DACY HE TELLS STORY.

Warns a Gambler Enthusiast Not to
BE Too ROuyant as the Color of the
Political sky May Change The
Speaker stin on the Fence as to
Entering the Race-Says He Does
Not Want to Lead His Enthusiastic
Friends Into a Losing Fight.
Atlanta, Ga, Jan. H.-Speaker Jenkins
did not make his announcement for Gov
ernor to-day. 1t may come tomorrow; If
not then, next week.
Mr.. jenkins has the matter under con-
sideration at this time, and his decision
one way or the other is sure to be made
within the next few days.
All outward indications to-day were in
support of the belief that he will be can
didate. All day he was busy in his quar-
ters at the Kimball receiving callers and
canvassing the situation with his political
friends. Tonight, when seen in the Kim
ball House lobby by the Morning News
correspondent, he said he had no formal
statement to make to the public, and would
not answer the all-interesting question CT
his intended candidacy categorcally.
Il am not a dead man yet" he said,
with healthy smile, "either physically
or politically"
Then, speaking of his possible candidacy
for Governor. he said: 1T all depends
| upon whether 1 think l can beat Col. AL
Ian ID. Gambler for the office. / have
good many friends who think 1 can. L
know that there are many committed 10
Col. Gambler whose support is conditional.
If am in the race, they are for me. l
! have received numerous assurances of this
kind Col. Gambler undoubtedly has de-
voted friends, but l also have mine and
a great many more of them than some peo-
! pie in these parts seem TO think
And" continued Mr.. jenkins, lit is
| precisely on account of these loyal friends
of mine that l hesitate to go into this race.
/ do not want to carry them into hght
| where we cannot win. They are an en-
| thusiastic, buoyant-hearted young host,
! and are impatient to be in the saddle, but
l feel it my duty to them to go slow.
/ have no criticism in the world to pass upon
| any man who opposes me politically so
| long as he treats me with the considera-
| ton, the courtesy, and the honesty that is
| due from one gentleman to another. Ii
| was a candidate for Governor my cam
! paign would be on that plan. 1 would not
/ sacrifice my self-respect or the respect or
my friends by the methods of trickster
! to gain the GoVernorship or any other Of
| fee. / have lived in the white light that
! beats about the throne for a good many
/ years now, and if there has ever been a
| shadow on my head l do not know it"
Mr.. jenkins was asked what he thought
| of the prospect of Mr. duBignon getting
! into the race and replied ''Oh, / do not
| think he will be a factor in 1t. That is,
| he will not be a candidate"
A Gambler enthusiast approached
| Mr.. Jenkins with the remark, well,
| Hut, you're healthy now, but if you
| run against the old man you'n be mighty
sick when it's over"
The answer of the speaker to this sally
| showed that he is not easily ruffled and
! 10 not at all disposed to be stamped by the
! first unfavorable gust, that he is in for
! taking a roseate view of the prospect.
"Once upon a time" said he, there
was great artist who painted a great
| picture, of which he boosted that no man
would tell the color. The king sent his
| best artist to see it to tell him its color,
! death being the penalty for failure. One
came back and said it was blue as the
! sky, another that it was green as the
! trees and another that il was brown as
! the leaves of autumn. The king then
sent for the painter and asked him for
| the true color of his picture
I will kill all my artists he said,
for they have failed
THE painter said, Not So oh king; for
they We're all correct. My picture is
pure transparent white. Its color de.
ponds upon the background, and the light
in which 1t is seen
'Thereupon the king passed a law pro.
hibiting all persons from naming a color
until it had been viewed from all lights
! So concluded the speaker you Gambler
men had better wait until you see the DO
! litical sky from all points of view before
you pronounce upon the color of the pic
ture. 1t may look blue now, but a very
little shift of the clouds might make il
green"