The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-03
GAMBLER GROWING CAUSTIC.
LETTER SENT TO ATKINSON HAND
LING HIM WITHOUT GLOVES.

LING HIM WITHOUT GLOVES.
The Colonel Denies Responsibility
for the Date Fixed for the Primary
Asserts That He Took the Field for
Evans and Carried Hall County
for Him-Denies Sending Out
Letter Asking Railroad OfiicinIs TO
Support Him.
Atlanta, Ga. April Judge Spencer r.
Atkinson to-day gave out for publication
a letter written to him by Col. Allen Cand-
Ter in reply to his recent communication
scoring Col. Gambler for his refusal to go
into joint debate.
Col. Gambler says Judge Atkinson has
lost his temper, and confirms his frs; ap-
prehension that a joint debate would de
generate into a mud-slinging contest
This letter Col. Gambler declares will be
the last notice he will take of Judge At
kinson in the public prints.
He declares he was not responsible for
the action of the Democratic committee
In calling the primary on June 6, and then
says: LAS to whether or not l led the
fight for Gen. Evans four years ago,
have only TO say that when discovered
that Republican negroes were to be voted
in the Democratic primary for Gen.
Evans opponent, l protested against thus
debauching our primary. and when my
protest was of no avail l took the field
for Gen Evans and my county was car
ried for him.
LAS to the use of money, l challenge
you to show a single instance in which
have ever used a dollar to buy votes or to
buy liquor to influence voters.
II have sent out no letter for the pur-
pose of securing support of railroad Off
Gals, and l defy you 10 produce such
letter.
Il have sent out no letter to anybody
in which 1 make structures upon Mr.. Ber-
ner and yourself personally, and chai-
lenge you TO make good the charge
yours and Mr.. Berner's constant refer
ence to my having as members of my cen
trail campaign committee the general
counsel of TWO leading railway systems in
Georgia is too transparency demagogical
for serious thought, and | shall dismiss it
with question. Did not both of you seek
the active support of these gentlemen?
Your assertion that 1 have evinced no
interest in the question of pubic transpor-
tation is in strange contrast with the
truth, when the public records show that
] was one of a committee of the Georgia
Senate which drafted and reported the
present railroad commission law of Geor-
Gia, under which you hold an office. the
salary of which you are using as a cam
paign fund, while you run for another
office.
Not only this. but l was the prime
mover IN 1876 for constitutional conven-
ton, which made a Railroad Commission
law possible, and gave you your present
job. from which il seems nothing can
shake you except a bigger one"
Concluding on the subject on joint de-
bates, the Colonel says:
You still harp on a Joint discussion NV
dear Judge. do you know that there are
but two instances in the history of the
Democratic party in Georgia in which
candidates for the Democratic nomination
Tor Governor have engaged in Joint dis
cussions? One was in the race between
Senator Bacon and Gen Gordon. They
met and so bitter grew the contest thar
democratic leaders took the matter in
hand and stopped the joint debates, to
prevent personal collision between the
friends of the two candidates,
The other was in the Evans-Afklnson
contest IN 1894. when there were three
possibly four meetings, when so great
grew the bitterness between the support
ers OF the two candidates that the meet.
lngs were called off for the good of the
parry; but so serious was the damage al
ready done that in the election Mr. At
klnson' who received the nomination, fen
4,vU0 votes behind his ticket and 90 600
Democrats were so disguised that thew
renamed away from the polls and did
not vote at all. and so deep and lasting
were the wounds made in the contests that
TWO years later when Gov. Atkinson had
no opposition for the nomination, he fen
nearly 5000 votes behind the state ticket