The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-21
WHY THE LIST is GROWING.
EXPLANATIONS OF THE IN
cpEAsING REGISTRATION.

think the Decision of the Su-
,,,e Court in the City Court
omcers' Contest viii Necessitate
uubIic Election to Fill Those
os,..s and That Both Sides Are
,.,ariug for the Fight-The Far
.;,tted ones, However, Are Pre-
ing for a County Primary in
,oon which Will Decide the Con-
go, of the Patronage and Deter
Who VIII Fill the Offices of
,,1,e and Solicitor General-Mr.
.,.er c. HartridGe Expected TO
impose solicitor General osborne
rro explanations are being offered LOT
,nusually rapid registration for the
r,onths of an off year. Already there
over 800 names on the books ana
list is growing steadily. A simple de-
an The part of the voters 10 Keep
,,s,selves in trim for any possible elec-
7oas not account for the growth OF
the list.
,-b. FIRST. explanation of this phenomenon
.,.t Che decision of the Supreme Court
n ne CITY Court officers contest mas oeeh
accounted by both sides with the ahtici-
adam thai il will not be positively an ia
20, either. The theory of this is That
w. s,nreme Court will decide that the
c.c court officers are county officers ana
,t,t sich being the case il is necessary LOT
them 10 be elected by the people. AS an
,.,oe5iste election would be necessary the
f.cton which has the most votes on the
,s,is,ration book would have decidedly
the hest of its opponents.
some people may have that idea, but l
5,o,t lake much stock in it, said a well
Trovn politician when spoken to on lhe
eabiect should the Supreme Court de-
a3e mat the city Court officers are county
sa,,ar. il does not necessarily follow that
,tsra viii be an election by the people.
There will he considerable argument be-
fore that occurs in my opinion.
The gentleman intimated that even
,,ould the City Court officers be held by
the Supreme Court to be county ofncers'
that the right TO elect would still vest IN
the City Council until provision hau neeh
made Otherwise by an act of the legisla-
mre Such being the case the present City
Conncil is not likely to sleep on its rights
in such a matter
A better explanation of the decided inter-
est that is being evinced in early regis
ration by the workers on both sides rs
that there is general anticipation on both
sides. particularly among the leaders, that
the next nominations will be decided by
white primary and although this would
take place not earlier than the summer OF
1gOO il is more than likely that the regis
traton list for 1899 will be used as that for
1 IL Lot hon ha
Il time comes to select candidates for the leg
stature and delegates to the senatorial
state and congressional conventions.
The next contest is certain to be one of
considerable magnitude. Though there will
doubtless be some new alignments, it is
safe to count upon two factions with prac-
tcay the same leaders as at present. One
Of the most important features of the cam
paign will be that the judges and solicit
tors general viii for the first time in many
years be elected by the people, which
will require that nominations be made by
Il the state conventions. 1t is presumed that
each district will be allowed to name its
Il own preferences by the convention. This
& being the case and Chatham county now
being a judicial circuit by itself the mat
ter would be fought out in the county pri-
mary.
There are already very strong indica-
tons 10 the effect that the two opposing
4 candidates for solicitor general at that
time will be Solicitor General Osborne and
H Mr. Walter c. Hartridge. In fact Mr.
4 Osborne minated very plainly that he ex-
H pected such to be the case in his speeches
during the recent mayoralty campaign.
That this would be a battle royal goes
i without saying. Both are young men of
unquestoned ability, and each has the
Il unqualified admiration and confidence of
MS party. If the leaders have sized up the
future political contests on these lines it
Is natural to suppose that the tip has been
passed down the line to the workers and
mat this accounts for the steady and I'M
usual growth of the registration list.