The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-29
MORGAN STAYS AT HIS POST.
WHILE JOHNSTON is GETTING IN
WORK IN ALABAMA.

Side--Johnston Controls the Mn
chine and Has IA Slight Advantage.
The Fight Means Much to Politics
in Alabama.
Washington. Dec. 2S.-The firing and
cross firing that has been going ON be-
tween Senator Morgan of Alabama and
the Governor of that state, Joseph f.
Johnston, has attracted a good deal of at
tention in Washington. where Senator
Morgan is one of the figures of greatest
interest.
That Morgan is to-day the biggest man
on the Democratic side of the Senate is
regarded here at the capitol as an axiom
He is a man of wonderful Information, of
great knowledge of the affairs of govern
ment, of a broad understanding of con-
stitutional law, and possesses a breadth
and independence in the consideration of
the great affairs of government such us
few men in public life have.
Vest of Missouri, is the only other man
on the Democratic side of the Senate
who can be said to enjoy the distinction
of being a great senator, and his great
ness has been confined almost entirely TO
his ability as an orator. In his prime,
Vest was a thorn in the flesh to the Re-
publicans. When it became known that ne
was going to speak, the galleries were
sure to be packed; nor were his hearers
ever disappointed for he always made
good" not in pyrotechnics, but in
vitriolic streams. But Vest has long been
in bad health and he has. therefore,
ceased 10 be power in the Senate.
n mo rNso Ions
constitution. He is an untiring worker
hard student of the big questions which
the Senate has to consider, always busy.
He pays little attention to the small de-
tails which occupy the attention of so
many other senators-the running to the
White House, or to the departments for
this or that constituent. Indeed, the prin-
cipal charge made against him by those
who are endeavoring 10 Gust him from the
place he has honored so many years Is
that he does not pay enough attention to
the desires and requests of Alabama Of
flee seekers.
But Morgan has the old fashioned- idea
that if senator attends to the larger
business of his office. he has no time 10
devote to office hunting; that the time of
a senator is too valuable to his people,
and to the country 10 be wasted in that
way.
JOhnstOn's Record.
Gov. Johnston, who is after Morean's
seat, is a wealthy banker and business
man, whose home is at Birmingham.
Morgan lives a the little city of Selma
just west of Montgomery, the capital of
the state, and strangely enough his col
league, Gen. Pettus, is also resident of
Selma.
Johnston started out in life as a lawyer.
but he has devoted most of his time to
making money. For fifteen or twenty
Tobn
ingly close in their personal and pariicu-
larly in their political associa tions. Nor
gan was sort of sponsor for the younger
man when he started into politics. and in
return Johnston supported Morgan. II
can hardly he said, however that the Sem
ator needed Johnston's support, for at no
time heretofore has Morgans seat been in
danger.
Johnston has had two terms as Governor
is in his second term now. When the
silver question became prominent in the
South, ne, although national banker,
was far-seeing enough to detect the popu-
lar side of the controversy so far as Ala
bama was concerned, and he at once be-
came an ardent slverte. He was made
the nominee for Governor-a position TO
which he had been aspiring for several
years. and was elected. Johnston is an or
gauizer, man of strong executive abili-
ty, a man of domineering methods He
s
chair, to build UP personal machine In
this he has been so successful that last
summer he was able, in contest before
the Legislature, to force the repeal of the
constitutional convention act-an unheayd
of roceeding-although both United S ates
senator's, most of the members of the Ala
bama delegation in the lower house of
Congress, and almost every politician Of
note in the state, were opposed to him.
Johnston has made warm friends and
bitter enemies. He is a fearless man,
red-headed and a good fighter, the sort
of a man who rides rough-shod over
everything. In his campaign against
Morgan he is endeavoring to pose as the
silver man of all silver men, One of his
chief cards against Morgan is an inter-
view which appeared in a Washington
paper last summer, and which was con-
strued as an expression of preference on
Morgan's part for some other presidential
candidate than Bryan. In Alabama the
Bryan alteration reaches its climax and
Johnston is trying to work it as a strong
card.
Has "A Slight Advantage.
In the counties which have so far act
ed by primaries, Johnston has slight ad-
vantage. The Morgan men claim that as
Johnston controlled the machinery in
those counties ne had them act early when
he had the advantage and that there will
be a different tale When the rest OF the
counties act in April. Johnston is max
ing a strong play for the Populist vote of
the state, in his speeches making appeals
10 the Pops" to get back into the Dem
ocratic party and vote for him as their
friend Ii was part of his plans to have
the state committee of the Popuists form
mally disband that party. but the men in
control of that organization refused 10
do this.
Morgan and Johnston met in joint debate
in one of the Northern Alabama counties
Just before Congress convened. Both
claimed the county. Morgan's speeches
were principally savage attacks upon
Johnston and he seemed to strike pop
ular vein, for he carried the county.
Since Congress convened, the Senator
has refused to go into any further joint
debates, saying that his duty is here, and
he doesn't propose to neglect his duty. His
friends are handicapped in their efforts 20
help his cause by his utter indifference
to organization and to the minor details
upon which success usually depends to
so large a degree. Morgan seems 10 have