The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-24

The campaign for the ONCE OF United
! States senator from Alabama which Is
now being conducted by Gov Johnston
and Senator Morgan Is by no means credit
| abe to either Of them. They are engaged
In a Joint debate and instead Of eonhnins
/ themselves to important public questions
/ they are INDUCING IN personalities. The
respect of the people for either OF them
| IS not increased by a debate OF this kind,
though 10 the crowds which gather to hear
them there are always some who would
like nothing better than to see the two
gentlemen come TO blows.
Each is trying 10 be,ittle the other by
showing something in his record which, it
is supposed, does not add anything to his
reputation as a pubic man. A day or two
ago Gov. Johnston charged the Senator
with repeating something which he knew
to be false. and in our dispa tches yester-
day it was stated that a Elkmont, on
Wednesday Senator Morgan approached
Gov. Johnston in a threatening manner
and charged him with reading an article
10 the people which the Senator had told
him on the day before was not true. The
Senator said 10 the Governor that he would
hold him to account If he persisted in
telling the people that the article contained
his (he Senator 81 sentiments
Would 1t not be better for all parties con-
cerned TO call off this joint debate? It can
surely do no good, and may be the means
Of doing a great deal of harm. 1t will only
tend to excite bitter political feeling
throughout The state. The Governor has
his followers and the Senator has his, and
neither can say anything of the other
that will injure him in the estimation of
his friends.
Some good might be done by the Joint
debate if the debaters would confne them
selves TO questions concerning which the
people would like to be enlightened, but
there is no probability of its being kept
within such limits. AS the debate pro-
ceeds the personalities will become more
bitter and by and by the Morgan and
Johnston factions win be in a frame of
mind that will invite fight at every place
of meeting. Senator Morgan is too old
man to engage in rough and tumble
debate of this kind. He is more than IS
years of age, and while he is still very
vigorous mentally he is far from being
strong man physically.
For the debate he is much better equip
ped than the Governor. Indeed it would
be hard TO find in the country a better in
formed man on public questions than Sen
ator Morgan. But while he has the adj
vantage of the Governor in that respect,
the Governor is regarded as the better poll
ticlan. In fact he has a very large fol-
lowing which regards him as the coming
political header of the state. He is re-
puted to have a powerful and skilfully
constructed political machine. He knows
how to pull the political wires so as 10 get
the best results for himself and the faction
which supports him. Senator Morgan
therefore is gaining nothing by accom-
panying him in his stumping tour and en-
gaging in unseemiy wrangles with him.
It is undoubtedly the wish of the real
friends of both gentlemen that they should
bring to an end debate that cannot have
the effect of increasing the respect of the
public for them