The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-26
WARM SPEECHES BY CITIZENS
POLITICAL HISTORY REVIVED BY
CAMPAIGN ORATORS.


Drove the Two Former out of the
Liberal CIub-Liberal Club Made
Up of People who Want Corpora
ton Jobs. said MIR. Cann-Hornsng's
Affidavit Answered.
There was no lack of speakers at the
Fourth District Citizens Club meeting
last night President Samuel Reynolds
started the ball rolling with a brisk re-
view of the political situation and some
incidental illusions to the opposition
speakers. He first got back at Mr. Co
burn by remarking that he had always
thought the Liberal Club was a Demo-
cratic organization, but he found that it
had a Republican among its orators. Mr..
Coburns record had been looked up, he
said and it had been found that he had
made application 10 President Mckinley
for a government position, and had stat
ed IN his application that he was a Re
publican.
President Reynolds referred to the Horn
ing afiidavit and other matters. Speaking
of three little limbs of the law" he
said he did not understand why they
We're so bitter against Mr.. Osborne, I'm
less it was that they were Jealous of his
prominence. Mr.. Osborne, he said, had
worked his way up from the ranks of
the people purely by ability and honest
work and Is entitled to he position which
he holds. In the discharge of his official
duty he has been as severe upon his
friends as upon his enemies and yet he
has been a friend to everybody who has
treated him right Mr.. Reynolds said
that he had lived fifty years in the Fourth
district. and he was willing to leave his
record to the district.
Mr.. w. II. Wade remarked that il lcok-
ed as if Willie Osborne had a cinch. Mr.
Wade said he had practiced law in two
states had met with number of solicitors
general but never seen one superior 10
Osborne He paid him high tribute as
a man of ability. integrity and energy,
tireess in the discharge Of his duty, faith
full 10 his friends and true to himself. A
few years ago the moss could be seen
hanging from the trees Of Savannah Mr..
Wade said The moss has DISAPPEARED, but
if someone were to tear open the shirts Of
some Of these Liberal Club men they would
find the moss. The trouble with the mem
bers Of the Liberal Club he said was thai
they were opposed TO change and improve
ment and wanted no new corners. The
/ Citizens Club on the other hand believed
in modern improvements in developing in
dustry and in beautifyirg the city. The
Liberal Club, Mr.. Wade said, had been
greatly weakened by the retirement Of
General" O'Byrne. The "Gere al h ID
earned the right 10 retire, but the club had
lost a shrewd aud able leader and he pre-
dcted that the members would soon be Pc
titoning him to resume commend.
Alderman ]. j. Horrgan said that he
was no political speaker but he was for
Osborne first. last and all the time. -Four
years ago he had helped organize he
Fourth District Liberal Club with Col M
w. Dixon as president They had worked
to elect men who would regard public Of
flee as a public trust. They found la er
that they had elected men who regarded
public Office as a family trust. Williuk was
the man whom these men were e jged
to put out, but instead they had reelected
him and brought him into the party.
When this happened the Liberal Club was
not big enough to hold them both, he
said and he accordingly pulled out.
Mr.. Ferris Cam got an enthusiastic
reception. He was advised to use Two
ounce gloves" and endeavored to carry out
this idea He charged that the Liberal
Club was made up Of people who did not
want to work unless they could gee a
corporation job. The reason they were
clamoring for a change in the city admin
istration, he said, was not that the city
was not getting good government but be-
cause the opposition was not sharing the
/ spois Of Office. If the opposition wished
to make this the issue the administration
people were willing TO fight the campaign
on that line and whip the fight he said.
AS a matter of fact, however, this had
| nothing to do with the present campaign.
All that the Osborne people asked was a
fair and square chance az the ballot box,
Mr.. Cam said He believed that the
Executive Committee would give them
this The people of Chatham county
would not submit to unfair dealing, ne
said. Mr. Cam said THAI Mr. Hartr!dge
! Of teh CT
he did not possess the energy, ability and
power which so conspicuously mark the
present incumbent in the discharge of his
duties. Osborne, he said, was a natural
leader of men, a self-made man, who had
won honor and position by energy and
! ability and who had discharged the trusts
| imposed upon him with fidelity.
| Col. NJ. w Dixon made one of the most
| interesting speeches of the evening. He
/ organized the Fourth District Liberal Club
! four years ago, he said, to fight Harry
! Willink They had whipped the fight at
| the ballot box and then the party had
! been put in the hands of eight or nine men
who wanted Office. Before two years had
elapsed Willink had been picked up, put
| on the advisory board and continued in
/ office Col Dixon paid his respects TO
| NIessrs Coburn and Gordon Saussy and
expressed his surprise that Savannah was
| able to hold two such great men. He
| charged both young men with the basest
! ingra titude in their opposition 10 Mr.. Os-
! borne because of many favors which they
had experienced at the hands of both Mr..
| Osborne and himself.
| Col. Dixon said that in 1896, when the
| Liberals carried the election, they devel-
| oped three candidates. Mr.. p. ]. OConnor
| for county attorney. Mr.. NJ. a. O'Byrne
| for tax assessor and MIR. w. c. l1artridg@
| for recorder these being about the only
! three lucrative offices in sight Mr.. Cor
don Saussy's uncle, Mr. J. r. Saussy, he
asserted. was only saved from defeat
! through the influence exercised by him
self and one or two others with a proml-
! nent county commissioner.
Col. Dixon produced and read the fol
! lowing affidavit from T. r. Hartley In re-
| ply to the affidavit read by Mr.. Coburn
! Tuesday night and published in yester-
days Morning News from f.. b. H&rning:
| personally appeared before mo- e. p.
| Hartley, who on oath, says that the afii-
| davit made by T. e, Hornng Is absoute.y
without any foundation whatever; that at
| no time has Mr. w. w. Osborne said or
| minated that IT he was seen talking