The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-10
SAVANNAH TEAM PROTESTS.
AGAINST A TEAM FROM ATLANTA
GOING To SEA GRIT.

An OmcIaI Communication From the
Team of Last Year to Atlanta Pro-
jectorr of a Plan to Send Rifiemen
to Sea Girt Asks That 1t BE Adam
dOned-DecIsion of the Team Not
to Revisit Sea Girt, Because of the
Way In which 1t Was Robbed OF
the Soldier of Marathon, Urged as
the Reason Why Georgians should
Uphold This Action-Letter of Pro-
test Is Strong.
A protest has gone forward from Sa-
vannsh rihemen, who made up the Geor-
gia team at Sea Girt last year, against
a movement now being agitated in Atlanta,
looking to the selection of a team from
that city, which shall contest for the
prizes Savannahians have so often won,
to the glory of the state.
The protest is an official communica ton
from the Georgia team, and is based Oh
the consideration that, as the Georgia
men, who represented the state in the
contests of last year at Sea Girt, were
deliberately defrauded of prize they had
won, and as, after a delayed nvestgatioh
and causeless vituperation from the North
ern press, the Executive Committee of the
New Jersey State Rifle Associa ton, while
virtually acknowledging that the position
of the Georgia men was sound and the
charges of unfairness just had yet refused
to rectify the wrong that had been DONE
il was improper for another team of Geor-
CLANS to go behind the action of their rep
resentatives and by their presence, on the
range lend apparent countenance to the
injustice that had been done.
This consideration has been strongly put
and as strongly urged. AS a further con-
sidera ton, it is pointed out that Col
Kuser has resigned his position a. mem
Der of the Executive Committee of the
Rifle Assoca ton because of his opinion
that the Georgians had not been treated
with justice. Certainly, the officers Of
the local team point out to the Atlanta
men, If Jerseyman and an officer of the
association has felt il incumbent upon
him to take such course, it would not d
proper for Georgians TO discredit the ac-
ton of their comrades in the state sec-
vice.
These and other arguments were con-
tanned in the letter that has gone forward
to the Atlanta projectors of the new Geor-
gia team. The action was inspired by the
receipt of a letter from an Albanian, who
called attention to the movement that
was being agitated in that city and ex-
pressed his disapproval of its purpose. He
felt that it would be a slam upon the Sd
vanah men. whose craftsmanship had Of
ten redounded to the credid and glory of
the entire state, 10 send a team from
Georgia to Sea Grit, and in this manner
lend countenance and encoura cement to
the association by which they had been
denied the Justice to which they were en-
titled, and which Col. Kuser had felt their
due SO keenly that he had resigned when
Il was not received.
1t is understood that a meeting of the
Atlanta men who are discussing and con-
siderins the project, will be held tonight
or tomorrow and at this meeting the let
ter from the Savannah>team will be read.
1t Is confidently expected that when the
views of the rihemen here are thus pre-
scented 1t will end the agitation in favor
OF sending a team to Sea Girt. II is believ-
ed that when realizing sense of what
such action would mean is brought home
to the Atlantians they will be the first
TO concede its improperly.
This is especially true when 1t is con-
sidered that an Atlanta man was a men,
Der of the party that made the first in
specuon of the suspected target and CLEAN
ed perception of what had happened and
why the Georgia team had lost and the
New Jersey team won the Soldier of Ma
rathon. THIS Albanian was afterwards de-
barred from shooting a Sea Girt for his
| presence on that occasion and though the
disqualification was afterwards removed
the stigma still remains. That is so far
| as the action of the New JERSEY State
| Rife Association can bring or leave
| stigma
| , The Savannah marksmen and. in lesser
degree, the citizens of Savannah generally
are interested in the conclusion to which
|
! they are not apprehensive as to the out
come they will of course be relieved
when they hear that final and negative
action has been taken
| The plan that was discussed here some
! time ago, of sending a team of rihemen
to Paris, has been abandoned The ques-
ton of finances was one that it was diff
CUT successfully to overcome, and this
! Phase or the project was not helped by
the prizes which are offered to rifiemen
and rifle teams at the exposition. These
are not sufficiently large in amount il
was found upon investigation, to repay
| any large percentage of the expenses Of
the trip, even If they were won by the
Georgia men. On this account and because
OF other considerations the trip has been
abandoned
1t is considered possible, however. that
some individual sherpshooters from Sa-
! vannah may make the trip. This was A
suggestion hazarded yesterday by Capt
| w. w. Williamson, the captain of the
| Georgia team at Sea Grit in former years
but just who these prospective represent
atves of Savannah and Georgia at the
| exposition would be he did not venture
| to predict.
Save the. individual prizes and the
trophy for carbine shooting won last year
by the team from the Georgia Hussars
all of the Sea Girt trophies that we're for
time in Savannah have been sent away.
| The remembrance of former triumphs Is
drowned in the recollection of the way in
which the team had been treated and
| overshadowed by a firmly fixed determi-
nation that there will be no rif1emen from
| Savannah at Sea Girt as long as the CON
| tests continue under the management of
the New Jersey State Rifle Association
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