The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-29
oSB0RNE'S FRIENDS ACTIVE.
WILL RALLY IN FORCE AT THE
THEATER TUESDAY NIGHT.

Mr.. HartridGe's Platform ana the
Action of the County Executive
Committee-His Objections to the
plan of the Executive Committee
acknowledgements on With
Chairman duBignOn of the State
Executive Committee, But the Re-
suit Not Announeed-A Meeting OF
the state Committee May De
Called.
The supporters of Mr.. W. w. Osborne
for solicitor general and the Citizens Club
adherents will meet at the Theater Tues.
day night for the purpose of expressing
their Indignation at the recent action Of
the Democratic Executive Committee.
Whether the meeting will develop bolt
from the regular organization similar TO
the Liberal Club bolt of 1896, or whether
the supporters of Mr.. Osborne viii de-
eide to enter the primary upon partial
basis, voting only for chose officers for
whom the primary was called by the state
Executive Committee, or whether they
will invoke the aid Of the State Commit
tee to secure what they would consider
more equitable arrangement for the pri-
mary, remains to be seen.
All three courses are being debated
among the Citizens Club leaders. At pres
ent the inclination is to avoid bolt If
possible The second course meets with
favor and is being seriously considered
by the leaders. They hold that under
the call of the State Committee they are
entitled to vote at the primary for the
Governor and State House officers, judge
and solicitor general of the circuit, and to
leave the local offices for later considera-
ton, should they see fl 90 do so. The
third course, however, is the one upon
which they base their hopes at present.
Mr.. Osbornes supporters kept the
wires hot during the day for the purpose
of bringing the matter OF the primary
promptly TO the attention of the. State
Democratic Executive Committee. While
they were not willing to outline all of their
plans or to say just what they had done,
1t is understood that no stone has been
left unturned in urging the call Of
meeting of the State Committee for the
purpose of overturning the action of the
County Committee, and calling primary
more in accord with the wishes of the
Citizens Club section of The party here
1t was stated that in the absence or
Chairman duBignon, of the State Com
mittee, in New York, Vice Chairman
Brown had been communicated with and
had been requested to call a meeting of
the committee for the earliest possible
date.
1t is safe to predict that Tuesday nights
meeting will be an exceedingly warm one.
Mr.. Osborne will be the principal speaker
and he will discuss Mr.. Hartridge's plat
form and the action of the County Exec
utive Committee. If he isin the same state
of mind then as he was yesterday, his re-
r.sn H. IL da1Ir oil n
nounces his intention of handling the OPP
position without gloves.
Mr. Osborne said that his statement in
yesterdays Morning News conveys his
view Of the committees action. He was not
averse, however, to stating his obJec-
tons more in detail.
my main objections to the committees
plan" said Mr.. Osborne. ARE these: First,
I am without representation at the ballot
box; second, the Purging Committee is
commissioned to do as ii pleases absolutely
without restraint, and in view of the re-
peated boasts of those in position to know
on the other side it is claimed that this
power will be abused. Whether true or not.
this is thoroughly believed on our side.
Third, the eighteenth section absolute y
gives to the Executive Committee the right
10 negative the vote on that day, whaiever
1t may be. Fourth the committee stin has
power, and will probably use it, TO gerry
at the boxes, so that even those members
of the Executive Committee who are
friendly to me will be powerless TO see that
fair deal is had"
Mr.. Osborne explained this latter state
ment by saying that il would be very
easy matter for those having the matter
In hand TO place the ablest of his friends
on the Executive Committee at the coun-
try and other smaller boxes. while the less
astute might be placed at the more i'm
portant boxes or 1t might even be arrang
ed so that he would have no representa-
ton at all at one or more of the boxes
where the hottest fighting was to be ex-
pected.
"All we ask" said Mr.. Osborne, lis, first,
TO be allowed to name manager for man.
ager, and, second. for the Executive Com
mittee to say that any man who has reg
istered in 1900 shall be permitted to cast
his vote i'm the primary, If he has sue
ceeded in running the gauntlet of the TAX
collectors Office with the vigilance display
ed by the officials there, and with a re-
preventative of each side as well, he ought
TO have a right to cast his vote In the
primary"
Mr.. Osborne's attention was called to
the statement by the opposition that they
were only giving the Citizens a dose of
the same medicine which had been given
TO the Liberals by the then majority of
the committee in 1896.
II am perfectly willing to abide by the
regulations Of 1896" said Mr.. Osborne. 81
have copy Of these regulations here and
there is nothing unfair in them. The reg
ulations of 1896 provided for equal repre-
sentation at the ballot boxes for each fac
ton, with the condition that a referee
should be named by the committee in each
district who should have nothing to do
with the management, but who should
simply decide matters upon which the man.
ayers could not agree. The regulations
provided that every white Democrat whose
name appeared upon the list of registered
voters should be entitled to vote and the
arrangement for purging the voting lists
were entirely fair to both sides The con-
ditions were so entirely different from
those laid down by the present Executive
Committee as not to furnish any ground
for comparison"
1t win be remembered that the Liberals
bolted the primary in 1896 on the ground
that they could not obtain a fair deal from
the Executive Committee. The committee
then stood II to 10 in favor Of the CHI
zens. The status is now 16 to Q in favor
of the Liberals.
Whether justified or not, the bolt proved