The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-13
OsBoRNE's SIDE OF 1T.
His Reply to the Speakers at the
Hartridge Meeting.

MS Reply TO the Speakers at the
Hartridge Meeting.
Mr.. Osborne, when seen yesterday
gave out the following signed interview,
in which he takes issue with the speak
ers at the Liberal meeting of Friday
night:
1T is useless for Mr.. Hartridge's moral
sponsors to seek to becloud the issue. The
statement Of Mr.. Adams on Friday even
ing is misleading and unfair. The issue
is not for gambling houses and against
gambling houses hardly think Mr.. Ad-
ans could be so far led astray in his
partisan zeal as TO make the claim that
1 or my friends We're for gambling
houses While such appears to be the
tenor of the language published vet I
am constrained to believe that he has not
been correctly quoted. 1 know he would
not make a statement so obviously un-
true. 1 am not for gambling houses
and he well knows It. Nor can he create
such impression in the community, even
if he tried
1.-THE sole issue in this campaign is a
legal one. II is, What is the duty Of a
solicitor general under the law? Is 1t
his duty 60 originate prosecutions or not?
Upon that proposition alone are the two
sides divided. The solicitor general is an
officer whose duties are defined by stat
ute. have challenged both Mr. Hart
ridge and his friends to produce even
one line which could be honestly so con-
strued. So far not one has done So Mr.
Wright says The impression has gotten
out in this community that this is the
n 10 ~a1
ton read the last few words of section
four of the duties of a solicitor general
and then placed a totally unwarranted
construction upon them. The entire sec
ton is as follows:
ITO draw up ali indictments or present.
ments, when requested by the grand jury
and TO prosecute oil indictable offenses"
Mr.. Adams cites no authority whatever
He appears to take the \broad moral
ground that gambling ought TO be sup
pressed and puts the duty of originating
prosecutions on the Solicitor General of his
own notion
In defense of my own position. have
only to say that 1 am faithfully tracking
the law as laid down in the books NV
construction of the statute is that which
has been placed upon ii by every other
Solicitor General that has ever held the
office, save for that sporadic ten day
change which seized Mr.. Charlton during
ed by the officer who profits pecuniarly
thereby cannot be justified on any ground
legal or moral. ] can best illustrate this
point by reference to the case of Mr. Law
ton. / feel the more al liberty to do this,
inasmuch as he invites the iuvestiga lion
The statute makes it a penal off nse both
TO maintain gambling house and to know
ingly rent a house with the expectat on
that same was to be used for such purp5.e
The charge was made al a public NEE ling
of the Hartridge Club that "a gambling
house has for years been conducted, day
by day. night by night, and year by year,
under the eve of one of the Oldest sanctua-
ries Of this state, And that every one
within the sound of the speakers voice
knew it." The owner of the building sat
within a few feet of the Speaker making
the charge Now, Mr.. Lawton contends
that it is my duty 10 present him to the
grand jury. l say it is not This
and that is all There is 70 it.
There is a grand jury now in session. 1t
is composed of twenty-three intelligent
highly respected citizens, not one Of whom
fails to read the papers and every one IA
miliar with these charges. The oath of a
grand juror is as follows: you shall dill
igently inquire and true presentment make
of all such matters and things as shall
come to your knowledge touching the pres
ent service" The gentlemen are charged
with the duty. not me. They have the in
formation. Their oath is mandatory. It
Is my duty to draw the presentment when
requested and to prosecute when found
No other fair construction can be placed
upon the law or ever has been by any one
save by Mr.. Charlton for a short time
years ago, and now suddenly by Mr. Hart
ridge. q
Il win not originate a prosecution
against Mr.. Lawton If the grand jury
takes It up they have the right 10 COM
mand my services. / make this state
meut absolutely without feeling Person
ally, esteem Mr.. Lawton, and he knows
IT, / ~egret that he has put himself In
such an unfortunate position
would like to say one other word in
reference to Mr. Charlton's speech of last
evening. lie is entirely in error when
he says that / or my friends resorted to
personal abuse. On the contrary as head
or the party he was at all times treated
by us with uniform courtesy. Not until
the Executive Committee lost their sense
Of shame and promulgated the unfair pri-
mary plan, which would practically have
disfranchsed the majority of white voters
or this couuty,was any criticism INDUCED
in. Surely after Mr.. Charlton became che
sponsor for and defender Of the attempted
uniairness, we were justified in disoas-
sonately arguing to the community the
I'm airness and placing the responsibility
FOR q unfairness en- those who defended
it
While Mr. Charlton has denounced the
charge OF untairness as false, he has
Continued on Fifth Page.