The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-28
CAN'T SUPPRESS GAMBLING.
sOUTHsIDERs' VIEW OFF MIR. HAIR
FRIDGE AND HIS PLATFORM.

| f-EOPOAC INC
Chance Anyway-OtheF Forms of
Gambling and other Vices Exist
| Besides Those Threatened by Mr..
Hnrtridge-His Record as Recorder
Shows No Particular Enmity to
These Things, They Declared.
The Southside Citizens Club held a rally
at the hall at Whitaker and Second streets
lost night The meeting was well attend
ed, and the small hallWas packed to over
flowing many being left standing on the
outside. President Hussey presided. The
| speakers were Messrs. r. L. Colding, w.
II. Wade r. NJ. Lester and others.
Naturally the chief subject of discussion
with the speakers was Mr.. Hartridge's
platform; as announced by him Thursday
night, and published in yesterdays Morn
| ing News.
The speakers contended that the plat
form was only what they had expected,
| that Mr. Hartridge had not gone far
! enough If he intended to put himself on
ant-gambling platform, that he could not
| carry out his pledge if elected, and that
| he would never have the chance to carry
| 1t out anyway.
| IIGSlu6ilt l1usSGys III Calling the meeting
| to order stated that Mr.. Hariridge had
been an avowed candidate for a year, and
| had just found a platform to stand on.
He did not think the platform would prove
a very stable one. One of the speakers
! took up the platform of Mr.. Hartrdge and
| the latter's statements in regard to it,
and remarked upon the popularity that
| Mr.. Hartridge had only pronounced
against two forms of gambling, keno and
| policy, while he had entirely neglected to
| say anything about various other forms
of gambling as well as other forms of
immortality known to exist in the commu-
! nifty.
Mr. R. l.. Colding said that Mr. Hart
ridge seemed to hold Mr.. Osborne Tespon-
sible for the morals of the community. 1t
is not the duty Of the solicitor general to
start prosecutions, he said. His office does
not require him TO act as a spy. 1t is sim
ply his duty to conduct the prosecution
when offences have been brought to his
attention. Mr. Colding inquired If Mr..
Hartridge had not had ii in his power by
reason of his position as Recorder to man
fest greater interest in the enforcement
Of the laws against gambling. Had 1t not
been frequently the case that Information
concerning the gambling business was
brought out in his court. Had he ordered
the witnesses he'd and the detectives to
ferret out these casts. With the detectives
TO do his bidding and the police force at
his back why had he not used the machin-
cry at his command for the suppression
of gambling. 1t was very evident he
said, that Mr.. Hartridge spoke truly when
he said he was no moralist. His Platform
was simply bid for votes and nothing
| more.
Mr.. Hartridge seemed to base his entire
platform, Mr. Colding said upon the fact
that gambling existed in Savannah. This
is nothing new. There has never been a
time in the history of the city that gam
bling has not existed here. MIR. Hartridge
had stated that he proposed TO put a stop
to keno ard policy, but had said nothing
about faro, roulette craps and other games
known to exist in Savannah. Why this
invidious distinction, he asked 1t was
evident that he does not propose to stop
gambling, but only certain forms of 1t.
Why this prouunciamento against gam
bling, Mr.. Colding again inquired Are
there not other forms of vice and immor-
ality which exist unchecked in the city,
even under the very shadows of the build
ing in which the Recorder presides at Po-
lice Court. Was it because the preachers,
who are not so familiar with the evils
of the city as are some others had not
acquainted him with this condition of az
fairs Mr.. Hartridge had offered very lit
lie in the way of argument in his plat
form, he said
Mr. Colding replied to the implied
charge on the part of Mr.. Hartridge that
the City Court was not diligent in the dis
position of criminal business. Everyone
knows, he said, that the Jail is kept clear
by the weekly criminal sessions of the
City Court. 1t is not necessary to put
the county to the expense OF a meeting
of the grand jury in the great Majority
of these cases, and those in which indict-
ments are required, could be easily
transferred to the Superior Court. Law
yers frequently waive an indictment in
n F11r1f
trials. Mr.. Colding said that Mr.. Hart
ridges statement was misleading, and
he inquired what were the cases to which
Mr.. Hartridse referred as pending before
that court for months.
Mr.. w. H. Wade made q rattling
| speech, in which he replied 20 some OF
the remarks made by Mr. Hartridge con-
corning him at the recent Liberal meet
ing. Mr. Wade entered into some per-
! sonal history, explaining his return to his
old home, and then invited Mr.. Hartridge
! 10 look up the records of the Superior
| Court of Birmingham. If he did not find
| that he, Mr.. Wade had represented as
many cases during his sojourn in Birming-
| ham as had the firm of O'Connor 4
| O'Byrne during the same time in Savan-
nah, he declared that he would never raise
| his voice in the court room again. Mr.
| Wade said that he had had the advan-
| tage of no strong political pull of no large
| business and family influences, nor the
! backing OF powerful religious organia-
tion, nor had he been taken into PARTNER
ship by a firm which had the benefit OF
| all of these influences. Likewise. he had
not had to feed at the public crib to pay
| his debts.
| Mr.. Wade declared that Mr.. Hartridge
| had undertaken a big contract TO reform
| GO 900 people. He was willing to undertake
| the job. however, with the proviso that
q large and lucrative Office be attached
Savannah is surely to be congra tulated
! for this disinterested movement on the
part of Mr. Hartridge. Italy had her
| Garibald. England her Cromwell, Rus
| STA her Peter the Great and France her
| Napoleon. and now Savannah is about
to have her Hartridge, 1t should be
| borne in mind, however. that reformers
are born. not made. especially in twenty
| four hours. reformer must have not
only ability and integrity. but tireless
/ energy.
| Mr.. Wade referred to the unsuccessful
! efforts Of former solicitors general TO
stamp out gambling. and said that pre-