The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-20
MADE THE RAFTERS RATTLE.
soUTHsIDE ORATORS SHOOK THE
ROOF OF HARRIS STREET HALL.

and Its Representatives and Es-
pOused the Citizens' COurse-Os-
borne Declared Himself on the
Salary Issue and Put Himself on
His Record.
The Southside Citizens Club of the
| Fourth District made the rafters ring
with responses to its orators at the Har-
| ris Street Hall last night Rafters is strict
| ly correct, as the finishing of the hall IS
not of an ornate character. If the spell
binders of the two factions continue to vi
brate the rafters with their political oratory
at the rate they have been doing they will
| bring the hall down about their heads be-
fore the campaign is over.
President Samuel Reynolds presided and
tehre was a good attendance ofthe admin
istration adherents. Including city en-
| ployes and a few friends from other dis
| tricts the attendance was somewhat
| larger than the previous Liberal Club
meeting al the same hall The speakers
were Mr.. Robert l.. Colding, Mr.. F. NJ
Oliver, Mr.. w. W. Osborne and Mr.. ]. S.
Collins. The talks of the orators at the
Liberal Club meeting furnished the speak
ers with subjects and they did not mince
| matters in discussing them.
After an executive committee of twenty
FIVE had been named and some business
matters disposed. of, Mr.. Colding was cali
ed to the front. He paid his attention to
the orators on the other side and replied
Of their charges about coercion of city en-
| ployes, which he denounced as without
| foundation, and referred to the conduct
of the opposition under similar circum-
! stances, AS an instance of coercion of en-
| ployes he asserted that Mr.. Thomas
| Cooley had been engaged in herding the
| employees of the Georgia Car Works and
! bringing them in for registration. On the
| subject of VERIFIED brick Mr.. Coiding said
| this Improvement had been introduced by
| the former Myers administration, and had
| proven to be one of the best things ever
done for the city. The subject had been
| dragged in, he said for the purpose of
| throwing mud upon the administration by
| nsnuating that one of its members profit
| ed by commissions upon the sale of vitri-
fed brick. That the city had not been
disadvantaged in these transactions by a
| single cent could easily be shown, he
said but the gentleman referred to was
| amply able to take care of himself and
would do so at the proper time.
| Mr. oliver was received with lively ap-
1
| speech. He referred to the slogan, ITO
the victor belongs the spoils," which has
| been heard on both sides, and said it seem
| ed to be a shibboleth in the campaign He
| had no objection to it. In fact he con-
sidered it sound politics The men who
do the work are entitled to recognition.
But in rewarding the victOrs,' he said
| choose men who excel in competency
those whom you displace. When the Cit
| liens Club is victorious it is always able
| to choose men from its ranks who are
| not only equal to, but are superior 70 those
whom they displace." These statements
were greeted with decided applause
Mr. Oliver said he was not seeking any
position himself, and was no dark horse
| candidate for a magistrates job. All he
desired was TO be allowed to practice his
profession and to lend such ability as
he possessed to upbuildng the city Of
his adoption. 1t is for the good of the
citizens of Savannah, he said that the
man who has served them so faithfully
as prosecuting attorney, should be re-
turned TO the position ne has so honora-
bly, and acceptably filled. Referring to the
office, Mr.. Oliver said that the
emoluments of this office and of
all the county offices are fixed by the con-
suitution of the state which provides
| that they shall receive fees for their SER
vices, and 1t would be impossible TO place
lntSt Officers upon q salary WITHOUT SEE
| curing change in the constitution, which
is not likely to be done in the near flu
ture. This being the case it makes no
| difference what are the views Of the two
candidates on this question.
Mr. Oliver closed with a tribute to Mr..
Osborne as IAN honest man, fearless. in
the discharge of his duty and willing to
discharge that duty regardless of friend
or foe
The crowd went wild when Solicitor
General Osborne came forward in re-
Spouse to calls. He made one Of his char
acterstic addresses, pouring rdicule INFO
his opponents. and stating his own posi-
ton clearly. II is source of great pleas
ure to him. Mr.. Osborne said that he is
to have a position in this campaign. He
is in the peculiar position of having been
elected solicitor general by the Legisla-
ture, despite the protests of three gen
tlemen who called themselves the repre-
sentatives Of Chatham county. He had
assured his friends In the Legislature
that these gentlemen did not represent
the real sentiment of the people of the
county, and he was glod of the opportu-
nifty to prove to those friends that he had
! not misrepresented the case. He express
ed the hope that Mr. Hartridge would
soon formally announce his candidacy.
Mr.. Osborne poke1 cOnsiderab e fun at
Little Johnny Schwarz" and that other
fellow whose name he had forgotten.
| 'CODurn, shouted the crowd, ana the
speaker proceeded to roast Mr. Coburn.
The latter, he said had been at such a
loss for facts that he had searched his
imagination, and had produced the most
improbable story that had seen the light
during the campaign. Anyone who read
the report of Mr.. Coburns speech, he said,
must have known that either the cam
paign liar had visited Mr. Coburn or
Mr.. Coburn had visited the campaign liar.
Mr.. Leonard. he said, had declared that
if the Liberals won they would turn out
every one on the other side, and in the
next breath he declared that this was a
very wrong principle for the other side
to put in practice
1.-THE political meetings have been very
funny" Mr.. Osborne said Immediately
you flush a bird and he takes to cover"
Just one word and l viii finish with Mr..
Davis for this campaign" said Mr. Os-
borne. Mr.. DAVIS may have been drunk
when he made the statement to Merritt
Dixon but he was not drunk when he
talked twice about the matter to Jimmie
Dixon, and certainly not when he came