The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-12
LIBERALS FINAL
RAIL
ISSUES OFT THE CAMPAIGN HAND
LED WITHOUT GLOVES.

speaker-Hon. Walter G. Charlton
Presided-His Arraisnment of the
Solicitor GeneraI-Messrs. Wright,
Lawton and Hartridge Discussed
the Issues of the Fight-The Re-
cOrder and the Gambling Question.
Mr.. Adams Opinion.
That meeting of the pending political
campaign. largest in point of numbers.
most vigorous and intense in its express
sions, and most notable in its speeches
was the gathering Of the friends Of Mr.
Hartridge and his political allies at the
Theater last night.
The meeting was long and the crowded
auditorium sometimes a trihe warm, but
neither suffced to dampen the enthusi-
asm. The crowd started to yell just to
keep itself pleased and happy as soon as
it had entered the Theater and dispersed
itself through the parquet and the bal
conies and it continued 20 cheer until the
last sentence of the last speaker had been
uttered. Its general enthusiasm served
to bring the brightest and the widest of
bright and wide smiles TO the face Of Mr..
Hartridges lieutenants and 10 keep them
there
The Fourth District Liberal Club gath
cred at Harris Street Hall shortly after s
o'clock, and at little later hour march,
ed up Broughton street to Bull headed
by a brass band and burning colored fires
all along the line. The procession was
headed by Grand Marshal Thomas Bal
lantyne, and contained the deliberately
decorated cab of Australian Kelly" who
has become a unique figure in Savannah
politics. There were all OF four hundred
men in line.
Down in the First district, to which
section of the city the procession march,
ed, the First District Club, almost as
strong as the body 1t Joined, was in wait
ing, and took its place in line. The First
District Club was under the comman nd of
Fred Schwarz With bands playing and
fiaHng red and green lights and cheers,
and enthusiasm unstlnted, the Liberal
Clubs of the Eastern and Western dis
tricts of the city, marched on Brough ton
street to Bull, and on Bull to the The
alter. The marching clans were greeted
with cheers from the crowds that their
own enthusiasm brought out to the side
walks.
The Thester was packed from pit to
dome when the meeting was called to or
der by Hon. Walter G. Charlton. The
lower floors were so crowded there would
scarcely have been room for single adj
ditional man, either to sit or stand, and
the gallery was more than comfortably
filled. Here, however, there were num-
Der of negroes. On the stage with the
chairman were Mr.. Hartridge, Mr.. S.
b. Adams, Mr.. A. P. Wright, Mr.. T. j.
Davis, Mr.. T. H. Mcmillan, Mr.. Arthur
B. M. Gibbes. Mr.: g. Noble Jones, Mr..
b. s. Wells, Mr.. J. r. Saussy, Jr., Mr..
Gordon Saussy and a number of other
well known politicians.
In calling the meeting to order Mr..
Charlton stated that he had recently come
40 realize that the position of chairman
OF any Democratic body is a serious mat
ter. THE last man who presided over the
deliberations of this large and representa-
tive element of the people of Chatham
county, one of the cleanest and purest
gentlemen and one of the best citizens in
this community" said Mr.. Charlton has
been pilloried and abused by Mr.. Osborne,
merely because he CHANGED, unknowingly,
to own house that was occupied or
thought to be occupied by gamblers.
From what Mr.. Osborne has said it would
appear that he knew that this house was
used for gaming purposes. If he does he
should have the morals courage to prose-
cute those who violate the law within its
walls"
Il saw In yesterdays morning paper
continued Mr.. Charlton, lone of the vilest
and basest personal attacks upon me that
has ever been made in any political cam
paign. This man who is running for so
licitor general, against whom 1 have never
uttered an unkind word, that I have never
injured nor sought to inJure in any posi-
bic way, has chosen to repeat an attack
that he had previously made. He repeated
it after he knew that l had denied the
acts and the motives that he attributed
to me, when he knew that every word
that he said was absolutely a falsehood
and branded its falseness, a Kissing spot,
upon his forehead
81 defy Mr., Osborne to show or any
of his friends to show said MIR.
Charlton, that during the entire course
of his political career he has ever done a
single act that was publc-spirited I'M
selfish, self-sacrifcing or dictated by any
other motive than that of self. This low
plane of personal abuse, upon which politi-
cal campaigns of the present seem TO be
pitched, takes its date from the advent
of him and his friends into the political
arena here"
THE fight" concluded Mr.. Charlton.
has ceased to be q question of individ-
uals. Your integrity. your civilization,
your decency, and your manhood demand
that you should support Walter Hart
ridge in the fight he is making"
The chairman then introduced Mr. An
ton P. Wright whose appearance was
greeted with burst of applause
Since his first appearance in polit-
ics some few days ago. Mr.. Wright
has caught and held the fancy of the pol
iticians and they gave him a greeting
that, had he been engaged in pointing
out to them the straight and narrow pain
that leads TO political salvation for the
past twenty years, could not have been
more whoe-souled and sincere
Mr.. Wright read from clipping of the
published call for the last meeting of
me Citizens' Club at the Theater. in which
the chairman had invited IAN citizens in
terested In good government to attend"
he humor of this invitation" said the
speaker must have appealed even to the
gentleman who wrote It. 1t seems TO me
mat this large and representative body
OF the citizens of Savannah / see before
me would demonstrate that a great ma
Jority of the good people OF this city do
not approve of the particular brand of
good government that Mr.. Osborne and
the Citizens Club design 70 furnish"
Mr.. Wright took the maftar ~ svoaa