The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-20
M'ALPIN IS THE CANDIDATE
WHOM REPUBLICAN LEADERS En-
PECT TO OPPOSE COL. LESTER.

They Do Not Deny He VIII Be Nomi-
mated by the District Convention.
That Meets in Savannah on sept.
IL. Though They Say Nothing Def
mite Can BE Given Out tat This
Tfme-Mr. johnson Is StilI in the
Race and May Not Retire--Capt.
McAIpin's Reported Nomination Is
TO BE by the other Wing of the
Party-TwO Republican Candidates
Would Please Democrats.
It is believed that at the Republican
District Convention. to be held in Savan-
nah Sept. u, Capt. Henry McAlpin will
he nominated as The candidate of the par
~ for Congress. 1t is practically certain
that his name will be placed in nomination
before the convention, ana ii is asserted
that he will receive easily the necessary
number OF votes to make him the con-
ven ions choice.
Capt. McAlpin was not in the city yes
terday ana could not, therefore, be seen
abou; this report. but it has been verified
10y the virtual admissions of several well
known Republican politicians of the coun-
ty and district. When they are spoken to
on the subject the burden of the song
to which the Republican leaders immedi-
ately attune their voices is that nothing
has been definitely decided and that, in
the very nature of things, nothing can be
decided until the convention is held.
There are indications, however. that the
nomination of Capt. McAlpin by the party
convention will not be productive of the
one of its primary objects and purposes.
The convention to be held is that of the
wing of the party of which Mr.. w. R.
Leaken, Capt. Henry Blum and Col !.
II. Deveaux are the leaders. L. NJ. Pleas
ant is the chairman of its executive com
mittee. The adverse faction is headed by
Postmaster Joseph f. Doyle and it's dis
trict committee by James r. Delegal
This latter faction has placed in nomi-
nation already the name of Mr.. Tomin-
son f. johnson and its leaders fail 10
verify the report that he contemples a
graceful retirement in favor of Capt. Nc
Alpin or anyone else. Mr.. johnson now
being the first in the field and is rather
unwilling to relinquish it to another, es-
pecially when that other is the prospec-
tive nominee of the hostile wing of the
party. Though his campaign 40 date has
been characterized by mastery mac
tiVity, it may be that he intends to
change his tactics and develop greater
mobility as the elections approach.
Two Republican candidates actually in
the fed would, of course, be the thing
most desired of the Democrats next to
there being no Republican candidate at
all. If the factional differences of the
Republicans determine them to make the
fight with two candidates, or, rather, pre-
vent them from making it with one, Col
Lester and his supporters will doubtless
be satisfied very amply.
Capt. McAlpin's nomination by the con-
vention, If he can be induced to accept
it, is practically beyond doubt, notwith-
standing the sighting estimates of their
own influence that the leaders of the Re
publican party see fit to make when they
are approached on the subject. They seem
confident enough. too, that he will accept,
one of them stating, as a reason for with
holding the announcement of the conven-
tons nomination. that between now
and then the prospective candidate might
change his mind The evident inference
from this remark is that they have re-
ceived assurances he would accept the
nomination were 1t rendered him
Up to the present time Capt. McAlpin's
allegiance to the Democratic party has not
been questioned, though, as has already
been stated, he is known to have opposed
the sixteen-to-one plank and some other
features of the Chicago and Kansas City
platforms. 1t is upon this issue, doubt
less that he will make the fight, in case
he should be made the Republican candi-
date, expecting to receive the support of
those members of the Democratic party
whose opposition to the free coinage Of
silver is sufficiently intense to overbalance
their opposition to militarism and impe
rialism
Capt. McAlpin 1t is stated, will return 10
the city this morning. and it will doubt
less be possible to secure from him then
some positive statement of his intentions.
In the meantime il may be stated safely
that if he should decline to run under their
auspices or TO accept the nomination at
the hands of their convention, the Repub-
lican leaders of the district will be a very
badly surprised lot of men.