The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-15
NO PRIMARY ORDERED
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE WILL
HOLD ANOTHER MEETING.
RULES HAVE TO BE CHANGED.
TWo-THIRDs VOTE OF ENTIRE
COMMITTEE NECESSARY.

A Change of Rules TO Allow More
Than Two Candidates Representa-
tion VIII Then BE Dtscussed-Five
Supposed Candidates Now in the
FieId-CIubs Being Formed in
Their Interest.
After a twenty minutes of random talk
ia the City Court yesterday afternoon, the
County Executive Committee adjourned
10 meet again at s o'clock Friday night,
at which time an effort viii be made, it
was announced to find out the wishes Of
the committee in reference to the advisa-
biIity OF calling a primary for settling
upon a nominee for Ordinary.
Had a resolution offered by Mr.. c, A.
LaMotte been put before the committee
before a discussion, altogether irrelevant
had begun, it would now be known wheth-
er a majority of the members of the COM
mittee are in favor Of a primary. From
expressions Of opinions gathered after the
meeting it is believed that the vote would
have been close. If indeed those opposed to
abe plan were not in the majority.
The meeting was called TO order by
Chairman Cunningham. The following
committeeman were present: A. L. Alex
ander, secre tary; G. NJ Petronovitch, E.
G. Gleason b. s. Wells John Power, w
p. I4aRoche. Edward ]. Whelan, John
Juchter. Charles A. Lamotte, William T.
Hussey, A. A Lawrence, Richard Wick
ham. Adolph NJ LETTER, W. T. Leopold,
+. A. NJ. Schroeder, Arthur B. Cummings
and J. J. Horrigan Those absent were.
Harry Willink. Merritt w. Dixon, William
Gibbons, II. f. Teynac, John w Smith,
J. ]. Morrisey and Thomas Ballantyne,
Jr.
Chairman Cunningham stated that the
meeting had been called for the purpose
of deciding whether a primary should be
ordered for the naming of nominee for
Ordinary to fill the vacancy caused by
the death of Judge Ferrill. He stated
that if a majority We're in favor of calling
primary the question would be settled,
but that certain rules set down for the
committee 10 follow would have to be
changed, and this must be done by two
thirds vote of the entire committee
Mr.. Cunningham said tnat 1t would re-
quire eighteen affirmative votes TO change
any of the rules. and that as there were
only seventeen member present, he did
not see where anything could be done.
The chairman said that the rules govern
ing a primary only recognize two candi-
dates. and that a change would have to
be made in this respect so as to give each
candidate represent alton. The rules also
stated that fifteen days notice of the in
1enUon to call a primary must be given
and that the primary must be held ten
days before the general election, making
a total of twenty-five days
AT this point Chairman Cunningham re-
membered that Is members made up two
thirds of the committee and that the II
present could, If they were practically
unanimous, change the rules governing the
holding of primaries. He announced
that the meeting was open for discus
sion.
Mr. Alexander said that he desired to be
perfectly fair and that inasmueh as there
was no certainty that he would not be in
the race he would refrain from voting or
entering into a discussion of the plan.
This meant that there would only be six
teen votes and that the committeeman
would have to be together to accomplish
anything. The chairman thought the first
matter to be decided was whether a pri-
mary should be called and then the chang
ing of the rules might be discussed This
suggestion was not followed for some rea-
son, although Mr.. Lamotte started off
on that tack. He moved that primary
be ordered. The motion was seconded by
Mr. Horrigan. At this point Mr.. Juchter
desired to know the rules under which
the primary would be held before he
voted and said that the purchasable vote
should be eliminated from the primary
How ne expected this miracle to be ac-
complished he did not say
Mr.. LaRoche opposed the consideration
of the question at all, on the ground that
two votes would mean defeat and that it
would be simply wasting time to take the
matter up with so few present From
then on the committeeman became hope
dessly lost in discussion without deciding
whether they even wanted a primary Mr.
LaRoche could see no use in taking two
bites at the apple and considered ii better
to have fulI meeting. Mr.. Lawrence sug-
gested that 1t might be web 40 find out
If majority of the committee were in ia
Vor of a primary at all. Mr.. Power said
that he would vote against the primary
unless certain rules were made which the
candidates would agree to stand by. He
did not think it proper to require a man
TO win in primary and then fight the
ground over in a general election when
he would have the combined forces of
his opponents against him and probably be
defeated by a candidate who refused to
enter the primary.
Chairman Cunningham said that he did
not DeHeVe that a larger attendance could
be secured and desired to know what the
members wished to do. Mr.. LaMotte was
preparing to offer a revised resolution
when Mr.. LaRoche suggested that an
other meeting be called for tonight Mr.
Cunningham said that he would be in
Milledgeville on business and that he
would not be back before Friday Mr.
LaRoche then moved that a meeting be
called for Friday night and that every
committeeman be urged TO attend This
motion was unanimously passed. 1t looks
now as If there will be no primary~an
that the race for ordinary will be made
in the open and free-for-an
Mr.. Lawrence stated during the meet
ing, that in his opinion, there would he
only two candidates. At present there is
nothing to warrant the opinion that the
number of candidates will drop to two
and. in fact, the general belief is that
there Will be in the neighborhood Of five
The friends of Messrs. Screven, Saussv.
Collins, Alexander, McAlpin and Keu-
bach are active and the first three ap-
pear to be in to stay, IT, indeed all do
not enter the field. Maj. Screven win
probably be nominated by the admnistra-
ton forces and Mr.. Collins win look TO
both sides from his strength, although his
principal supporters will probably come
from the Liberal Club ranks Mr. Saus-
sy would depend largely upon the con
servative element.
Already CIuhe ara haipg T.,