The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-25
SOME MAY DROP OUT
NOT ALL OF CANDIDATES FOR Or
BINARY MAY STAY IN THE RACE.
THE VOTE BUYING EVIL.
SPECIAL COMMITTEE NOT LIKELY
TO TACKLE 1T.

Chairman Lawrence VIII Call n
Meeting of His Committee Early
This WeeL-Meeting of Executive
Committee VIII Follow and Rules
viii BE Submitted-Ehch Cnndi-
date TO Have Representation mt
Each Box, Although Some Say -
Half Dozen Managers Is Too Many.
Committeeman Predict That Not
More Than Four Candidates Will
De in Field at Sound of the Gong,
and That There Will BE No
Trouble About Manngers-Candi
date Hartridge Has Asked Menu
bers of Committee to Arrange for
an Honest Election.
Chairman A! A. Lawrence, of the
special committee, selected from the
Democratic Executive Committee, for
the purpose of fixing rules to govern
the primary election, to be held on Oct.
10, will call the other members of his
committee together early this week.
The meeting will be held within
a day or two, and will be followed by
meeting of the Executive Committee.
Onlll Inc QueSIlOH VI lulCo h0o ON~AA
decided the candidates are not willing
to say too much. They are anxiously
waiting for the showdown.
All of the candidates say they are
willing to enter a primary conducted
under proper rules, and every member
of the Executive Committee has ex-
pressed a desire for fair rules. With
this condition of affairs it would APP
pear that there should be no trouble
in the unanimous adoption of impartial
rules. There seems, however, to be
some difference of opinion as to what
is fair and what is unfair. 1t is this
difference that may cause trouble.
A member of the committee, who is
credited with favoring the candidacy of
Mr.. ]. S. Collins, stated yesterday that
the rules to be offered the candidates
will be fair in every sense of the word,
and that none of the candidates will
have any legitimate kick coming. The
committeeman had become impressed
with the belief that not all of the can
didates wanted a primary, and were
putting up a cry on the question of
rules. He apprehended that matters
will be so arranged that even an anti
primary candidate can have no sub
stantial grounds for a kick. He would
not hazard the prediction, however,
that there will not be bolt on the
part of some and this seems to be the
opinion on the streets.
The committee of five is made up of
four who voted for a primary, and fig
uring on the rules after the ordering of
an election; Mr.. w. P. LaRoche, the
fifth member, was unqualihedly oppos-
ed to the ordering of a primary, at any
rate until something had been done in
the way of shaping rules to govern the
election. 1t was street talk that Mr..
LaRoche would probably bob up Sc
renely with minority report when the
special committee reports to the ex-
ecutive committee.
Mr.. LaRoche said yesterday to a rep
resentative of the Morning News, that
all he desires is rules that will assure
each candidate fair count. He wants
no political chicanery, and says that
he will favor rules which mean that
there will be no impartiality, either
during the election, or while the count
is being taken. He wants rules that
will be fair alike to all of the candi-
dates, and not rules that will turn
votes for any one candidate. Capt.
McAlpin says that with rules such as
Mr.. LaRoche is DESTROYS of securing,
he will enter the primary.
A member of the subcommittee stat
ed that while he does not think 1t
either necessary or practicable to have
half-dozen or more managers at each
box, rules allowing each candidate
equal representation could no doubt be
agreed without conflict N
the opinion of the committeeman this
does not mean a great DEAL after all.
He is of the opinion that there will
not be more than four candida tes in
the field when the gong sounds, and may
be only three. If such should be the
case matters could be arranged very
easily in the way of managers.
The question of the purchasing OF
votes will also be discussed by the
committee, but it is not believed that
any rule on this subject will be offered.
1t is realized that there is no way of
preventing the purchasing of votes,
II the candidates have any desire to
hand their money over to workers"
For the candidates to enter into an
iron-clad agreement not TO spend a
penny, except for the printing of tick
cts, or other legitimate purposes, is
the only way in which the evil could
be remedied; unless voters could be
Men can be hired to work at the
polls, and no law will be violated; or
money can be loaned voter by a can
didate without any infracton of the
criminal code. There is no way to beat
the vote-buying game If the candidates
are disposed to play it. Mr.. Walter
c. Hartridge is very much in earnest
in. his effort to secure an absolutely
honest election, and has called
the attention of the members
of the committee to what has happen
ed in the past. This is really the Sc
rious phase of the situation. In the
meantime the heelers are trying to pick
the winner, and the man who is look
ing for the long green is getting &C
tive. The candidates, who have pinned
the reform badge on their coats, as
far as vote buying is concerned, are
not troubled with the individuals who
have several friends who will vote
rlOhf-h1lf Nhn rnad hn