The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-27

rel on the election day. We will do
it,"
Somebody in the crowd asked If Mr..
Hartridge would be there.
III be there" he answered, land
I'll have some of the best manhood
in this town at my back. The man that
buys or sells a vote on that day is go
ing to suffer, but l am not going to
start with the poor weak fool who sells
it. am going to begin at the top and
get the candidate.
Mr.. Collins has asked what lawyer
of ability, who has brought himself to
the front in his profession, would give
up his profession and enter the race
for ordinary. l ask in return what
business man of ability would relin-
quish his business and business pros
poets to make the same race? One
question answers the other"
Mr.. Hartridge said that one candi~
date for ordinary had been guilty of
an action that ought to keep him from
receiving the votes of the white peo-
pie of this county. I'm 1896" he said,
there was an election for justice of
the peace in the Eighth district. on one
side was an old and gallant Confederate
soldier, who had followed the Stars and
Bars for four long years; on the other
was a negro, fresh from the peniten-
tiary of the state. The negro's name
was Fogarty; the white man an old
soldier. was Murphy NJ. Baker. On
Nov. 20, 1896, Capt. Henry McAlpin adj
dressed a letter to Mr.. J. H. Grady,
who is now in the audience, in which
he requested Mr.. Grady to use his in
fuence against the white man and in
favor of the negro. promising TO have
him appointed a convict guard in re-
turn for this favor. Mr.. Grady is in
he g. sxxt. Ia
mistake in fact he will correct me;
If l state only what is true, and 1 de-
clare 1T to be true Capt. McAlpin ought
not to get a single white vote in this
county.
Il challenge Capt. McAlpin to deny
that he is now using money in this
election and that he intends to buy it.
Let him deny it if he can, and If he
does I'll prove it on him.
He has been going around saying
to those known to favor my candidacy
that vote for Hartridge is vote for
Collins. | think he'll change his tune
after he hears of this meeting tonight.
Ii you think either of my opponents
better fitted to occupy the office than
/ am, why give him your vote, but tell
your friends to let their votes repre-
sent the thought of the man who cast
it, and net the money of the man who
bought II.
Mr.. Hartridge said he wouldn't
have the office if the mebmers of his
profession did not believe him capable
OF filling it. He eXhorted the conserva-
tive citizens to give him their support
in his effort to purify the ballot, or
forever after hold their peace when
the subject of political corruption in
Savannah is under discussion.
Before adjourning the following res
olution. offered by Mr.. Arthur M. Lu-
cas-, Jr., was passed without discus
sion, and the shouts in it's favor were
loud.
Resolved, by this mass meeting of
the white people of Chatham county,
That we condemn with all possible en-
phasis the iniquitous offense of vote
buying. 1t strikes at the whole mass
of the body polite and is crime
against the most sacred right of the
citizen. We call on all conservative
citizens of the community to put the
stamp of disapproval upon this dam
gerous and far-reaching evil.
Resolved, further, That we hereby
pledge our united effort to prevent the
violation of the law in this respect by
any means in our power and to assist
in bringing to justice all offenders"