The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-29
WILL GO IN PRIMARY
CANDIDATES. FOR ORDINARY SEEM
WILLING ENOUGH NOW.
ARE READY FOR THE FRAY.
EQUAL REPRESENTATION AT THE
POLLS ALL THAT WAS WANTED

Says, Is "A Fair Set of RuIes-Chair-
man Lawrence Thinks He Has
Them and Has Called His Commit
tee Together-Mr. Laxnron Thinks
That the Rules Could BE Improved
Upon, but They Are Impartial
Enough to warrant in Making the
Flight in "a White Primnry-Candi-
date partridge stiu After Vote
Buying Clause, but None Has Been
Provided for-NOt Believed That
Committee VIII Handle Matter
About Friction.
Primary rules acceptable to all of
the candidates for ordinary, will prob
ably be agreed upon tonight. Some
of the candidates would like provisos
embodied in the rules that will not
find their way there, but this will not
prevent their taking part in the cleo
ton called for oct. 10, by the County
Executive Committee.
The question of equal representation
has been the all absorbing one, and
since that is assured the candidates
have agreed to run before the whites
of the county. Capt. McAlpin said
yesterday that unless some paragraph
is inserted that will operate against
particular candidate, he will make his
fight in a primary. He has left the
question of what constitutes a fair
primary to his law partner, Commit
teeman w. P. LaRoche, and unless
some of the candidates drop out of the
contest entirely there will be free for
all in the primary with no boiling.
Chairman Lawrence of the special
committee, named for the purpose of
securing a fair set of rules, has called
a meeting of his committee for tonight.
BY way of a preliminary the chairman
drew up a skeleton of rules that to him
appair fair and impartial. They were
not shown to Capt. McAlpin or Mr.. Col
Inns, and there is nothing official about
them They provide for the naming
of one manager and one clerk by each
of the candidates, each candidate to
pay for his men. Under the rules which
Mr.. Lawrence will propose to his COM
mittee, and which will probably be ac-
cepted, all candidates must announce
eight days before the primary is held.
This is agreeable to those who intend
going into the fight.
Mr.. Lazaron would make some
changes if he had the framing of the
rules. but he said yesterday that he
had not been asked for any sugges-
tions. He had not even carefully look
ed over the paper shown him by Mr..
70 ha
two managers by each candidate. With
the present number of candidates in
the field this would mean a small army
OF managers and clerks, and it is
claimed that it would be impractical
BILE. Mr.. Lazaron says that the man.
ayers would have to absent them
selves from the boxes during the day,
but he does not insist upon
his claim of additional managers.
He thinks, too, that in case of a dis
pute between managers a committee
of three impartial men should decide.
He does not charge that Chairman
Alexander is not thoroughly fair and
impartial, but he thinks three arbitra-
tors would be better than one Mr. Laz-
aron says, however that he has the
utmost confidence in the acting chair
man of the Executive Committee, and
that because he will settle all disputes
does not mean that he will not go into
a primary under such conditions.
Candidate Walter c. Hartridge is
anxious to have an anti-vote buying or
anti corruption clause in the rules, but
ii is not at all probable that this matter
will be touched upon. 1t would cause
friction at once. 1t is claimed too,
that no matter what sort of rules
might be adopted the spending OF
money could not be stopped. Mr.. Hart
ridge suggested that a rule similar to
that governing primary elections in
Atlanta be tried. 1t provides that the
winning candidate take an oath that
he employed no workers, or spent
money illegitimately, before being
given a certificate of election. An ef-
fort has already been made in Atlanta
to do away with the rule because, it is
claimed, invariably successful candi-
dates are forced to perjure themselves.
Mr. Hartridge is the only candidate
fighting for an iron-clad rule against
vote buying, and the lavish expendi-
ture of money, and under the circum-
stances 1t would be difficult to secure
the adoption of such a paragraph.
Mr.. Lazaron says that he can see no
are other matters of much more i'm
portance. He thinks the registration
lists should be thoroughly purged, and
that some way should be found to pre-
vent the voting of ringers. He does
not think that people who are out
OF the CITY, or who are dead, should be
permitted to vote by proxy This is a
favorite trick, and invariably the ab-
sent voters are voted by ringers who
are unknown TO the managers.
All of the candidates are making an
active canvass and none of those in
the field at this time shows any dispo-
sition to throw up the sponge. Mr..
Collins has established his headquar-
ters at No. Is Broughton street. west.
and has gone into the fight in earnest.
The place has been fixed for the oc-
casion and nightly gatherings of tn.
Collins forces is in order All of the
candidates seem to realize that public
meetings in the summer time dom
count and that effective work must be
done by personal canvass.