The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-16

ed in after they had fallen to the ground
| There was an element of unnecessary bru-
| tally about this feature of the perform
ance that only long acquaintance with
elections and political conditions in Sa-
vannah could render perfectly enjoyable.
The police force took no part in these
rows other than TO separate the contest
ants and strive to protect the under dog
after he had been kicked and punched.
On the other hand, the force made no par
ticular effort to prevent trouble, and the
same men who started the fighting in the
early morning and who were responsible
for ninety -nine-one hundredths of the rows
that occurred during the day, were still
actively at work when the polls were
closed.
Naturally this was encouraging to the
scrappers and towards the end of the
day they grew even holder. Several vot-
ers, who were standing in front Of the
windows, on the steps erected for the
purpose, answering the questions of the
election managers as to their qualifications
for the exercise of the suffrage, were
rushed by the heelers, pulled from their
places at the boxes and roughly handled.
If they CHANGED to be of a timorous dis
position they did not repeat attempt
attended with so many possibilities of
disaster.
Ringers Were Plentiful.
At the start the McAlpin forces had
clearly the better of the fight. They had
got their negro voters in line early and
they voted them promptly and regularly.
Their squads of voters were well organ
lied and a system of payment on the de-
livery of the goods was in operation that
seemed to meet the enthusiastic approval
of the colored brother. The Screven men
tried to offset these advantages in every
way they could, but it was evident that
so far as the negro vote was concerned
they had neither the organization, the
numbers, nor the essential sinews of war
of their opponents.
The McAlpin forces had all the ringers
in line with the early morning crowd,
and Deputy Clerk Sullivan stated later
the day that almost every negro in the
Fourth District had been voted before
o'clock The administration workers
charge that this fact was responsible for
the majorities of Capt McAlpin in two
boxes in their district, giving him small
majority In the entire district. The admin
stration workers had slept late and the
damage had been done before their eyes
had opened and they had realized what
was happening. There are a great many
respectable colored citizens residing in the
Fourth District and they always vote as
they prefer. Quite a number of these,
according to Registry Clerk Sulli-
val, called at the Court House later in
the morning to vote, and learned to their
amazement that ballots had already been
cast in their names.
The Board of Registrars was in session
until o'clock and many appeals were
made to IL. Citizens whose names had been
voted while they were still sleeping
found that they had no redress and that
possibly ballot had been cast for candi-
dates whom they did not favor. The
managers stated that it was through no
fault of theirs that ringers had been per-
mitted to vote and that they did not see
how they could very well rectify the al
legged mistakes that had been made. In
this manner quite a number of people
were given no opportunity to vote, and
among them were several white people.
While the registrars We're unable to do
anything for voters in cases of this sort
not a few errors were rectified. Persons
whose names We're inadvertently left off
the list of voters and who were really
qualified to take part in the election
were given certificates bearing the sigma
lures of the three members of the board
and countersigned by Clerk Sullivan.
Certificates of this sort were recognized
by the managers, and the holders were
permitted to cast their ballots.
Administration Money short.
Those on the inside realized early in
the morning that the administration can
didates could not expect to win by the
use of money. The campaign barrel was
very low and those who work for the love
and excitement Of the game knew that
some stupendous bluffs would have to be
made. 1t was stated before the
polls opened that there was only $1,000 in
the treasury, and. of course, that was not
plenty, and any number of work.
ers, and this fact was well-known to
the heelers. who are in the game for what
there is in It, Before daylight the Screven-
Wells people carried 1920 in currency to
the administration headquarters, on the
second floor of the building on President
and Drayton streets. 1t was decided 10
make strong bluff with this handful OF
greenbacks, which. as a matter of fact,
was mere bagatelle. The remainder was
kept in safe place for
those whose services were impera-
tive. Several thousand dollars worth
of checks, calling for sums ranging from
SO to $40, accompanied the cash, and these
pieces of cardboard were intrusted to
those who were expected to get in the fine
political work. They were used freely
and the administration vote became no
ticeable.
The checks did not last a great while
and the money was quickly taken up. The
managers realized that something des-
perate had 10 be done. There were many
unpaid checks out and no money on hand
to make them good. Those who had
voted and held the proper ticket were get
ting restless. and it was realized that
in a very short while 1t would become
generally known that the treasury had
been put out OF business. One of the
lieutenants thought ID wise to issue more
checks and fool the purchasable vote be-
fore the real condition of affairs became
heralded among the doubtful. 1t was
pointed out that a big howl would be
raised by those who were not paid and
that il would not make much difference
to increase the list. Additional tickets,
that were really worthless, were manu-
| featured and handed out on all sides.
The howl for money became stronger
and stronger, and the doors leading 70
headquarters were closed at noon. A pa
| trolman stood ON guard and no one was
permitted to go upstairs unless his busi-
ness was of an urgent nature. and he
had been satisfactorily identified. II he
was not in the deal he was not permitted
/ TO enter the sacred apartments used as
headquarters. President street, at this
point, was blocked with persons clamor-
ing to have their slips cashed, and by ]
o'clock it was known that there was nc
money in the treasury and none in sight
Raid Was Threatened.