The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-24
ROASTS HIS CRITICS
MIR. COLLINS JUMPS ON THOSE WHO
SPOKE ILL OF HIM.
He HAD A R0USING RALLY
BIG CROWD GATHERED AT Kali
SER'S HALL TO HEAR SPEECHES.


tions in the Past COntrasted With
Those of other Candidates-He LIS
in the Race to the End-Street
Railway Union President Com
mends MIR. Collins Stand-Mr. Col
Inns Says the street Railway Conn
pany Is Fighting Him for His
Course.
A goodly gathering of the more en-
thusiastic advocates of Mr.. ]. S. Col
Inns, in his race for ordinary appeared
at Kaiser's Hall last night. The hall
is a comparatively small one, and its
capacity is limited. but at least 200
persons filled its benches and sat
around its walls when President r. l..
Holland, of the South Side League,
called the meeting to order.
It was a sprightly performance from
the time the bell rang for the start.
In the course of it Mr.. Collins paid his
attentions to some of his critics of the
last McAlpin rally and talked about
them in a fashion that was amusing
in itself and that pleased his friends
immensely.
PreSlQenL f1OlIdUu DeSdll ny dohiiiS
those in the hall who had not already
subscribed their names to the roll of
the club to come forward and get on
the list, and there was a quick re-
Spouse. The chairman said he under
stood that there were perhaps very few
in the hall who were not already MEM
bers, but there were some, for twenty
or more stepped up to the desk of the
secretary and placed their names on
the rolls.
The chairman started things off by
saying it had been rumored about the
streets for the last few days that Mr..
Collins had withdrawn from the race.
He knew of one, and there may posi-
bly, have been more of the supporters
of Capt McAlpin who had been active
in spreading this report.
Il wish to say now" said Mr.. Hol-
land, that there is not a word of truth
in it. state here and now-and have
authority from Mr.. Collins to make
the statement, that he is going to be
in this fight to the finish. l want to
say further that after the primary is
over there will be some of his oppo-
nents who will wish that they had
withdrawn, before the fight came on
President Holland then introduced
Frank Drexler, president of the Union
of Street Railway Employees, as the
first speaker of the evening.
Mr.. Drexler began with the state
ment that he is no speaker, and then
proceeded to disprove it. He may lack
some of the grace of the polished ora
tor, but he has a way of stating crude
facts that is effective and that goes
straight home. He jumped right into
the midst of what he had to say.
II want to say that there is no can
didate now in the race for ordinary
who has stuck to the workingmen of
this city, at all times and under all
conditions. as has Jake Collins. When
the street railway employees were
making their fight against the COM
pany, he stuck to us-stuck to us
through thick and thin. He did every
thing in his power, even to the sacri-
flee of his own interests, to gain our
fight.
Everybody in this hall knows as
Wen as ] do that Mr. Collins owns
$780, 900 worth of stock in the Savannah,
Thunderbolt and Isle of Hope Rail-
way. 1t did not keep him from stand
ing up for the just cause of the men.
Talk about Lazaron being the work.
ingman's' friend What has he ever
done for the workingman? Why, when
he had something to do with the West
End Railway he tried to secure the
-
whom he accused of knocking down
and when he finally secured control of
that road he fired all the white men
in its employ and put negroes in their
places He wouldn't give a white man
chance to make a living.
Mr. Collins has sacrificed himself
When the strike was going on, he told
us if there was a man who was in
want to send that man to him. He
has been our friend. There is no can
didate in the race who deserves the
votes of the workingman so well.
That's all I've got to say" The speak
er sat down to the accompaniment of
very loud and prolonged applause.
He was followed by Capt W. NJ.
Clark. Capt. Clark recounted an Incl
dent he said occurred before the death
of Maj Screven and therefore, before
there was any vacancy in the Office of
ordinary, which illustrated Mr.. Col
Inns friendship for the workingman.
There was a man discharged from
the service of the railway company,
for some reason l don't know. His
name, / think, was Ferreira. General
Manager McIntire then had him ar
rested for carrying concealed weapons.
Ferreira was induced to plead guilty,
though he was not guilty, on the I'M
Outstanding that his fine would be re-
mittted. He found, when he had en-
. tered the plea, that his nne would be
RENTED only on the understanding
that he leave the city. He went to
Mr.. Collins and Mr.. Collins told him
to stay.
He went anyhow. In a few days
he returned and Mr.. McIntire had him
arrested again He was then told he
would either have to leave the city or
serve out his sentence. He went to Mr..
Collins again. and again Mr.. Collins
advised him to stay where he was. He
would not take this advice, but deter
mined to leave the city, and Mr.. Col
Inns furnished him with the money to
go That incident, l think. will show
Just what sort of a friend to the labor
ing man is ]. S. Collins
Capt Clark said the only way to
judge of any candidates disposition to-
wards the laboring man was by what
he had done in the past
"Now" he asked. Judging by the
records of these candidates who asked
your votes, by which one Of them are
you going to stand?"
President Holland introduced w. T.
Hussey as the next speaker. Mr.. Hus-
sey said ii made him proud to look into
the faces of so many good friends of
Mr.. Collins. 1T makes me think he
said. "of the fight we had in May,
year ago. It was noble fight, and we
won II nobly, and l think we are go
ing to win again"
Enough has been said in praise of