The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-19
WILL Be NO PRIMARY
FIGHT FOR ORDINARY WILL BE
FHEE-FOR-ALL.
COMMITTEE so DECIDED.
THE VOTE . To @ AGAINST A IRE
LSIINARY ELECTION.

Dir. LaROche's Objection to Pri-
mary on the Ground That the Cost
Would Fail on the Candidates and
Some Might he DebHrred From
Entering the Race-The Primary
as Proposed would Afford an OPP
portunity for Political Chichnery
and the Office Would Go to the
Highest bidder.
il took the members OF the County Ex-
ecutive Committee less than half an hour
last night to decide that, in their opinion,
there was nothing to gain by primary
10 name a candidate for ordinary. res
olution to hold primary Feb. 6, offered
by Mr.. W. T. Hussey, was lost by a
vote of . to 6.
Ii was something after o'clock when
Chairman Cunningham called the meeting
10 order in the City Court room. The
members of the comittee who answered
their names. were Harry WiIhnk. e, C.
Gleason, William Gibbons, B. 5. Wells,
John Power w. P. LaRoche, Edward ].
Whean. J. 1. Morrisey, M. w. Dixon,
John Juchter, A. L. Alexander, William
IT. Hussey, A. A. Lawrence, Richard
Wickham, Adolph NJ. LETTER. Arthur B.
Cummings, William T. Leopold and f.
A. NJ. Schroeder. The absent members of
the committee were: George NJ. Petrono-
witch, H. f. Teynac, John w. Smith,
Thomas Ballantyne, Jr., John ]. Horrigan
and Charles A. Lamotte. The chairman
announced that there was a quorum, and
that he was ready to entertain motions.
Mr.. Wells moved that the committee ad-
journ without discussion, but there was
no second. Mr.. Hussey announced that he
had something to say on the subject. The
administration committeeman offered a
resolution which called for the holding of
a primary TO decide upon a nominee for
ordinary, made vacant by the death of
Judge Ferrill. The resolution moved the
suspension of Rule 3 and gave all white
voters who registered in 1900 the right to
vote, provided they would, upon a chal-
lenge, take the oath that at the election
they would support the nominee. The
suspension of rule was also suggested
and the date OF the primary fixed at Feb
6. The resolution provided that the sus-
pension of the two rules would only ap-
ply to the one election and not to all fu-
ture primaries.
Mr.. LaRoche was the first member of
the committee to interpose an objection
TO the resolution. He was thoroughly OPP
posed to the primary election plan. The
committee is without funds and must bear
the expense of such an election With
such a condition of affairs, the committee
man said,. the burden would fall upon the
shoulders of the candidates and perhaps
some good man, without funds, might not
be able to enter the contest. The speaker
said that there were no Republican can
didates in the field and he thought the
time at hand for a free-for-all fight, and
thus assure the best man victory. Mr..
LaRoche thought that under the proposed
would be bartering, political chlcanery
would be practiced and an honorable Of
flee would be sold to the highest bidder.
Mr.. Hussey in defense of his resolu-
tion, said that primaries had always been
held for the purpose of settling disputes
between factions in the Democratic party,
and that the only object ever intended
was to shut out certain voters. A large
per cent. of the purchasable vote had al
ways been shut. out in this way. Mr..
Hussey said that one vote would defeat
his resolution, and intimated that he
would like to have Mr.. LaRoche recon-
slider. Mr.. Power stated that at the SHOW
down it would be found that there was
snore than one vote against the proposed
measure. Mr. Gibbons remarked that
since the first primary was held in Chat
ham county the independent candidates
had always been defeated, and the ques-
sion was called for.
Chairman Cunningham said that he
thought the noes were In the majority.
and Mr.. Dixon called for division. Six
voted for the resolution and nine were
against it. This announcement was equiv
alent to an adjournment. and the primary
question was settled as had been predicted
for cavaraI 6ova 1 would la