The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-15
FACTIONS LINED UP
OPPOSING FORCES HELD ALL
NIGHT MEETINGS.
LITTLE SLEEP FOR LEADERS.
SANDWICHES, SPEECHES AND BEER
KEPT UP ENTHUSIASM.

Day to Correct ErrOrs-hesuIt OF
the Election VIII Probably he
known by Noon.
At $50 O'Clock this morning the man
ayers and clerks of the special county
election for ordinary and tax collector, VIII
assemble in the office of the County Com
missioners, at the Court House. to take
the oath, assume charge of the ballot
boxes and receive the lists of voters and
their final instructions.
At 7:24 O'Clock, city time, the windows
at the several boxes will be thrown open
and the contest which is to decide who
shall be ordinary and who tax collector of
Chatham county, will begin. The con-
tending forces were gathered together. IN
more or less unity, all over the northern
portion of the city. soon after midnight
and when the polls open there will be
plenty of men in line, anxious 10 cast
their ballots for their favorites. The
usual contests for places at the head of
the lines leading to the several boxes are
expected.
The Morning News estimate of the
number OF qualified voters missed absolute
correctness by seven. The estimate was
5000: the exact number of registered vot-
ers now on the lists is 1898. The regis
trars closed their books at O'Clock last
night, though until midnight they were
getting the lists of voters in shape for the
managers
Interest in the election is at fever heat.
All sorts of conjectures are being hazard
ed by the politicians, but the prevailing
impression seems to be that Screven and
Wells have the better chance to win.
There are many, however, who declare
such an opinion to be the merest vagary,
and announce their confidence in the OPP
posite result. The day viii tell.
The board of registrars will be in ses-
sion from 10 until 2 o'clock to-day, for
the purpose of correcting any errors that
may have been made in making up the
lists No one will be permitted to pay
taxes and thus qualify, but IL he has al
ready paid mis- taxes and registered and
through some inadvertence his name has
been left off the list. he Will be rein
stated. The registrars will furnish him
with a certificate to this effect, signed
by them and countersigned by Registry
Clerk Jerome Sullivan, Of the office of
the tax collector. which the managers
will be instructed to honor
A Choice of Tickets.
There will only be three kinds of tickets
at the polls so far is known The Nc
Alpin people have ticket with Mr.. Wells
for tax collector and another with Mr.
Thomson's name on it. The Screven tick
ct is the same size and there is only one.
IL is the ticket gotten out by the ad-
ministration faction, and Mr.. Wells is
down for tax collector. No tickets with
Screven and Thomson have come to light
Senior Sergeant owen Reilly assumed
charge of the police force late yesterday
afternoon. He will go to the court house
with squad Of men before the polls
open and viii be on duty all day. Desk
Sergeant Henry Baughn will be second in
command, Mayor Myers and Sheriff
Schwarz met Sergeant Reilly at police
headquarters last night and had an under
standing. The police will preserve order
on the outside and will assist Sheriff
Schwarz and his deputies. The sheriff
will be in charge of the election but stated
that no special deputies would be sworn
in He will depend upon his present
force of men to keep things straight, with
the help of the police force. While there
the opening and closing of the polls, the
the opening and closing of the polls, the
police apprehend no serious trouble. One
of the patrol wagons, however, will be
kept at the court house during the day
Maj. Screven will be at the polls before
they open, but not as superintendent OF
police. He will have nothing 10 do with
the force until after the ballots have been
counted
The opinion was freely expressed yes
terday that the administration faction
has the better of the deal in the boxes,
and the McAlpin people did not appear
TO be the only ones who felt that way
While the leaders got a little sleep dur
ing the night the ward captains and
workers spent their time In devouring
sandwiches and disposing of liquid re-
freshments. All-night meetings. were held
in the halls throughout the city and the
district clubs viii move to the polls be-
fore daylight. The colored supporters of
McAlpin made Labor Hail. at Bryan and
Abercorn streets, their headquarters w.
E. Moore was In charge and speeches
were made at intervals during the night
and early morning.
The Oglethorpe Club, a westside col
ored organization, favoring the admin
fetration candidates, put up In Goldens
Hail. in Yamacraw. Tom Golden the
clubs president, was in charge of the
men and marched them from the Screw
en- rally to his place. The other district
organizations were In session all night
at their meeting places.
The saloon men will close their front
doors, as is always the case on election
days. AS far as is known, however,
the regular morning lunches will be
served. and there will be no trouble in
getting in the bars.
1t is generally understood that con-
siderable money will be spent and 1t is
believed that the result will be known by
=. noon. Most of the work will be done
in the early morning.
Campaign buttons. each bearing the
photograph of one of the candidates for
ordinary and for tax collector are in cir
cuation. Mr. NJ. Ed Wilson, who made
them, received the photographs late day
before yesterday, but rushed work so that
the buttons were out yesterday after
noon. There is little doubt that the but
tons viii be in great demand to-day
among the partisans of the several can
didates.