The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-10
LOST, BUT ADOPTED.
Continued from Tenth Page.

thinking citizen. believes that a stop
should be put to the purchasing of
votes, This is admitted, he said, and
the question is, can it be done? Mr.
Hartridge was of the opinion that his
rules would do the trick, but stated
that he was not welded to them. ANY
rules as good, or better. would suit
him, but some action on vote buyine
should be taken without delay.
He said that some of those who op-
pose the rules stated that there are
already laws to govern such violations.
Mr.. Hartridge declared that the laws
have been on the statute books for
many years, but have not stopped the
practice which has been tolerated in
Chatham county for so long Those
laws never will stop the practice"
said the candidate who is fighting
against the use of money. ''Those
laws don't reach the votes in the bal
lot box. They punish for the buying
or selling of votes, but they don't
effect those that have been cast for the
candidate in whose interest the pur-
chase has beeh made. The penalty for
vote buying or selling is a fine I'm
der the rules offered an additional
penalty is inflicted and one which
would be felt by the candidate. resort
ing to such unfairness and lawlessness.
He would be deprived of his election.
Purchasing Title.
"In many respects the Office
of Ordinary is the most important
one in the community. No man should
hold this title by purchase. AS long
as it is said that the evil can't be
stopped so long will it continue. When
public sentiment is with a movement
there is no trouble to carry it to sue
cess. Public sentiment has been arous-
ed in the matter of vote buying. All
of the candidates have taken similar
oaths before; either as members of the
bar, or as court officers. The rules
provide that twothirds of the men,
bers of the Executive Committee would
have to adjudge a candidate, guilty of
corruption. There is no factional feel
ing now, the tide has gone down and
now is the best time for the adoption
of such rules. If we sit down and say
that the Office is for sale, then votes
will be purchased as in the past.
Col. Juchter wanted to hear from the
other candidates present, and Mr.. Lag
aron commented on the rules offered
by Mr. Hartridge. He said that it had
not been his intention to address the
committee but that since he had been
called upon he felt it his duty to say
something. His emphatic position, now
and all the time, he said, is to pre-
serve the purity of the ballot. He didn't
think, however, that he could suggest
any rules to the committee. He thought
that each candidate should stand on
his record as a man, and that the pub
lie would not be likely to elect the men
who would stoop to the purchasing of
votes Col Juchter seemed particular
ly anxious to hear from Mr.. Collins.
Rules Not Practicable.
II am just as much opposed to vote
buying as any candidate running"
said Mr.. Collins, but I don't think
that those rules as they stand are
practicable. l have put a man at the
registration book to see that a man
of 40 does not register as being just
q and l am paying him for his serv-
ice. 1 would not have him otherwise,
and when I use a man to see some of
my friends throughout the city, of
course, I am going to pay him for his
service to me. l have already paid him
and couldn't take that oath. 1 could
not agree to those rules"
I'm. the event that Mr.. Hartridge or
Mr. Lazaron received $500 votes and
I received only 1000 1 might suspect
that one of them had used money, and
begin to look up testimony. It's not
a hard matter to get people to swear.
It's calamity, but it's true. Twenty
five witnesses might go before the COM
mittee and swear that the candidate
with the $500 votes used money, and l
might be declared elected. The success
full candidate with his $500 votes
wouldn't feel like giving up under cir
cumstances of that sort, and trouble
would surely follow.
Somebody Spending Money.
Somebody is spending money now.
A well dressed and nice looking gen
tlemen-well, yes I'll call him gentle
man-came into my office this after
noon. He said he wanted to see me and
I took him into my private office. He
told me that he was hard up, and that
unless he got something he would have
to go into bankruptcy. He offered me
his influence for $3.50. 1 told him that
/ admired his cheek, and he declared
that he was disguised with the whole
thing anyhow, and was going to At
lanta. L am told that man
will come into my Office wear
ing one of my buttons, and will go af-
forwards to Capt. McAlpins Office
wearing one of his buttons. / have no
doubt that they switch Mr.. Hartridge's
buttons and Mr.. Lazarons buttons as
we'll
There is deplorable state of affairs
in this community. To stop vote buy
ing you must first find the man on the
other side who won't spend money. I
don't propose to buy any votes. I think
this time, too. / hope so. Candidly,
i think that the rules offered by Mr..
Uartridge are too sweeping"
Mr.. Hartridge couldn't see in what
manner the rules are impracticable. If
the committing of perjury is a good
reason for opposing the rules Mr.. Hart
ridge said that the criminal laws may
just as we'll be stricken from the stat
ute books. He did not think it fair
for the gentlemen to say that they are
opposed to vote buying and at the
same time oppose a measure intended
to put an end to the practice. Mr..
Collins said that he was not willing to
go in a race when he felt that money
had already been spent for the pur-
pose of securing certain influence that
could be secured in no other way. Such
influence he felt certain couldn't have
been gotten without the aid of money.
He said that he would not deal in
personalities, but that this had already
been done Mr.. Hartridge said that
the rules would cover just such case.
Mr.. Collins said that he would be per- !
fectly willing to get with the other
candidates and agree upon some plan
or rules that fully cover the situation.
Five Favored the Rules.
Before putting the rules on their
passage Chairman Alexander said that
personally they appeared too comph-