The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-23
AN EARLY PRIMARY
HARTRIDGE, BAILEY AND KEEL
BACH ALL ANXIOUS TO HAVE 1T.
TO DECIDE THE QUESTION
WHO SHALL BE THE DEMOCRATIC
NOMINEE FOR ORDINARY.


nIr. Hartridge Has Had No Reply TO
His Letter on the subject of Pri-
maries and Square Politics That
He Addressed the Candidates for
the Office From Messrs. Collins and
McAIpin-He wrote These Gentle
men second Letter Yesterday.
Conference of Candidates Likely
when Views of All Are known.
MIR. n. =. Harmon Enters in the
Race.
Some of the candidates for ordinary
are already getting anxious TO have the
election Tor that Office held. or at any
rate to have a Democratic primary
that will settle the question. Messrs.
Hartridge, Bailey and Keilbach are
known 10 favor an early primary.
Il am anxious TO have the Demo-
cratic executive committee take charge
of the matter and call primary cleo
tion to select the Democratic nominee
for the Office" said Mr.. Hartrdge yes
terday. THE sooner the election is
called and held. if the candidates for
the office are willing to submit their
chances to it. the better I shall be
pleased.
''Messrs. Bailey and Keilbach have
already written me that they favor
primary, in response to the letter 1 adj
dressed to them last week This eve
ming 1 shall write Capt. McAlpin and
Mr.. Collins and urge them to give me
a reply to my letter stating, If they
will, the position in the matter that
they assume. 1 am very anxious that
the campaign should not be unduiy
prolonged and that the matter should
be settled as soon as is consistent with
fairness to all concerned"
1t is believed that when Mr.. Collins
answers Mr.. Hartridge's letter he will
express a willingness to enter a Demo-
cratic primary, though he has not ex-
pressed himself on this subject and
what he will do or be willing to do is
only matter of opinion. 1t is rather
thought that Captain McAlpin win not
be willing to enter the primary though
this also is a matter of opinion. Yes
terday Mr.. r. F. Harmon announced
that he would be a candidate for the
office and ii was rumored that Mr.. Lee
Butler, clerk in the office of the super
intendent of pubic works of the city,
T..
Butler said he was considering the
question seriously.
Mr.. 7. f. Johnson, another
of those whose names have been
mentioned in this connection, who have
made no denial of their ambition, could
not of course enter the primary and If
he remained a candidate the candidate
successful at the primary would have
to deal with him at the general cleo
N x8yffh 10 /
pin also.
Mr.. Butler, however, decided last
night that he would not be a candidate
He had a meeting of some two hundred
of his friends and though they be-
sought him to continue in the race he
determined that he would not permit
the use of his name.
II am partly induced not to enter
the contest" said Mr.. Butler, by the
entrance of Col r. F. Harmon, who
i feel would take some of the support
that would otherwise have been mine
This and other reasons have impelled
me not to become a candidate, though
! wish to express my gratitude to the
very many friends who have urged me
to make the race and promised me
their earnest support in the event that
/ would do So"
1t is believed that Mr.. Harmon will
have no objection to submitting his
claims to a primary election, conducted
under and in accordance with rules
that viii insure equal and exact JUS
tice to all the candidates
If the Democratic candidates for the
office all express a willingness to enter
fair and properly conducted primary,
and 1T is not thought that many of
them will refuse, the effort will be to
induce the County Executive Commit
tee to call such an election at as early
date as possible. Mr.. Hartridge says
that as soon as he hears from all the
candidates as to their wishes in the
matter of primary, he will ask a con-
ference with them to agree on some
plan of bringing the matter to the at
tention of the executive committee.
So far as can be learned all of the
candidates want the primary to be
perfectly fair to all parties, and the
plan generally favored is to give every
candidate a representative at every
box, and no one candidate more repre-
sentatives at any box than are accord
ed each of the others.
Neither the County Commissioners
nor the clerk of the Superior Court has
made any show of intention of calling
the special election, and the commits
SionerS' plan seems to be not to have
this before fall. There has always
been a dispute as to whose right il is
TO call this election that has never been
settled. The custom has been to have
both the commissioners and the clerk
of the Superior Court call an election
in these cases for the same day and the
election is then held under the Joint
auspices of both. This plan has pre-
vented the possibility of conflict in the
past or of a row over the result of the
election after it has been held. 1t
will probably be adopted in this in
stance, unless some difference should
arise. and this is scarcely likely, be-
tween the commissioners and Clerk