The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-28
WILL FIGHT TEDDY
IF He INTERFERES
STIR IN REPUBLICAN RANKS.
SIMMONS TALKS WHEN CALLED
DOWN BY COL. DEVEAUX.

Declares the President Shall Not
Dictate to the Georgia Republic
cans-If Roosevelt Insists on EIec-
ton of Postmaster Edwards as
Delegate to Convention Simmons
Declares He Will Lead Revolt
Against the Presidents RenOmi-
natiOn-The COIOred Politician Has
No Love for New Recruits.
Il am opposed to the Presidents in
reference in the internal affairs of
Georgia Republicans.
IF President Roosevelt undertakes
to force Harry Stillwell Edwards on
the delegation, against the wishes of
the machine, 1 will oppose Mr.. Roose-
velts nomination, and will lead a fight
against him"
Following a calling down" that he
received yesterday morning from Col
lector of Customs ]. H. Deveaux, j. G.
Simmons, a member of the First Dis
trict Republican Congressional Com
mittee, and in the service of the gov
eminent, said these things. Simmons
told of the calling down" and then
declared himself. Collector Deveaux
could not be seen.
The announcement in the Morning
News that President Roosevelt had
read the riot act to certain Republic
cans in Georgia who were opposing
the election of Harry Stillwell Edwards
as a delegate at large to the Republic
can National Convention was what
raised the howl among the faithful.
Simmons gave as his reason for OPP
posing the election of Mr.. Edwards as
a member of the delegation from the
state at large that the Macon post
master was a new recruit and had
never taken any interest in Republican
politics until after he was appointed
postmaster of Macon upon the per-
sonal Endorsement of Maj. Hanson.
Simmons expressed the opinion that if
the Republicans of Georgia were not
interfered with that they would have
elected Mr.. Edwards as a member of
the delegation, but he declared they
were not going to allow Mr.. Roosevelt
to dictate to them who they should
send to the convention and who they
should not.
Gave Out State Secrets.
A representative of the Morning
News called at the Custom House to
see Collector Deveaux as to the proba-
BILE nominee of the Republican party
in this district, but was unable to see
him. 1t was said, however that the
collector summoned District Commit
teeman Simmons to show reason why
he had given out certain state secrets
of the Republican party.
Simmons was not feeling amiable
after the calling down and declared
that he did not intend to stand by and
allow President Roosevelt to appoint
Democrats to office and then make the
old line Republicans stand aside while
these new recruits We're allowed to at
tend all the conventions. Simmons de-
clares that he has been actively iden-
titled with the Republican party in this
district for thirty years and no Presi-
dent has ever tried to dictate to the
party organization who it should name
as delegates to the conventions.
simmons Opposes Hanna.
If Simmons leads his threatened re-
volt against President Roosevelt it is
not known what candidate he will cast
his fortunes with, as he declares he is
opposed to the nomination of Senator
Hanna. Simmons chief objection to
EuWdGuS was SulIllilSd up III Tic
following words:
q am opposed to giving Office to
these white Republicans who, when
they are after an office come to the ne
gro and say: / am with you boys and
l want you to endorse me for this Of
fice.' and then when he gets with his
white associates he says: We could
build up a respectable Republican par
ty if we could only get rid of these
negroes
Simmons says he does not believe
that the Republicans will nominate a
candidate for Congress until July or
August, and that il is impossible now
to predict who will be the nominee.
Postmaster Blum does not think there
will be candidate from the Republican
ranks.
Will Fight Edwards Election.
Simmons has already started an ag-
gressive campaign for election as a
delegate to the state convention which
meets in Atlanta March %, and he de-
clares he will lead the fight in this
convention against the election of Post
master Edwards as a member of the
delegation from the state at large.
1t is to be a fight to the finish, Sim
mons declares, and he says he is not
afraid of President Roosevelt cutting
off his official head for taking such an
active interest against the election of
Mr.. Edwards. Simmons declares he
favors the nomination of Roosevelt, but
is opposed to the Presidents interior
ence in internal affairs of Georgia Re-
publicans."
Capt. Jack Crawford Is Here.