The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-03-06
WILL WIN,
SAYS The MAYOR
HIS VALUE APPRECIATED.
MR.. MYERS THINKS HE is CERTAIN
TO BE RETURNED TO CONGRESS.

Will Certainly Garry Chatham,
Liberty, Mcintosh, EmnEham,
Bryan and Burke Counties, and
His Chances of Securing TattnaII,
Screyen, Emanuel and Even Bull
IOch, the Home County of Bran
nen-COl. Lester VIII Render the
Greatest Possible Service in Deem
Water Plan.
From reports that have come to
Mayor Myers he sees no reason to feel
any uneasiness as to the return of Col.
Rufus E. Lester to Congress.
The deep undercurrent is running de-
cidedly in Col. Testers favor" said Mr..
Myers, land the indications point
strongly to his overwhelmingly carry
ing Chatham, Liberty, Mcintosh, Eff
fngham, Bryan and Burke counties.
with more than equal lighting chances
in Tattnall, Screven and Emanuel.
Even in Bullock, the home of Candi-
date Brannen, there is a large and en-
thusiastic Lester following, which will
turn out for him on election day, and
they claim things will go his way.
While the Brannen men have
been at work, friends of Col.
Lester have not been idle. The
situation has been thoroughly can
vassed, and it is found that the hold
he has on the confidence of
the voters has been but little impaired
by the efforts made by his political
opponents.
The thinking men of the district
appreciate the value of such a, man as
Col. Lester in Congress. He holds
position of influence that no one else
could obtain in many years, and many
men would never obtain. For my own
satisfaction / have been sounding the
Georgia congressman, as we'll as some
others, to confirm my own opinion as
to how Col Lester really stands at the
capital. Without an exception there
come but words of commentator for
his valuable services to the party, and
his ability to do much more. AS show
ing his influence with the party lead
ers at Washington, l will quote from
a letter just received from prominent
member of the House:
Lester Well Thought of.
1.-THE present Congress convened last
November, and in December there was
a complete reorganization of the House
made by the appointment of commit
tees. At that time the Speaker ap-
pointed Col. Lester as the ranking
Democrat on the Rivers and Harbors
Committee, He did this upon the rec
concentration of the minority leader,
MIR. Williams of Mississippi, and so
far as l am advised and believe, with
the approval of every member of the
House. 1t is obvious that Col. Lester
could never have received this in
dorsement and this appointment if he
had lost his influence and his standing
IN the House, for | can assure you that
place on this committee is eagerly
sought by a great many more mem
bers every two years than secure
places on it.
The position thus given Col. Les
ter, continued the congressman, is
one that enables him to be of the
greatest possible service to his dis
trict. 1t is a position that his sue
cessor, if a successor other than him
self should be named for the next Con-
gress, could not possibly occupy for
a good many years. and might possi-
bly, never occupy"
The People Were Slow.
It hear" continued the Mayor. that
comment is made on the number of
postal routes in the First district
From all the information l can obtain
this has not been Col. Testers fault.
The people in the counties in question
were backward in putting in petitions.
The initial move must come from the
people, not from the congressman.
When their petitions were received
the postal investigations were under
way and all petitions of this character
were held in allegiance.
LAS soon as the road was cleared of
this, Col. Lester. who had never flag
rad IN, hi off 70 far.
his constituents in the country, brought
all the influence possible to bear on
the postal authorities, and as result
poStoffice inspector has been for
several weeks going over the desir-
ed routes in Bulloch, Tattnall and other
counties. and many. if not all, of the
desired routes will soon be started.
NO other congressman could have
done more under the circumstances,
and a new congressman, not knowing
the ropes, having no strong influence
with his brother congressman, and lit
tie or no standing with the department
officials, would probably have accom-
plished nothing at all.
Has Been Wide Awake.
IF a new man had been sent to
Congress at the last election, instead
of Col. Lester it is very much to be
doubted if the postoffice inspector
would now De arranging 10 ESTABLISH
rural postal routes in the several ooun-
ties of this district. This effort to
make it appear that Col. Lester has
been unmindful of the needs of his
friends and constituents in the coun-
try is without any basis, and is
species of cheap political chieanery.
The opposition to Col. Lester has
three war cries apparently; First that
he has been in Congress long enough
and is too old and infirm to serve
again: second that he has failed to
establish rural postal routes; third,
that he has been unable to get deep
water for Savannah. As to the latter
allow me to state that In letter l
received few days ago from the
chairman of the Rivers and Harbors
Committee, Congressman Burton, who
holds that position, said that the chief
obstacle in the way of granting Sa-
Vannah's present request is the fact
that since Col. Lester has been in
Congress he has secured more for this
rort than the united delegations of
other states have been able TO get
for the ports of cities far exceeding
Savannah in population and imper-
tance:
Chairman Burton saps: 1t is to be
noted that Savannah is now the sec
ond city in the United States in the
amounts expended for river and har-
Dor improvements, ranking ahead OF
Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago san
Eranciseo and numerous other cities.