The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-16

so per cent reduction would take out of the
city treasury about $500 900, an amount
very large in connection with the city's
needs, aud that it was out of the question
to consider such loss OF money justly due
her; that the ground renters ought TO con-
slider the very grave condition Of affairs
and not ask such "concesslon"-"to not o
dollar Of which, quietly suggested, "have
they any legal or Just claim"
He replied that these things, Of course
were all thought of, but what they wanted
was the $500 900, and he felt sure il I would
consider 1t favorsbly would be the next
mayor"
told him cit was utterly useless to dis
cusS the matter any further Going to
my office door, be stood In the doorway
and turning toward me again said: Doe
tor, you had better think this matter over
seriouslyn Then approaching me again he
said: III put my proposition, suggestion,
rather, in another way: If You cannot vote
as we wish, If you t0iH StHi promise TO keep
your mouth smut, and not make one OF your
logical, convincing speeches, we think we
can sway one or two weak members Of the
majority who voted with you before and
get the so per cent. anyhow, and believe
you can still be made the next mayor OF
Savannah By this time my blood WAS up,
and | aross and addressed him thus:
sir! You ask me to take dagger In
my hands, and plunge Ii into my mothers
bosom, and have her life blood streaming
down my arms, and say nothingl You
have spoken to the wrong mani"
To my amaZement my fierce rebuke did
not seem to sink much deeper than his skin 9,
and he turned again around toward me and
suggested that 1t would be better for mo to
have time TO think over it, and that he
would come and see me again the next day.
l again replied: "You need not come! |
will never promise you, or any man living,
TO do any act as an alderman that could
not do as an honorable mani Nor will do
any act as an alderman or a man that does
not meet the approval Of my intelligence
and cOnSciencem
Then you will not consider the matter
any furtherW asked he.
To which politely replied 81 will not
consider the matter any furtherw and
bowed him out of the door.
He did not seem to understand that the
character of his Suggestion relieved me
from any obligation of secrecy concerning
1t, or that his being a member Of the com
mittee of the so-called ground renters gave
1t startling significance But his hint about
the lone or two weak members" determined
me to adopt heroic measures to prevent the
grab. Mayor Schwarz had stated to me
that when the issue came ] would find him
''all right" Knowing that MIR.
Wells felt equally well assured
that the mayor was on his
side. | determined to make sure that there
should be no misunderstanding about what
his ''all right" should mean. So went to
him at the mayors Office, and, telling him
of the circumstances, put him on notice as
mayor of the city "that il any attempt was
made by council to increase the 80 per cent.
figure of discount already offered, | would
take an order OF injunction from the supe-
rior court and stop their giving another
cent discount
That is the way stopped grab OF about
S270,O00, and scorned the Suggestion OF
being made mayor of the city on any but
honorable terms
Ny opponent, Alderman r. F. Harmon,
was on the side of the grab and the party
who thus approached me is ons Of his sup
porters. LOUIS A. FALLIGANT.