The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-31
DID NOT ATTACK Mr.. FRASER
Dir. Adams States the Position Of COun-
Gil on the Police Court Bill.

The City Attorney Says the Measure
was Proposed in the Interest OF
Eoonomy aad Morality and That no
RsA sesion was Intended on the Solic-
itor General aad His Admins tr atio IN
oftle o6ice-The Discussion Growing
Wa m and the a sstion Between Mr..
Guerard and Mr. Fraser Now Rs
garIsd as Strictly Personal.
The difference which has arisen be-
tween Solicitor General Fraser and Hon.
r. d. Guersrd, growing out OF the bill to
increase the powers of the police court,
was about the most interesting subject Of
local discus sion yesterday.
Mr. Fraser's card in yesterdays
MORNING NEWS, in which he denounced
Mr. Guerard as IAN unmitigated and ma
hcious liar ana slauIerer," in case Of his
assuming authority for certain state
ments credited to him, is regarded as
bringing matters to a crisis, and the fact
that Mr.. Fraser left Sunday night for
atlanta, with the avowed purpose of as
certaining exactly what Mr.. Gderard had
said upon this subject, has led many TO eX-
pect a personal didiculty between the
two gentlemen In fact, inquiries were
made of the MORNING News yesterday,
asking if Mr., Fraser and Mr. Guerard
had met"
THE BILL LOST SIGHT OF.
In the exciting controversy between the
two gen .lemen, there is danger that the
measure the discussion of which precipi-
tated the unpleasant tness, may be lost
sight of or its chances OF passage injured
at least. MIR. Fraser has many personal
friends in the legislature, and
if the measure should be
allowed 70 appear as an attack upon him
they might feel it their duty TO oppose it,
1t was to remove any impression that
might exist in the minds of the public
and in those OF the members of the legiS-
lature especially, that the members of
the board of aldermen had made any at
tack upon Mr.. Fraser in support OF the
city's bill, that City Attorney Adams,
who prepared the bill, was asked yester-
day to make a statement of the position
OF the aldermen. Mr. Adams said:
MR., ADAMS STATEMENT.
''Thcre is nothing in the attitude of
council, or in the advocacy of the law
which reflects upon Mr.. Fraser. 1 am
sure that an attack upon him, or the ad
minlstra lion Of his otlice, was not cOntem-
plated, and it is exceedingly unfortunate
that any personal issue has been injected
into the discussion.
THE resolution providing for the in
PRODUCTION of the act was suggested and
was offered by Mr.. Alderman Dixon. In
the discussion before his fellow members
OF the board, in the mayors oiice. he
gave the reasons why, in his Judgment,
the law would be a good law for the pub
lie. These reasons We're imporsonal, and
would be good reasons irrespective of
any question that could possibly affect
Mr. Fraser. Mr. Dixon did refer to the
fact that, under the present law, gam
bling houses had not been suppressed,
that the indulgence of gam blers by Ia
king their notes instead OF requiring cash
tended to encourage a continuance in
their business, out he did not
say or intimate that this was the
purpose, intention or contempla-
ton OF Mr.. Fraser, or thatit was unusual
or illegal. The recent discussion seems
to have treated the proposed act as if it
applied only to gaming and the keeping
of gaming houses, but IL must not de over
looked that it applies also to vagrancy
and the carrying of concealed weapons
The resolution offered by Mr.. Dixon
states succinctly why it was thought
~ advisable that the police court be given
jurisdiction TO try these classes of cases,
and is to the eject that they can be bet
ter suppressed by the police court, and
there punished, more economically and
summarily than in the state courts.
THE CITY RIGHT.
"The city of Savannah already has She
right to punish for keeping open tip
ping house on the Lords day. which is
also state oaense. The cases covered
by the proposed measure come strictly
within the class which courts have
thought it was lawful and wise for police
courts to deal with, because these Of
lenses involve special hardship to the
citizens of a municipality who pay the
a. cd Will nio1
when committed in cities.
1T seems TO me that any personal issue
between representative who favors the
law and Mr.. Fraser, is entirely unneces-
sary. l am sure that both gentlemen will
discharge their Official duty as the public
interests seem to them to require, with
out regard to persons or the effect upon
persons A manifestly good law ought
not to be subjected to the burdens or
hazards of a personal issue The sole
question ought TO be as to what the public
good requires, and I am satisfied that our
representatives will be controlled by their
determine Iion Of that question. 1t was I'M
fortunate that any dispatches from At
Ianta should have made it appear that a
personal attack was made upon Mr.
Fraser. l am sure that no such thing
was contemplated. l recognize him as a
man of high character, and as a conscien-
tlous ana faithful Official, and l believe
nize him"
THE NOTE QUESTION.
In reply to the question as to whether
he had advised the taking of notes. MIR.
Adams said Il learn that the impression
has been made upon some that MIR. Fraser
took notes, in certain cases, after consult
ing with me- This is erroneous, and Mr.
Fraser does not so state. After the grand
jury had rebuked the practice, and in a
way that was offensive to Mr..
Fraser, he called me into his
office one day for the purpose of Law
ing the facts before me, as friend, and
asking me, in view of the facts, whether
he had done anything wrong do not
now recall the exact facts, but only, that
In certain cases, that he mentioned and
explained to me, he had taken short
notes, amply secured, for portion of the
fines, which notes were due and PAYABLE
during the term Of the court This was
done with no idea of encouraging the
gam blers, or their unlawful business.
As understood from MIR. Fraser. il had
been usual to do it, and, as l understood
the law, il was not an illegal thing to do
therefore did say to him that he had
not done anything wrong did not say,