The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-10-19
1T RATIFIED THEN BADLY.
The New Ordinance EICiteS the Ire Of
the INSTRUMENTATION Party.

Establish New Ones If the Plan is Car
ried out-A Bill Already Prepared to
Abolish Recorder Wilson's ohee-No
objection win be Interposed to the
Election Of the City omcers wednes-
day Night-Au the Old ofhcers VIII
Probably be Re-elected-The Fight 70
be Made in the Legislature.
Alderman Charlton's ordinance looking
10 the election Of city officers by the pres
ent council next Wednesday night was
the sensation Of yesterday. Il was dis
cussed on every corner, and was the
chief topic everywhere. The street rail-
way war dropped out OF sight in interest
compared with it. The eyes Of the mem
bers Of the Citizens Club popped wide
open when they read the story Of the in
PRODUCTION OF Mr.. CharltOns ordinance IN
council Some Of the leaders Of the club
claimed to have had an mixing of what
was coming, but IL was undoubtedly a
genuine surprise TO the rank ana ME.
They made their feelings known by loud
ordinations against the injustice and
craftsmanship Of such a move and de-
claimed against it in every possible man
ner II was evidently a hard hit.
There is no doubt that some OF the
leaders Of the club anticipated something
of the kind. not so much because OF any
knowledge they had Of the intentions of
their opponents but because having thor
oughly Investigated the subject they had
already discovered that such thing was
possible. They kept very quiet however,
in the hope that the supporters Of the
present administration would not catch
on to the fact that they had 1t In their
power to change the time Of the election.
rr-a nj
McDonough were taken so generally by
surprise at the announcement that the
present council proposed to elect the or
flcers for the next two years. They
fOcked to their leaders for consolation,
and the consolation given them was that
there was nothing TO prevent the council
from passing the ordinance proposed by
Mr.. Charlton, and electing the officers
but they were assured that the present
representatives in the legislature would
leave no stone untuTned to undo every
thing in this line that might be done by
the present council, even to repeating the
charter of the city if necessary, in order
TO place the disposal of the Offices in the
hands of the next administration.
This, Il developed, is the programme
of the Citizens Club. No opposition viii
be offered to the election OF the city Of
ficers for the next two years by council
Wednesday night for the simple reason,
It is claimed by the other side that no
opposition can be offered. There is no
ground upon which an injunction could
be based, and it was deemed useless to
attempt any move of that kind. The rep
resentatves to the coming legislature
have assured their supporters, however,
that everything will be done TO nullify
the action Of the council.
1t was discovered after Investigation
that the Office of recorder is The
only city Office which is provided
for by legislative enactment. \
bill has already been drawn up
to abolish this office, and it will be
advertised to-day. The title of the bill
does not state that whether another office
is 10 be created with functions similar to
that of recorder, but it is understood
that this is provided in the body of the
bill. The object of the bill is to get rid
of Recorder Wilson, whose administration
has not been satisfactory to the anti-ad-
ministration element. Mr.. Wilson will
be reelected recorder by council at ITS
meeting next week, but the representa-
tives hope by abolishing the office to pre-
vent his continuance IN office.
The other city officers are provided for
by ordinance alone and the plan is I'M
derstood to be to have the next council,
which the Citizens Club hopes to elect
abolish all of these Offices and create new
Offices, which can then be filed by coun-
Gil The charter of the city is being very
NdlEAhAiS Hluhleu 70 see II any IuOUlAcd-
lions are necessary to enable the club to
carry out this plan, and it may be con-
sidered an assured fact that whatever
notifications are necessary will be at
tempted by the present representatives.
There will very likely be some legal OBJ
stacles TO the carrying out of this pro-
gramme. The ordinance proposed by Mr..
Charlton was not prepared hastily. The
subject was thoroughly Investigated, and
u is relied upon by the administration
side that whatever action is taken under II
will stand in law. The idea that the oppo-
nents of the present administration might
attempt to throw out the incumbents of
the offices by changing the title of the Of
fees was suggested. The opinion of sew
eral prominent attorneys who were con-
suited on the subject is that to dispose of
the incumbent of an Office it is necessary
10 abolish the office in fact, and not merely
in name. Otherwise the act would not be
legal 1t will not do to change the title OF
the Office of clerk Of council to secretary
10 the mayor, or that of the city marshal
TO city warden, or that of city treasurer
10 city controller, or that of health Of
ticer to chief surgeon, for the sake OF
throwing out the incumbent when tho
scope OF the new offices is practically the
same as that of the old ones.
Mr.. Charlton expressed this opinion
yesterday, and so did Mayor McDonough
who said he had the best OF legal au
thority Tor his opinion. AS a preceden
for this programme the other sid,
quoted the case Of Justice Thomas ]
Sheftall who was euchred off the DO
lice force by the abolition of his ono,
several years ago, and the creation O
the office of assistant chief OF police
II was argued that this was a preceden
that could well be followed by the mex
council il 50 disposed. in disposing O
the city officials who might be offensiv,
10 the new administration. A gentleman
who Is familiar with the facts, informe,
Mroning News reporter that the Shelf
tall case was one entirely different in cir
cumstances from that Of the present cit,
officers. There were at that time tw,
lieutenants of police. The council Oh,
away with the two lieutenants and ere
ated the Office Of assistant chief. witt
a new set Of duties. The case is elaine,
not TO be parallel one at ALL
A Morning News reporter saw Alderman
Charlton in reference to the ordinanc
he introduced and the reasons for chang
ing the time Of electing the city officers
II have nothing 70 say at present" sal
Mr.. Charlton. Il shall have something 4
say when the ordinance comes up on II
passage Wednesday night, and / shall Civ