The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-08
CAPT DILLON TELLS WHY
Some Inside History Of the Two-onee
Bill.

BILL
Savannah. Ca. Jan. z. 1s95--To
the People Of Chatham County;
deem IL my duty 10 make 20 you state
ment OF facts. partly q personal char
acter. but OF public significance. which
merits your attention.
BY your kind suffrage. have, for a
number Of terms. held the office o. re-
ceiver Of tax returns. IL any fault has
been found with the administration Of
the office. ] have yet TO learn Of it, have
also held for a number Of years the posi-
ton OF clerk for the board of county COM
missioners. and, ! believe. 20 the entie
satisfaction OF all the boards under Wnom
have served I have been selected by
boards appointed by the governor chosen
by the grand jury. and elected by the peo-
ple. The position has never paid more
than SO a month While b. may Doe tecln--
cally an office" it can hardly De So re-
garded except in a purely technical sense.
The incomes from both sources have not
been large enough 20 threaten me with
either riches on pride, or 10 excite any
alarm on the part of the most democratic.
Solely because have been en- OutsToEen
opponent of "a certain faction In savannah,
] was selected by some OF the leaders OF
the Citizens Club. as the special mark Tor
schemes OF these leaders (some OF whom
had become our representative Boz the leg
islature) was he bin recently passed TO
prevent a Chatham county resident hold
ing two Offices. In their support of this
measure there entered neither public
spirit nor public zeal IL was exclusively
personal. designed 10 do me pecuniary
harm. II 7 had been "A member or The
Citizens Club and had supported its ticket
at the primary the bill would never have
been introduced. Whether you approve or
the measure or not, you cannot indorse
this motive or spirit
The representative who were prominent
in the advocacy of the measure We're Mr..
W. ". Osborne. the senator. One presi-
dent of the Citizens Club and Mr. j. j.
Doolan. one Of It's most active members.
They publicly and privately advocated II
as a wise and proper law ina furtherance
of the public good. While ] have just
stated my own opinion as 20 the inspira-
tOu of the measure, they and their sup
porters must Of course. claim that / do
their motives injustice. ana that they
really thought that the public interest de-
manded the passage Of this law. In their
oath Of qualification as members OF the
legislature are the words: "On all ques-
lions and measures which may come be-
fore me / viii SO conduct myself as Will
in my judgment. be most conducive 90 the
interests and prosperity Of the state
They must. perfOrce, therefore take the
position that they introduced and advo-
Gated this bill because they thought IL
would be Conducive TO the interests and
prosperity Of the state" Consistently
with their oath Of Office, they cannot base
their support upon any other ground.
You Will therefore, be interested 10 learn
that these two representatives., tAlcssrs
Osborne and Doolan) were prepared TO
trade on this bill and to abandon IL IT,
by this, they could advance the candidacy
of the nominee Of their club for the may
orally on the 26th or 9th day of last
November, l was called upon by a gentle
man, as a mutual friend of mine and of
Mr.. Herman Myers, the nominee OF the
Citizens Club, and ] was shown an ORR
ginal telegram TO MIR. Myers signed w.
W. Osborne and J. j. Doolan. which
stated. Deem il best that the two-ofiice
bill pass the House. Win hold II mp in
the Senate subject TO your advice
A few days after this another promi-
nent member of the Citizens Club. and
whose influence with Mr.. Doolan is known
TO be controlling, saw friend OF mine,
knowing his friendly interest i'm me. and
said TO him that If he would 90 ON Mr..
Myers ticket this bill would be with
drawn altogether. The proposed "dicker"
was not encouraged. In justice to all
concerned. l wish to add that before Mr..
Myers became the nominee OF the Cit
liens Club, a frined of mine, without
consulting me, and without my knowl-
edge, saw Mr.. Myers i'm my interest TO
secure his influence against the passage
of this bill; that Mr.. Myers, as I learned
from this friend, had expressed him
self as being opposed to it, and eudeav-
ored to prevent its passage Whether
Mr.. Myers continued his efforts after he
had learned that not even my neutrality
could be secured in the municipal cam
paign, do not know. The fact is that
] did not encourage the hope of this
neutrality and that the bill passed.
There can be no doubt Whatever may
have been the inducement that operated
upon Mr.. Myers that If / had become a
supporter of Mr.. Myers, or had abandoned
my support Of DIR. Duncan, this two
Office" bin would have died a natural
death" and the terrible outrage" of one
man holding two offices would have con-
tinued. If you venture to inquire what
this measure, introduced because Il was
conducive TO the interests and prosper
ity of the state" had to do with the ques-
ton as to who should be mayor of Sa-
vannah, I must confess my inability TO
answer. The occurrence may be at least
one of several interesting episodes in the
career of the club whose leaders organ
I'D and controlled solely ''for pure poll
tics and reform" Those members OF
this great organization who really
thought that l ought not to hold two
offices may be interested to learn now
how easily l could have defeated this
statesmanlike legislation. Very. Respect
fully, John r. Dillon.