The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-15
WHIPS LASH LAID ON WlLLINK
MAI. MELDBIM SCORES THE COM
MISSIONER IN COMMITTEE.

age-Mr. WillinIx Denies the Ma
jOr's sAsSerttOns-MayOr Myers and
Alderman Tiedeman Also Address
the Committee in Defense OF the
| Commissions.
| Atlanta, Ga, Dec. 14.-The ight over
the Savannah anti-commlssions bills now
pending began in earnest this afternoon
before the corporation committee of the
Senate. The Citizens Club faction paid
no attention to the bills in the House at
all, but centered their efforts on the Sen
ate. Mr.. Osborne and Mr.. Wlllink have
been here for two weeks engaged in the
missionary work. This morning Mayor
Myers and Aldermen Tiedeman and Screw
en- appeared upon the scene, to be present
when the bill abolishing the office Of COM
missioner of Public Works Willink came
up in the Senate. This is the only one Of
the commissions bills which has so far
passed the House.
Messrs. Meldrim, Duncan and McDon-
ough, the Chatham county representa-
tives in the House, were present in the
committee room to press the public works
bill. Mr.. Osborne was also there, with
Mayor Myers and the aldermen and Mr..
| Willink, but made no speech. His part In
| the campaign against the bills has been to
| do the turn behind the scenes, which he
and his side believe has been so we'll done
! that none of the repeating acts will get
| through the upper house at least at thls
| session.
| To-days hearing was in many respects
| the most exciting that any of the legisla-
| tive committees has encountered MAJ.
| Meldrim, who did the speaking for the
| Chatham delegation, handled Mr.. Whllnk
| with merciless sarcasm. The commits
siouer sat throughout it without making
| any outward show of his feeling, but so
| severely was he and his political allies
| lashed by the president of the Liberal
| Club that 1t was embarrassing to the COM
mittee and others, who were in the com>
mittee room. Maj. Meldrim, however,
| did not use the broad sword, but rather
applied the poignard In opening his de-
| Tense of the bill, he traced briefly the po-
iltical situation and conditions existing In
| Savannah, stating that he ana his coll
| leagues had only consented to come TO
the legislature because of their sense of
duty to the good citizens Of the city, who
had risen in protest against the rule OF
| the ward heeler and the unscrupulous po-
litical spokesman. Mai Meldrim showed
that Commissioner Willink had arst,
Through some little political influence"
|
Then the scheme to perpetuate his pollti-
cal faction in power and to provide berth
for himself was Matched. From alderman
he was sent to the legislature, and while
a member of that body and an alderman
at the same time, the bill which provided
the Office of commissioner of public works
was passed. In order to make him eligible
the law was amended so 5s
to make the commission of public works-a
commission composed Of one man--ap-
pointive by the mayor. He read to the
committee the law under which the COM
missioner holds Office and set forth the
remarkable scope of the authority vested
i'm him. The purpose of 1t all was, he de-
clared to perpetuate the reign of the Cit
liens Club faction. Being the creature
of that faction, it was but natural to sup
pose that the great power over the men in
his employ should be exercised for pollti-
| cal ends. Mai. Meldrim gave a graphic
description of the alleged methods of the
public works commissioner, and presented
| to the committee affidavits of men em-
| ployed in the department under him, who
had been discharged for refusing to vote
his way. One Of these affidavits was from
Edward Slocum, and another from Fore
man Patrick Mccarthy who swore that
before the late election Commissioner VIII
link called all the foremen into his office
! and gave them orders to have all their
: men line up for the polls the first thing
on the morning of the election. II they
would not vote for the Citizens Club ticket
they were to be discharged instanter
There was a similar affidavit signed by
eighteen men, who swore that they had
been discharged from the department OF
public works because they had refused 70
vote for Citizens Club candidates for the
legislature A fourth affidavit was signed
by ffty-six ex-employes of the pubic
works department. They all swore tha'
|
ala not vote according to the directions
Of commissioner Willink.
Mat Meldrim described how the com
| missioner Of public works devoted his time
to lobbying about the state capitol In
stead of attending to- his duties In Sa
vannah, though he draws salary of $3.50
| more than the judges OF the superior
court The people of Savannah, he de-
clared. had made his Office an issue II
the recent campaign, and by a majority
of 600 votes they declared that II should
he abolished. In order to engraft theil
man upon the city and thus retain contro
| Of n great number OF men for politica
purposes, he said that his term Of Office
had been made.six years, and that 1t could
only be changed or the salary modified bJ
| the legislature. The council was power
less The present delegation from Chat
ham county, he said. were not ward heel
: ers and representatives of that element
l | winch udQ HAtu hppl NAty VI R"'AH
nah these obnoxious laws two years ago
but men who could be safely trusted will
, the best interests Of the city.
Z Mayor Myers made a short statement
} in support of the bill. He said that wher
the bill creating the Office OF public works
commissioner was passed Mr.. Willink haf
. no promise from him that he should re
ceive the appointment He then argued
that the commissions had been a SAVING
to the city by consolidating six depart
ments. He presented a statement whicf
he said was prepared by Alderman Gar.
rard, which showed that the city hac
saved $4,000 this year, as compared with
the expenditures for the last year before
Z the consolidation. As compared to lsS
and further hack, the savings were from
5000 to $4,000.
In his reply, Mai. Meldrim took the po
7 sition that this was a false showing, as
I the same work had not been done this yeai
as In the former years referred to, bui
! that It was part of the conspiracy OF the
political spoilsmen 10 make an apparent
showing OF savings TO the public.
Alderman Tledeman spoke for the COM