The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-24
SAVANNAH'S BIG STRUGGLE.
Continued from First Page.)

second was that the commissions had not
been sufficiently tried to demonstrate their
worth to the city, and the third was that
their retention was asked by the admin
istration then in power Now these same
arguments applied to the abolition of the
commissions, he said, and in concluding
he brought out the record and statistics
to demonstrate that the commissions were
not a financial economy. He discussed
each particular commission in detail, and
quoted the annual reports to CONFIRM his
position.
Finally Mr.. Charlton said that even If
it were granted as a matter of argument,
that the commission had saved few dol
lars to the city apparently, the legislature
had no right to put a form of government
upon the people of Savannah which they
did not want, and they had repeatedly de-
clared that they did not want the commits
sions when the issue was Squarely drawn
at the ballot box He said that the franz
ers of the commission bills had in all but
one instance placed them completely be-
yond the control of anybody. They were
responsible to nobody, neither the munich
pal government nor the legislature
Speaking of the commissioner of public
works in particular, he said that he was
responsible for the administration of his
Office to God alone The recent
effort to have the chief of the fire depart
ment dismissed for incompetency and the
attempt to impeach the fire commissioners
was cited to show the practical workings
of the commission bills.
Hon. Pope Barrow made the argument
for the Citizens Club, although he declar-
ed that he was not a partisan in the con-
troversy, as he did not vote in the cleo
ton, and if he had, he would have voted
for men on both tickets. He based his
charge that the Liberals were not the reg
ular democratic organization upon the re-
-
airy year ago, though they had partici-
pated in the primary of 1895, acknowledge
ing that it was fair and honestly conduct
ed. Mr.. Barrow made much out of this
fact and several times declared that he
would never admit that the municipal
government should be accepted as the voice
of the people of Savannah until that gov
eminent was elected by white votes.
The position he took was that the pres
ent administration is indebted to the ne
gro and purchasabe vote, and that as
such it does not represent the best inter-
ests of the city.
MIR. Barrow challenged the proposition
that the commissions we're not subject to
the control of the city council and read
the act creating the commissioner of pub
lie works to sustain his argument. He took
the position that Judge Falligant's decis-
ion in the fire commissioners case was not
law and would certainly be reversed by
the supreme court thus establishing the
right of the city council to impeach any
of the commissions though the acts con-
tain no such clauses
Mr.. Barrow went all over the commits
sions In detail, and presents statistical
reports to show that they have saved
the city money and given a better adj
ministration than the city had before they
were established. He presented a petition
signed by many prominent citizens, asking
that the park commission be not repealed,
and second petition signed by 100 people,
whom, he declared, were members of the
Liberal Club, protesting against the abo-
lition of any of the commissions.
MIR. Charlton, in making a brief reply,
declared that there were not half-dozen
Liberal Club names on the alleged list
and offered to guarantee that not ten of
the hundred could vote.
Mr.. Barrow also said in undertaking to
show that the Liberal Club was divided
on the commissions, that the Evening
Press, the organ of the Liberals, EDITORIAL
ly opposed the repeal Later on, however,
Mr.. Charlton arose and said the Press
was not the organ of the Liberals; that
it was not responsible for the club, nor
was the club responsible for it, Editor
Stovall, he said. was in the chamber and
approved this statement.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Barrow's argu.
ment the committee decided to postpone
action on the commission bills until next
Monday afternoon. An invitation was
extended TO others to make speeches il
they wanted to- but no others cared TO be
heard.
The meeting next week will be with
closed doors. There are six members of
the committee. From outward indications,