The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-22
Have the Bottom Facts Been OBJ
taineds

The majority of those who have read the
proceedings and the result of fire commits
sion's investiga ton of the mailing up of the
doors of the city exchange are doubtless
wondering II the bottom facts of that af-
fair have been obtained. They would like
to know probably why the chairman of
the fire commission gave such prominence
to the report that the headquar-
tiers of the city government was being
used for immoral purposes in his letter to
the mayor giving the result of the invest-
cation, if, as he says, the commission has
nothing to do with any misconduct that
may occur in the exchange. They would
also like to know, doubtless, whether the
fire chief notified the mayor that he had
information that the exchange was being
used for immoral purposes. If he did not,
why did he not? He said in his testimony
that in the matter of mailing up the doors
of the city exchange he acted, as he had
done In other matters, with the only
view of protecting the interests of the pub
lie" AS high public official, influenced
by desire to do what was best for the
public would it have been out of place
for him to notify the mayor of the
information he had that the building was
being used for immoral purposes? Would
he not have served the public better and
more wisely by giving the mayor such no
LITIGATION than by mailing up the doors Of
the exchange thing he had no authority
to do?
We do not know that the city admins
tration can take any further steps in this
matter, though something ought to be done
TO find out how much foundation there
is for the report that the exchange has
been used for improper purposes. II is
somewhat strange that the public and the
city administration heard nothing of such
a report until after the exchange doors in
cident We are sure that if the mayor or
any of the aldermen had heard it they
would have taken steps to investigate it,
and to remove all ground for any further
reports of the kind, They are honest and
honorable men, and though they may
make mistakes sometimes nobody doubts
that they mean to do what is right and in
tend to give the city clean government
liNy NOui0 hON NO4SA etNS any llAAAlAOl d dCtS
of any sort.
1t is not shown that anybody has gone
into the exchange at night for immoral
purposes. All who have a right to go in
there at night are known. Nobody else
could get into any of the rooms, because
they are all locked. Let the witnesses who
say they have seen men and women
go into the city exchange at night
testify as to whether any of the
men are connected with the exchange.
We are inclined to think that these reports
relative to the exchange being used for
immoral purposes rest upon a very slight
foundation.
1t is TO be regretted that we have so
much club politics in this city.
Club politics is the worst sort of politics.
No principle is involved. 1t is simply the
effort of one club to down the other. We
shall continue to have such politics-hurt-
full as it is to every interest-as long as we
have club rule. If the legislature will re-
lieve us of the most Objectionable Of the
| commissions we may succeed in having a
%Slearer political atmosphere.