The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-28
FINAL DAY OF THE FIGHT
LOBBYISTS TO PULL
THEIR LAST WIRES.

Delegations From Both Sides on the
Ground-MayOr MeIdrim and DIR.
Duncan to Be in Savannah This
MOrning-Issue over the Citizens
Club Petition to the Senate Com
mittee-Affidavits of Parties Whose
Names Are on the Petition That
They Did Not Sign 1t.
Both sides will gather their strength to-
day for the final struggle on the commits
sion fight, which takes place in Atlanta
tomorrow.
Leading members from both sides will
go up to Atlanta tonight though it is
not likely that there will be anything like
the large delegations which went up last
week. Hon. W, W. Osborne and Mr.. H.
NJ. Lotion, representing the commissions,
are in Atlanta, and will probably. remain
there until after the fight is decided. Mr..
M A. OByrne, who has taken promi-
uent part in the fight in opposition to the
commissions, but will be in Savannah to-
dav. Hon p. w. Meldrim and DR.. Will
lam Duncan are expected down from At
lanta this morning, and will bring the
latest news of the fight. They will prob
ably return tonight.
member of the Liberal Club in talk
ing of the commission bills, called atten-
ton to the petition presented to the Sem
ate committee by Mr.. Barrow. This petit
ton was said to have been signed by over
100 Liberals. The petition, as a matter of
fact has 102 names to it. OF these the
Liberal Club has affidavits from the fol-
lowing parties, who swear that they did
not sign the petition or authorize any one
to affix their names for them: John Nc
Aleer, Hugh Donohue, John Deignan, Neil
James McKenna, w. Clohessy, Alex
Dingwell, Jack Quinn, James ]. Corish,
John Clancy, w. Nixon, ]. J. Hearn,
Charles c. Jordan, James Coleman, John
j. Murphy, J. H. Smith, John j. Kilroy
and Denis Shea
I'VE also have" said the Liberal man,
IAN affidavit from Mr.. William McCor-
mick to the same effect. Mr.. Mccormick
swears that P. McGhee and John
Supplee, alleged signers of the petition.
are now in Charleston, where they have
been for some time; that he had talk
with these men last week, and they say
they never signed the petition, and did
not authorize any one to sign for them.
Mr.. Mccormick says they are wrathy
over the matter, and are willing to assist
In the raising of a fund to detect the
forger of their names and to prosecute
him. No doubt did time permit, other de.
malls could be obtained.
In dQO1LlOn TO THESE tWenIy-CnTeS Iner6
are seven others whose names appear on
the petition who have stated to us that
they had nothing to do with the placing of
their names there, but for various rea-
4 sons, such as city employment, they did
not desire to sign affidavlts and requested
US not to use their names. Now, sub
4 stracting these thirty from the total of 1902
you will see that only seventy-two names
got on said petition in a presumably hon
4 est manner. Out of these, twenty-five are
4 known to be members of the Citizens Club,
thirteen are employees of the city in the fire
department, eight are on the street and
A lane force, four are minors, ten are non
residents, two are not upon the registra-
ton list, seven are colored and one, who
died last July, and 1 hope is out of poll
q tics. So you will see that this large pc
y ttion dwindles into nothingness when in
8 vestigated 1 will undertake to say that
outside of the employees of the various city
departments who may have voted the Lib
a eral ticket and have since obtained en-
q ployment from the city, there are not ten
bona fde names of Liberal Club support
ers upon this remarkable petition OF
course, you understand that the beautiful
system of non partisanship is still in force
IN the city departments, and men are
coerced into signing as the heads of the
departments desire. Such a perfect sys-
tenn or non-partisanship is that that city
policeman spent last week in Atlanta log
rolling among the members of the legisla
ture.
"One of the captains of the Liberal Club
who signed the petition is now an en-
4 ploye under Mr. Willink another. It Is
rumored has been promised Mr.. B. O.
Il rogers position as superintendent of the
.. e. M. department under Mr.. Wilhuk
Another of the signsrs who subscribed
himself as captain of the Fifth precinct
was neither captain of that or any other
Il precinct.
Mr.. Neal McShane who is one of the
H alleged signers of the Citizens Club pc
ton, to-day addressed a letter to the
n party, who, 1T is understood. circulated
4 this petition, demanding the name of the
party who placed his name upon it.
This gentleman replied that he did
not know whether Mr.. McShanes name
was upon the list, but would. write to
Atlanta and find out. Mr.. McShane saws
that If there is any 'aw to prosecute
the signer of his name he will invoke il.
Poker playing and mailing up exchange
doors may be good politics and evidences
OF Iaw1abiding citizenship, but a halt
ought to be called when citizens names
/ are placed upOn DetitiOns without tbair