The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-10
CITY COMMISSIONERS IRE UP.
NOT PLEASED WITH THE INVEsTI-
eating COMMITTEES POLICY.


Sharp Probing of the Fire, Police
and Water Commissions Affairs
The Conduct of the Police COM
mission on Election Day to Be
Looked Into-The Influence of PO-
IiticaI Bias in City Affairs.
The members of the city commissions are
considerably exercised over the article in
yesterdays Morning News. outlining the
policy. which il is said, will be pursued by
the committee investigating the police,
fire, water and public works commission
ers. The commissioners thought the state
ments contained in the article were very
unjust to them, as it cast reflections upon
their official integrity and tended to place
them before the community in the light of
guilty parties whose guilt the committee Is
seeking TO prove.
The statements made in the article were
the substance of a conversation between
a member of the investigating committee
and Morning News reporter. The alder
man talked freely and expressed himself
without hesitation He may have been
giving only his own views of what the
committee should do or was likely to DO,
but coming just after meeting Of the in
Vestigating committee which was held for
the especial purpose of formulating plans
for these investigations there was every
reason to believe that he expressed the
sentiment of the entire committee.
Another member of the committee, who
was seen yesterday, said that the Morning
New informant spoke for himself only,
and not for the other members OF the
committee The tendency of such state
ments, he said, is to disturb the harmony
now existing between the commissions and
the administration, and would defeat the
purpose of the investigation.
AT the same time il is evident from state
ments made both by members of the COM
mittee and by aldermen who are not mem
bers of the committee that the intention of
the investigation is to probe to the bot
tom, and that the question: whether or not
the official acts of the commissioners have
been affected by their political bias, will re-
ceive considerable attention. That such
political bias has influenced the actions of
the commissioners to a considerable extent
some of the members of the present admin
istration, at least, are fully satisfied.
Charges to this effect have been brought
TO their attention. 1t has been charged that
the police commissioners on the occasion
of the recent city election practically SUI
perseded the chief, and directed the oper
atoms of the police force during the day.
The assignment of the men who were to
do duty on the streets, it is charged was
made by the commissioners and of the
twenty-odd men held in reserve at the
police barracks, all of them, with perhaps
one or two exceptions, were Liberal club
men. This charge will be thoroughly in
vestigated by the committee and the pO
lice commission will be asked TO explain
it's action.
The police commissioners were much in
evidence on election day, riding from pre-
cinct TO precinct and overseeing the police
at their work They will reply doubtless
that the interest manifested by them was
due to the general belief that on account
of the intense political Feeling on both
sides there was every reason to expect
trouble between the two factions, and
that they were acting in the public in
terest in seeing that the police did their
full duty.
Another matter. which will be taken up
by the committee Is the active participa-
ton of Supt. Lotion of the waterworks
in the last campaign in the Interest OF
the Citizens Club Supt. Lotion has never
denied or attempted to conceal the fact
that he took a very active part in the
campaign; neither are the members of
the water commission likely to plead ig-
norance of his work. The only question
is to what extent the privileges of a citi-
zen are curtailed when he enters the pub
lie service, and whether or not the engag-
ing of the head of a department in the
active conduct of a political campaign
with the tacit consent of the members of
his commission can be construed as polit-
zeal bias in their official capacity.
In the same manner, when the fire com
mission is taken up the participation of
Fire Chief Mcguire in the last campaign
will be one of the matters under consid-
Grafton.
1t is evident that the question of political
IL, IL,
If not the largest part, in the further in
vestigations. 1t is the only ground upon
which the committee can hope TO base
charges for the removal of the commits
sioners. They can hardly charge any of
them with corruption in Office or with hav-
ing used their offices for their own benefit
or profit. 1t is safe to say that so far as
pecuniary matters are concerned the rec
ords OF the commissions are as clean as II
is possible for records to be. In fact, it
would be a bold man who would dare
charge the contrary concerning any COM
missioner or commission. Unsupported
statements by irresponsible parties will
have little weight either with the commit
tee or the public.
Several of the commissioners said that
they were ready and willing to be inves-
tigated but they did not like being placed
under fire with no opportunity to fire
back. The remarks of the member of the
committee, tney SAID placed them before
the community, as being under suspicion
with no opportunity TO prove their inno-
cence. They were at least entitled to be
considered innocent until proven guilty
they said, but according 20 the member
of the committee, they were presumed to
be guilty before they had ever been heard
Some of the commissioners expressed
themselves rather strongly on the subject
They also expressed their disbelief in the
right of council to pass upon their politi-
cal motives.
Talk about partisanshlp," said one OF
the commissioners" What is the inVesti-
cation for but for partisan purposes.
Council can obtain all the information Il
wants concerning the commissions with
out the necessity Of a special investgat-
ing committee for the purpose. Why is 1t
desired TO remove the commissioners ex-
cept for the purpose of rewarding partl-
sans. Why not put the boot on the other
foot. Are there no partisans in the pres
ent administration This partisanship
business may prove a double-edged sword
before Il Is finished with"
KAISER WILHELM rs BIRTHDAY.
The Anniversary to He Celebrated