The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-21
FATE OF THE COMMISSIONS,
BATTLE ROYAL TO BEGIN in THE
SENATE TUESDAY.

egntiOns, Who Will Go Up Tonight
and Tomorrow Night Each
Claims Victory-The Result Likely
TO BE Fin1I-PeOpIe Tired of the
Constant WrangIing on the Sub
ject.
The question of commissions or no com.
missions for Savannah will be fought out
before the Senate this week.
Judging by the attitude Of the leaders
on both sides, the friends of the commits
sions have somewhat the better of 1t.
Every Citizens Club man who has return
cd from Atlanta during the last week has
come with an air of assured confidence.
Their report has been that the commits
sions are solid in the Senate.
On the other hand, Chatham's three rep
resentatives, realizing how much they
were hampered by the opposition of the
senator from the First district, have con-
tented themselves with asserting their
belief that the Senate would view the mat
ter fairly and concede the wishes of the
people of Chatham as expressed by their
delegat es
AS one OF the representatives Is report
ed to have said, unless the senators have
consciences as hard as briekbats, the COM
mission bills will be repealed. A ma
jority of the senators are said to have
lent sympathetic ear to the views of the
members from Chatham. Some have given
assurances of positive support, while
others have stated their desire to adjudge
the question fairly and impartially after
full hearing from both sides. If the
Senate adopts this course, the Liberals
are satisfied the repeating bills will be-
come laws.
Bills repeating all of the COM
missions are now before the SEN
ate. the bill to repeal the
act creating the commissioner of public
works having recently passed the House
without opposition.
The last CLEAN of compromise has expir-
ed and it is now a question of a fight to
the finish with the Senate as the arena.
Large delegations from both sides will go
up tonight and tomorrow night. The
aldermanic committee, appointed by the
mayor by resolution of council, to appear
before the Senate and express the wishes
of council In the matter, consists of AL
dermen Hamilton, Charlton, Hull, Guck-
enheimer and Wylly. A delegation of Lib
erals is expected to accompany the COM
mittee.
\ The Citizens have not announced their
committee, but it is said that they will
have a large delegation. Solicitor Cen
eral w. W. Osborne, who was in Atlanta
nearly all of last week, and
Mr.. A. A. Lawrence will doubtless
head the committee. Hon. Pope Barrow
may accompany it. Others who will prob
ably go are Mr.. A N. Manucy Superin-
tendent of Water Works H. NJ. Lotion and
Commissioner of Public Works Harry
Willink. Several members of the commits
soners are expected to be in line also. 1t
is evident that while the Citizens express
confidence, they do not propose to let the
fight go by default.
Mr.. Osborne was seen yesterday by a
Morning News reporter, but declined to be
quoted on the situation. He seemed very
well satisfied with the state of affairs,
however
1t was reported last night that city
employe, who was formerly a Liberal par
tisan, but now sees things differently. was
circulating petition among the Liberal
captains or precincts at the last city cleo
ton, to the effect that the issue was not
commissions, but A. P. Aism, the petition
being, Of course, intended for use before
the legislature. Whether any signatures
were secured is not known. 1t was also
said that petition to the same effect
was being circulated on the west side of
the city.
The petition for the retention of the park
and tree commission has been largely sign
ed by citizens, irrespective of factions.
Among the signers of this petition are
some of the solid men of the Liberal Club
There is not near the interest and ex-
element in the fight, however, that there
was on the last and first occasion of the
kind nearly year ago. the fight being
largely left to the officials. The repre-
sentatives and council stand for one side
of the question and the commissioners and
office-holders under the commissions, the
other. The average citizen has no opinion
one way or the other, as rule, but he is
not tearing his shirt about 1t, as a good
many threatened to do last fall.
The fight is an important one, though,
and whichever way it goes, the decision is
likely to be final. If the commissions win
they can be regarded as permanent, as
permanency goes in political things. If
the commissions lose it is likely to be the
last of the experiment here for some time
to come The side which wins the next
municipal battle will be content to take
things as stand without seeking changes
for its political advantage. The people
are heartily tired of wrangling on the sub
ject and the faction which seeks to renew
it a year hence will hardly meet with ia
Vor.