The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-12
THEY HAVE LOOKED INTO 1T.
laws IN THE PLANS OF THE
LIBERAL CLUB LEADERS.

ou,ositton Leaders, They Say, Are
.. posted on the Law II They Be
-. They Can Abolish Offices
-, Then Re-estabIIsh Them Tn
4uother TitIe-A Page From
-, citfzens Clubs Inner History.
c,r,mission of Public Works to
created by COuncil-Captions
,,-tised for All the New Com
mission Bills.
q ,itsraI club leaders are not at all wor-
~. +be belief some of their opposition
u ..,.,,s express that if the anti-Liberals
.rrr the next city election they can get
-, If Liberal Club offieeholders in the
q mango by merely abolishing their offices
4 ,,a constructing them under another
4 utle.
4 ur,-at phase of the matter has been
-,,.., careful consideration" said prom
5..rt r3beralite yesterday. "Our oppon-
r,s ought to know by this time that they
\ are not dealing with amateurs. We have
n ,be hest legal opinions to the effect that
a., office cannot be abolished merely to get
r1 of the incumbent, and then be re-es-
4 ,,blisbed under another title. with the
same duties and a new man to perform
4 them If the opposition should win in
January and do this they would find that
4 the courts would give the officeholders
who were ousted redress. The question,
W. are informed, has been passed on in va
rous forms by different states, and in ev-
\ erv instance the officers who were put out
s IN This manner secured damages from the
4 coronation 10 the extent of their salaries
. for the full term for which they were
& elected Neither could they put an
d oficebolders out merely because they diff
& Tered with him in politics. That was done
& once in Savannah, when Waring Russell
was Tailor Il was under Mayor Arnold,
I believe He was put out of Office. sued
Il and got, if memory serves me rightly,
q DAMAGES to the extent of over $4,000. Our
n Citizens Club friends may not know it.
Il but all such things are governed by law.
The man who is elected to
b an office by the present City Council
need have no fear. He will not be put
out until he has served his term"
A Liberal Club leader who was Citi-
zeus Club leader four years ago, threw
Fl new llgnt on the question.
81 don't doubt but that they would like
to do this" said he, but 1t is not posi-
n be -Four years ago, when 1 was with
n the Citizens Club, we discussed exactly
n this question. The outgoing board then
elected the city officers. We knew we
we're going to win in the city fight, and
put in the Mayor and aldermen. We.were
all patriots, but at the same time we
m didn't care TO have our political enemies
,,,t ~, 4 f,r.a ,f,,aJ
not 10 allow them to stay. At first we
thought that the best political policy would
be to say nothing, let the City Council,
then H. elect the officers just before its
term ran out, and then as soon as we got
in abolish their offices by ordinance, re-
establish them under new names and put
ourselves In. Some considered this too
revolutionary a measure, but that would
not have stopped it. What did prevent us
from adopting this procedure was the
opinion from one or two of the best law
yers in Savannah that what we proposed
"a could not be done, that offices could not
be abolished merely to GUST the off1cehold-
ers and then Te-established under the
same or another title. This was so clearly
shown 10 be the case that our whole plan
8 was changed, and 1t was decided 10 pass
state law changing the date of election
70 the incoming Council and terminating
the terms of the incumbents. You can
legslate men out of Office in this way,
out you cannot put them out as some of
the opposition are talking of doing in the
event OF their winning in January. If
Il they can find any flaws in what we do
lhey are welcome to all the advantage
they can make Of them"
In to-day's Morning News appear adver-
tlsements of the captions of six local bills.
1hese are the measures under which Coun-
I vi VIII De empowered to create commits
SONS IN place of those now existing I'M
uer state law and which are to be legis-
ia'eQ out Of office. Instead of one public
s# works commissioner as at present there
VIII be a board of public works commits
soners. All of the other commissions,
IRE police, water, and parks and trees
are provided for under Council as is
board Of tax assessors and receivers.
Inc board of public works commissioners
VIII, Ike the others serve without salary.
q mere VIII be superintendent under them
WIN good salary. 1t is probable that this
onlciai VIII be elected by the City Coun-
cL but VIII be subject to the orders of the
oommlssion, II is intimated that the chiefs
sAu assistant chiefs of the police and fire
apartments and the superintendent of
water works viii also be elected by Coun-
u5 as before the era of commissions, but
""I De under the direction of their re-
speetiYe commissions. The veto power now
exercised by the chief of police will prob
ooy De taken from him. At present the
SoLlnilsslon cannot appoint a man on the
tolce unless the chief consents. This
power Is not likely to remain in the chiefs
nauas more than a few weeks longer. IN
oil me departments the authority of the
oon lhissions will be subordinate to that
Council which will be the supreme
PO"er over all city affairs.