The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-09
MELDRIM AFTER FACTS.
WILL CONFER WITH THE AUTHOR
OF THE SUNDAY SALOON"

The Mayor Declares If There Is sufii-
eient Reason for the Assertions
of "RectiIinear" in the Morning
News, He VIII Bring Matter Before
COunciI-The Indictment of "Onr
OmciaIs," Way BE Inquired Into by
other OmciaIs.
There promises to be an investigation in
Council involving the alleged Sun day
liquor traffic in Savannah. and also the
failure Of city officials to observe viola
lions ID is charged have been committed
The author Of THE Sunday Saloon" pub
lished in the Morning News yesterday,
hath builded more than he knew" and
the assertions he makes have stirred the
officials directly responsible for the en-
forcement of the city's laws.
Mayor Meldrim has taken the matter up
with the object of determining what truth
there is in the assertions of 'RectiliBer,"
who boldly intimates that city officials
have been lacking in knowledge of the
lax enforcement of Sunday liquor laws, or
in other words. have failed to see what
others knew existed. AS the assertions
are strong reflection on the sincerity of
the administration in properly enforcing
the liquor laws, Mayor Meldrim has writ
ten letter to the author asking that he
call at the Mayors office and give any
information ia this line he has In his pos
session. The developments In the matter
viii depend altogether on the action taken
by the author. If he has only general
knowledge of the violations charged, the
matter viii probably end; but in the event
he can implcate officials, by proving either
their knowledge of the violations, or their
negligence in not knowing Of them, the
matter may go before Council.
Il have invited the gentleman to cali
at my Office" said Mayer Meldrim, for
the purpose of ascertainiug what there Is
IN the allegations he makes. If there
is reason to believe the charges can be
sUbstantiated. 1 will bring the matter be-
fore Council ard ask for "a fun and COM
piete investigation. While 1 have not
read the article closely, / at once come
TO the conclusion the charges reflected on
the integrity OF city officials, and viewing
II in this light, my idea is they should
be probed If they are true, it is due
the people the fact should be known. If
they are false, that should also be known
1T is true / am not directly in charge
of the police force, and cannot therefore.
directly control it. ] have the right to
call negligence on the part of any city
official to the attention of Council. how
ever, and let the board pursue such course
as It may deem proper My action in this
regard will depend solely on whether or
not the reasons for the published asser-
tons are sufficient"
While Mayor Meldrim did not specify
the assertions to which he excerpts. it is
likely he is largely influenced in his ac-
ton by those rejecting on city officials.
Speaking of the violation of liquor traffic
laws, the article goes on to say
that while this state of affairs was
unknown to any person who had the sense
of sight, through which they desired to
see things as they really were, il is very
evident that some of our officials were go
ng through life with dimmed visions or
with spectacles provided with peculiarly
constructed lenses, by which the viola
tons of saloon keepers We're beyond the
focus Of the natural sight" 1t is possible
this is one of the charges to which the
Mayor excerpts.
Chairman Edward Karow of the Police
Commission, who was also mentioned. was
asked last night in regard 10 the article,
but said he had not read IT, and did not,
therefore, have anything 10 say.