The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-09
NOT TO GIVE IT UP
COL. MERGERS ADVICE To PARK
AND TREE CHAIRMAN.
MAY GO TO THE COURTS.
COL. MERCER ADVISED MIR. DAF-
FIN TO STAY FOR HIS TERM.

and Regulations as 1t Sees Fit.
MIR. Damn Asks the Mayor Where
in He Has shown Lack of sympa-
thy and Accord With the City Ad-
Diinistration-The Mayor Says MIR,
Damn's Term of Office Expired
While He Was Chairman, But He
Held ON to Chairmanship.
Chairman P. d. Daffin of the Park
and Tree Commission will decline to
surrender the Craftsmanship of the COM
mission, If three of the members, a ma
jorlty, should request him to do so. He
is acting on advice of Col. George A.
Mercer, whose legal opinion he sought
yesterday.
You will be asked what you will
do should the majority of the board
ask you to retire from the chairman
ship" remarked Col Mercer. ITO that
you may answer that you will not act
upon such a request. Let the case go
to the courts, if it should be forced
there; you are chairman of the COM
mission. and are entitled to remain at
it's head until your term expires"
To representative of the Morning
News Col. Mercer said: II have not
made careful study of the case, but
it seems clear enough to me that Mr..
Daffin is right in his contention that
he should not yield the point that an
election for chairman of the commits
sion should be held. The minutes ex-
pressly state that the commission elect
ed Mr.. Daffin it's chairman, to serve
during his term as commissioner. He
was elected three or four years ago,
and 1 was a member of the commission
at the time. In fact, introduced the
resolution under which he was elected.
"Mr. Daffin has made an efficient and
capable chairman, having directed the
work of the commission with advantage
to the city and great credit to himself.
1 do not know of another citizen of
Savannah who would, gratuitously,
give to the work so much of his time
and attention as does Mr.. Daffin.
There is no justice in the contention
that he should resign the chairman
ship of the commission before the ex-
piration of his term as a commissioner.
The Mayor himself appoints alder
manic committees, putting them in
charge of certain departments of the
city government. These committees are
appointed for their term of office, and
there is no more reason why the chair
man of one of them should resign than
there is why Mr.. Daffin should give up
the position of chairman of the Park
and Tree Commission.
"The trouble really seems to be that
politics cannot be injected into the
Park and Tree Commission" said Col.
Mercer. "The commission and it's work
have been free from politics. The COM
missions were products of the Mayors
own political activity. He had the bills
drawn creating them. If ne didn't like
the bill for the Park and Tree Commits
sion at the time, he might have had
1T changed, interpolating something
that would warrant him in wanting the
chairman to yield his position before
his term expires. The Park and Tree
Commission is the only one of those
that were created that has endured. 1t
would have been abolished also the
Mayor and his faction having wearied
of them, had it not been that the peo-
pie would not stand anything of the
kind"
Chairman Damn's Reply.
Mr.. Daffin was seen about the inter-
view with Mayor Myers in yesterdays
Morning News. MIR. Daffin took de-
cided exception to the Mayors state
ment that the chairman of the COM
mission was not in sympathy and ac-
cord with the city administration, say
ing:
Mayor Myers says 1 am not in SYM
pathy and accord with the city admin
istration. How does he know this?
Does he mean because am opposed to
buying a certain tract of land five or
six miles from the city for a cemetery,
when l think Laurel Grove is ample
for many years to come? If so, then
he is right. Or, is it because / will
not allow the Park and Tree Commits
sion to be used for political purposes.
and all the employees can vote or think
as they please? If this is his reason,
then / am not in accord with the ad-
ministration.
Il had no idea that when a man
accepted a public office that he was
bound hand and foot. I supposed in
the words of Grover Cleveland That
a public office was a public trust but
1t seems here in Savannah, according
to the idea of the powers that are it,
that a man who takes a public office.
or is, rather appointed to an office by
the Mayor. must be in accord with
that Mayor, and agree with every act.
or move, he makes, be he right or
wrong, and if person dares to be so
bold as to have an opinion of his own,
contrary to the view of His Majesty.
then the cry is, he should resign at
once.
while I remain on the Park and
Tree Commission, shall endeavor to
do my duty as I see 1t for the public
good, and If, in doing my duty IL
pinches some politician, am sorry.
But claim I am not a servant of the
Mayor or Aldermen. I am Just the
same as they are, a servant Of the peo-
pie. and for the benefit of all I am
trying to beautify this city.
IF the Park and Tree Commission
was organized as an Independent mu-
ntcpal body, free from all political
control, upon what principal does the
Mayor claim that its chairman should
be in political accord with him?"
Got City Attorneys Opinion.
Mayor Myers had a talk with CITY
Attorney Adams about the question OF
an election Of chairman for the com
mission. The Mayor was sustained In
his position by the opinion of the city
attorney. The latter was seen after
his talk with the Mayor. To the rep
resentative OF the Morning News, he
said that the act establishing the COM
mission would certainly give It the
right to adopt rules and regulations
for It's own governance. and that such
rules and reeula tions could be made 20
provide for an election OF a chairman
annually or upon any new member of
the commission entering H.
Another thought has occurred 10
me-" said Mayor Myers, "that would
make my position that an election
should be held by the commission even
stronger. This Is that Mr. Damn has
never been elected chairman OF the
oOfnFnfeeiop during tha proa,pt t,..,,, A. i.