Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-08-04
MAYOR Of SAVANNAH
BITTERLY ARRAIGNED;
RECALL BILL TABLED
Senator Lawrence Declares
"Pierpont Is DiShonOred Be-
cause He Is DiShonorabIe" y
SCathing Charges Made

BY vote Of % to II the senate Thurs
day laid on the table the bill to place
recall in the Savannah city charter APP
plicable to the mayor and certain other
officials. The motion TO lay on the
table was made by Senator Lawrence, of
the First district, author of the bill
The effect of laying the bill on the
table is to keep life in II, as a motion
can. be made at any time later to take
il from the table. On the other hand,
opponents of the bill can keep it on the
table if they are in the majority.
The action of the senate was taken
at the close of most acrimonious de-
bate which occupied all of Tuesdays
session. All the charges and counter
charges that have previously been hurl-
ed by opposing sides in the Savannah
controversy were hurled again by OPP
posing speakers for and against the
bill.
Senator Lawrence asserted that Mayor
W. j. Pierpont, of Savannah "is dishon-
ored because he is dishonorable."
Senator Moon, opposing the bill,
charged that the proposed recall is
scheme of the liquor interests of Sa-
vannah TO GUST Mayor Pierpont because
he closed the saloons in that city on
May 1.
Senator Way made the charge that
the controlling vote in Savannah can
be purchased
Replying to this charge, Senator Pick
EFT, of the Forty-First, declared that "if
you say the vote of Savannah can be
purchased, you. lie.''
The bill when tabled carried an
amendment by Senator Pickett, of the
Eleventh, providing that in all recall
petitions the charges set fourth should
be sworn to by five freeholders.
DEBATE OPENS.
The two hour debate began in earnest
at 1O:45 o'clock Thursday morning when
Senator Lawrence, of the First district
began to speak for. the recall forces.
Few Interruptions were offered as the
senator spoke.
Il have supported all members of the
senate" the senator said, ''in local meas
ures and have accorded each one of them
the privilege of representing thein=ewn-
people.
There were local bills introduced into
the senate by senators from the Fourth,
Thirteenth and Second that L do not be-
lieYe could have got by without my as
sistance. My bill is to let the people
of Savannah pass on a man who was MOI
elected to office. The bill is purely local
and affects only my district.
There has been an effort to inject the
prohibition question into my DILL" the
senator acclaimed. 1.-The charge has
been made that my bill is to open" Sa-
vannah. No baseT Islander was ever ut
tered"
This man Pierpont never made any
effort. to enforce the probition law until
last February after Tom Fielder sens
Flythe to a make a bargain and trade
with him.
Our opponents are seeking to deny
the privileges of self-government to Sa-
vannah which is one of the best and
fairest constituencies in the United
States Eighty per cent of the people
of Savannah are opposed to Pierpont.'
"PIERPONT DISHONORABLE"
Here the senator stopped short, and
queried: what kind of a man would
want to hold Office under these condi-
tons? Pierpont is dishonored because
he is dishonorable. When he was elect
ed mayor of Savannah he could not
give all of his time to the Office, and
he agreed to receive but $4,000 of his
salary which was $4,000, and he agreed
to give the remaining $500 to the
widow of the man he succeeded. Hes
kept that 50, 400 in his own pocket
At this juncture Senator Lawrence
showed the senate a photograph of an
outing party.
Here" he said, 'is a picture of this
man with a crowd of barkeepers and two
barrels of beer. The picture speaks Cor
itself.
I'm my desk l have affidavits that he
was in the Winter beer garden drinking
beer in November, ana that at a dinner
dance at the OglethOrpe club he bought
wine and had it served at his table.
Senators, you see that they haven't
got in here today because il takes 100
Icing for his few friends to explain why
his face looks like blood pudding"