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WHAT TIEDEMAN
The Importance of His Election to the
Welfare of Citizens of Savannah.
(From Morning News, Jan. 2, 1907.) ;
Editor Morning News: It has been
a matter of sincere regret to me that
I have not been able to actively partic
ipate in the campaign of reform which
has been waged by the People’s Demo
cratic League, to deliver our fair city
from the long period of misrule and
corruption w'hich has oppressed its in
habitants, in the interest of a cabal
who have exercised despotic sway for
their own personal aggrandizement.
To every observent citizen it is clear
ly apparent that the Citizens Club is
now making its desperate effort to re
trieve its defeat at the June election,
and have selected Col. William Garrard
to lead the forlorn hope. The fact that
he is so cordially endorsed by Herman
Myers and W. W. Osborne reveals the
true character of the forces which are
mustering under his leadership, and
that the Citizens Club is making a last
effort to continue in control of munici
pal affairs.
While I have not been able to ad
dress my fellow-citizens from the ros
trum I will endeavor to present to
them certain good reasons for giving
their active support to the People’s
Democratic League and its standard
bearer, George W. Tiedeman, its can
didate for Mayor, and the Board of
Aldermen who will be nominated to
administer the affairs of the city for
the ensuing two years.
Os the many reasons which should
control public sentiment in favor of
George W. Tiedeman, let me name
five cogent ones.
First. Because his election will
place an experienced business man at
the head of the city government.
Second. Because his election will
ensure a courageous as well as a
clean, economical, business-like and
progressive administration of munici
pal affairs.
Third. Because his election will
secure the removal from office of the
officials who have been rebuked by
the voice and votes of the citizens of
Savannah, who have connived at the
flagrant violation of laws, and en
couraged vicious pursuits the most de
grading and demoralizing to any com
munity.
Fourth. Because his election will
be a final defeat and dethronement of
the rule of the “ring” and the “boss,
which for many years have throttled
civic virtue, and filled the offices with
subservient henchmen, who have used
the offices for private gain, and not
as a public trust.
Fifth. Because his election will re
deem the fair name of Savannah.
Give to every class of her inhabitants,
the protection of beneficent laws and
regulations impartially and wisely ad
ministered, without oppressing the
weak or pandering to the vices of the
unscrupulous, and crafty manipulators
of political influence.
I respectfully submit for the con
sideration of the voters at the impend
ing municipal election the following
review of the career of Mr. George W.
Tiedeman, demonstrating his eminent
fitness for the office of Mayor.
A Man of Experience.
George W. Tiedeman was the main
stay of the Myers’ administration in
its first four years. His services dur
ing that time as an alderman thor
oughly acquainted him with the de
partmental operations, as well as with
the conduct of the finances of the
municipality. For two years, he w-as
vice-chairman of Council; for another
two years he was chairman of Coun
cil, acting as Mayor during the ab
sence of the Mayor from the city.
Four years he served on the Finance
Committee, two years as its chairman
For two years he was a member of
the Committee on Accounts and its
chairman. For two years he rendered
valuable service on the Assessment
Committee. On the Streets and Lanes
Committee, he also served for four
years, and on the Committee on
Water, Fire and City Lots and Open
ing Streets, for two years, each.
This varied experience in itself
shows that George W. Tiedeman, as a
candidate for Mayor is no novice as to
the duties of that office, when elected,
he will bring to the office considerable
knowledge of the administration of
municipal affairs.
A Business Man at the Helm.
Savannah is a large business cor
poration. It collects in taxes and ex
pends about a million dollars a year.
That million dollars comes out of the
pockets of the people. Directly or in
directly every citizen of Savannah con
tributes his share toward it. Every
citizen is accordingly personally and
directly interested in a municipal ad
ministration that will avoid waste in
any form, that will direct its intelli
gence and energy to the end that for
every dollar paid into the city treasury
one hundred cents worth of value shall
come back to the people, who pay it in.
To run a million-dollar-a-year busi
ness requires a business man at the
helm. It requires a man who has al
ready demonstrated that he is a suc
cessful business man. An experiment
with an untried man, or a man who is
a pronounced failure as a business
manager, may prove very costly to the
taxpayers, to every citizen.
George W. Tiedeman is a successful
business man. He has shown in the
management of his own extensive busi
ness affairs that he can conduct a mil
-1 ion-dollar-a-year business successful
ly. For twenty years he has been
identified with the large business in
terests of Savannah, with its whole
sale trade, its banking business, and
other avenues of commercial activity.
He is recognized as the peer of any
business man in Savannah as to clear,
keen judgment in business matters, or
I broad comprehensive understanding of
business propositions. He has the
ability to grasp new problems and
solve them. His training eminently
: fits him for the office to which his fel
low citizens will elect him.
Will Be a Courageous Mayor.
George W. Tiedeman is a man of
moral as well as of physical courage.
He stands for principle and not for
spoils. He has never feared to an
nounce his position even when politi
cal influence was at stake. Instance
his conduct of 1899. when Myers’ ad
ministration returned to office; George
W. Tiedeman lead the aldermanic tick
et. It was generally understood that
| he was to be made chairman of Coun
! cil, a stepping-stone to the mayoralty.
Among the candidates for office
before Council was James Mcßride.
He desired to be harbor master.
I George \V. Tiedeman announced that
;he would not vote for Mcßride. The
| vote, as it then stood, was seven
against and six for Mcßride. If Tiede
j man could be won over Mcßride’s
I election was assured. Tiedeman stood
i like a rock.
Another alderman was persuaded in
to supporting Mcßride and he was
elected. But George W. Tiedeman
voted against him. It was a man
! standing for principle, for what he
! knew to be right, against personal in
terests. Men of such a caliber make
good Mayors.
Will Create a New Atmosphere.
Just as George W. Tiedeman would
not stand for James Mcßride for har
-1 bcr master, although the politicians of
the Citizens Club were backing Mc-
Bride, just so George W. Tiedeman,
today, if elected Mayor, would not
! stand for Mcßride or Mcßrideism in
the City Hall.
When George W. Tiedeman is in
augurated and assumes the duties of
Mayor of this city, there will be a
marked change in the surroundings
of the City Hall, a new atmosphere,
more healthful and inspiring. There
will be no loiters lounging at the
expense of the taxpayers. The men
who will work for the city under May
or Tiedeman will be such as will give
honest, efficient and full service. At
tentive to their official duties, cour
teous to the public, and selected for
their competency and not for their po
litical pull. The thorough and careful
overhauling of the financial affairs of
the city will enhance her credit, and
; secure a renewal of her bonded in
debtedness upon the most favorable
| terms, from the confidence of capital
in the proper administration of her
resources.
Wat Tiedeman Stands For.
To summarize, the issues of this
campaign, so far as the candidacy of
George W. Tiedeman is concerned, let
me repeat:
Tiedeman stands for a clean city
government.
Tiedeman stands for an honest city
government.
Tiedeman stands for an economical
city government.
Tiedeman stands for a progressive
city government.
Tiedeman stands for a city govern
ment cf the people, by the people, and
for the people.
Very respectfully,
J. R. Saussy.
GARRARD A FAILURE
AS A BUSINESS MAN.
(Continued from Third Page.)
he was Vice-President of the Board of
Trade. For several years he was a
Vice-President in the Chambo. ot
Commerce. He was always a worker
in and a contributor to every Fair,
Exposition or business entertainment
(hat was inaugurated for advertising
our city to the commercial world.
He has done these things, and many
more that will be brought out, without
pay or hope of reward, and many
times at a distinct personal loss of
money and comfort.
I quote from the article written un
der the Norn de Plume of Herman
Myers:
“The moment Col. William Garrard
enters the city hall as mayor that
moment he becomes the mayor of the
entire city of Savannah, eager to ad
vance the welfare of all his fellow
citizens, anxious to deal with fairness
to all, regardless of their political
affiliations, determined that every act
of his shall in some measure promote
the interest of the city he so devotedly
loves.”
In connection with this I desire to
call public attention to the fact that
William W. Osborne, Herman Myers,
and Col. William Garrard were the
three persons who put it up to George
M. Gadsden, the Director of Public
Works to discharge the men in his
office who were guilty of affiliating
politically with the Peoples Demo
i cratic League. This was a strictly
partisan action, and does not indicate
that Col. Garrard will come to the
mayor’s chair free from party ties.
The statement in the same article,
“Colonel Garrard, I know, does not
regard himself as a candidate of any
special club or faction, but is a candi
date of a large body of fellow citizens
who, without regard to past or present
affiliations, wish him to be the mayor.”
i There is no divine call about Colonel
Garrard’s candidacy. If he is elected
he will be boosted into office by a
nomination tendered to hint by Jacob
Collins and his club, supported by
William W. Osborne and the fragments
of the Citizens Club, with Garrity, Mc-
Bride, Creamer and the Garfunkles,
and with Herman Myers as the power
behind the throne. This will hardly
be an administration in the interest
of the people. It will be as it has
; been in the past, a purely factional
administration. No matter how strong
a man Colonel Garrard may be, and
i no matter how pure his motives, his
environment will be hr- ’ Fo (sat at
ilast the fundamental question fo-.the
voters to determine on election day is
whether George W. Tiedeman and the
board of aldermen of the Peoples
i Democratic League will more truly
represent the interests of the people
than Col. William Garrard and the
j board of aldermen of the Citizens Club.
Within the last ten days in a public
speech Mr. W. W. Osborne said that
I “The Citizens Club is still a live and
compact organization.” Kill it, by
your votes on January the Bth.
Mr. J. Robert Creamer, whose admin
istration of the finances of the police
court was so highly commended by
Colonel Shelby Myrick, but who, on
account of his health, was forced to
leave the city’s employ, at the general
meeting in the Benedictine Hall arose
and invited a citizen of this community
to have a seat on the stage. Mr. Crea
mer is supporting the Garrard-Osborne-
Collins combination heartily. Same
old crowd.
In awarding contracts for feed for
the Street and Lane Department, this
business is shared out, first to one
Citizens’ Club man and then to an
other. No one who is not affiliated
with the Citizens Club is considered.
Merchants, who are tax-payers, are de
prived of the right to get this business,
and the city is deprived of the low
prices that would be obtained by com
petition. This is also true of the con
tracts in other departments.
Jake talks about “handing them out
a package.” Does not this expression
aptly describe the way the Garrard
ticket was put forth? Osborne, Myers
and Collins, with the assistance of Gar
funkle, Mcßride, Garrity, Creamer, and
Heriot selected a ticket and then filed
it with the Clerk of Council. No
executive committee or meeting was
permitted to ratify it until after it had;
been filed. But that is the way Boss,
Osborne always does.
Thomas Gamble —the conecting link j
between Herman Myers and the Eng
lish language.
The Morning News is now repaying
Colonel Garrard for his magnificent
work in managing Colonel Estill’s cam
paign. Just think of it, he carried
four counties out of one hundred and
forty-three, for the Governor.
The laboring people know that the
Citizens Club has been in absolute con
trol of the City Government for a num
ber of years and has had every oppor-!
tunity to benefit the laboring men.
They are not going to be fooled by
promises made now for the sole pur
pose of getting votes.
Osborne and Collins have buried
the hatchet. On January Bth the Peo-,
pies’ Democratic League will bury |
them with their hatchet.
Before June 12th no language was
too strong for Osborne and Collins to
use about each other. Were they sin
cere then, or now, when they praise
each other.
I
Mr Collins’ previous unsuccessful
ventures as a candidate before the
people of Savannah would indicate
that they do not trust to his sin
cerity. His utterances in this cam
paign do not tend to strengthen him
in this regard.
Who believes Mr. Collins when he
says:
“I never wanted the nomination.”
“I am the workingman’s friend.”
“I would not walk to that door for
every vote in Chatham County.”
"This is not a Citizens Club fight.” !
And lots of similar expressions, j
while he angled for the confidence and
:he votes of the people.
No Jake, you just can’t make the
people believe you. You almost had
1 ’em when as a reformer you roasted
Mcßride and the rest of the gang —
but you’re sleeping with ’em now —
| and to tell the truth you look more
natural there.
Do people believe Jake—well hardly.
“A distinct loss to the city,” said
! Alderman Stewart when the city em-
I ployeee were dismissed the other day.
j They were good men with many years
of faithful service behind them. Yet
men like these were fired on the eve
of an election because they would not
do the Boss’s bidding w r hile officials
like Mcßride and his ilk were left
undisturbed.
Peck, Nipson and Mendel hre three
of the hardest worked men in the city
employ. As a bunch they sign the pay
roll to the tune of $240.00 per month.
And now comes John F. May:
Where did he stand? We all know
{ where he’s going to fall.
I Here is his political record since
| Dec. 1: First, with Davant; second,
on the stage at People’s Democratic
! League meeting at C. L. A. Hall;
I Third, on the ? Club aldermanic tick
! et. Finis.
AN APOLOGY.
1 (From the Truth, June 11, 1906.)
We feel that the various speakers
1 of the Citizens Club and especially the
1 publishers of the Truth are called
1 upon to publicly apoligize to Jake Col
! lins. We feel an injustice has been
done him. All the gentlemen who
have referred to Jake’s record as a
’ friend of the laboring man have re
;: ferred to him as Seventy-five cents
Jake. The speakers are mistaken.
The original records of the railroad
pay rolls during Jake’s administration
1 have recently been discovered. It is
' 1 now established beyond peradventure
! that Jake paid six cents an hour or
! ; seventy-two cents a day. Hereafter
let him be known as seventy-two cents
' Jake —marked down from seventy-five.
■ It’s a wise thing Jake saved the three
! cents —he may have to “skiddo” after
’ the 12th; Jake is the original 23.
Nominee John F. May is Chameleon
of Politics.
As a lightning change artist of po-
I litical faiths Mr. John F. May, a candi
; date for alderman on the Citizens
| Club-People’s League ticket, carries
j off the palm. Mr. May probably
holds the record, even in these times
of sacrifice of principles for place, in
! his exertions to get on a band wagon
j where his ambition for recognition
J would be gratified.
There is extant a letter written by
Mr. May to the followers of Capt. Da
\ vant stating his willingness to accept
j a place on the board to be selected
j by them in case Capt. Davant made
! the race. This it must be remember
ed followed Mr. May’s appearance be
fore the Steering Committee of the
People’s Democratic League to recom
mend to those gentlemen that Mr. J.
D. Epps be placed on the ticket. Next
Mr. May is seen in the acrobatic feat
of trying to displace his friend Mr.
Epps from the place on the ticket of
| the People’s Democratic League.
Then it was that Mr. May was seen
jin prominent places on the stage at
j the meetings of the People’s Demo
jcratic League. Finding that Mr.
Epps was a fixture on this ticket Mr.
May executed a flip flap to the Collins
band wagon and was at last safely
i ensconced as an aldermanic nominee,
within four days after ne was holding
forth on the Peoples Democratic
League stage.
It is very probable, that the voters
with this record before them will fail
to stamp with their approval Mr.
Mays ambitions to wear the toga of
an alderman.
JUDGE ADAMS SAYS -
(Continued from Third Page.)
put forth a ticket composed of men
i that we can safely trust, and, there
! fore, not only as the representatives
|of an organization that deserves the
i recognition and gratitude of the com
imunity, but in their own right and on
i their own merits we can safely
i
| and properly sustain them. I believe
j there is not a man on the ticket who
I cannot safely be called an honest and
ian honorable man. As to no one of
them, so far as my knowledge or in
| formation extends, is there any room
jto fear that he will not be faithful
to his oath of office and will not do
! what he conceives is for the best in
terests of this City. It is a strong
ticket from any standpoint. A num
j her of gentlemen of the best financial
■ ability are on the ticket, representa
tive business men who have the pres
tige of success in business, and whose
i lives and career guarantee that they
have capacity to handle, with skill
and success, any problem In finances
I or municipal advance that may come
| up for their consideration, those who
j are not called business men, in the
j Strict acceptation of the term, are fit
: and proper representatives and have
I I the capacity to make good Aldermen
; and discharge the duties that may de
i j volve upon them. Knowing, as I do,
: j the disinclination of busy men to as
sume the cares and burdens of an
Alderman’s position, I marvel at the
; j success of the Committee, and it
r seems clear to me that their labors
deserve hearty endorsement.
I anticipate for Mr. Tiedeman’s ad
ministration great and permanent suc
cess. It will be a safe administration.,
and, at the same time, a progressive
administration. It will fully represent
| a movement that has accomplished so
much for our beautiful City, and
: whose good work ought to be con
tinued and preserved by the election
-of the ticket put forth by the People’s
Democratic League.