The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
Advocates Of Charter Amendment
Hold q Mass Meeting.
AGAINST ALL FRANCHISES.
Many Speakers Criticiss Alleged At
tempts to sidetrack Municipal
Ownership and Initiative nnd
Referendum Measures In City
Lesislature = Corporations scored
-Enthusiastic Crowd Present.

wei ATTENDED mass meeting OF citizens
called for the purpose Of protesting against
the recent action Of the city council in lay
Ing upon the table petitions calling for the
submission to popular vote at the next city
election OF two charter amendments. was
held at the Seattle tAeater last night.
Addresses were made by number of
speakers condemning the councils action
and urging the people to resent It at the
polls The speakers were Of all political
parties, though Populists were largely In
the ascendency. on the platform and in the
audience and all spoke strongly in favor Of
municipal ownership and against the grant
Ing of further franchises except with the
consent Of the voters expressed at the polls.
The audience. which hardly filled the
body Of the theater. was quite enthusiastic
and loudly applauded all references to mu-
nicipal ownership. Every criticism of the
council as a body was received with mark
ed manifestations Of approval, and on one
occasion when Clark Davis who was one
OF the speakers, openly charged that the
council was susceptible of purchase the
audience broke into storm OF applause
that lasted several minutes.
Ex-Mayor Wood presided at the meeting.
Gilbert F. Bogue. Democrat. was on the
programme as secretary. but failed to APP
pear. Judge Wood opened the meeting by
giving a history OF the squabble between
the city council and the charter amend
ment partisans and stating that the menu
bers OF that body had been invited to at
tend the mass meeting and hear what the
people thought Of their action. The alb
sence Of the councilmen was thereby rem
dered doubly noticeable.
Judge Wood closed by stating that the
meeting was intended to be strictly nom
partisan and by eulogizing Abraham Lin
coin, whom he characterized as having
been man who was not afraid. to trust
the people in any emergency. Then he
called upon Judge Winsor as the hrst
speaker.
Judge Winsor Warns the Council.
Judge winsor's theme was the right
of the people to petition. He said he
was In hearty sympathy with the mat.
tiers embraced in the two proposed char
ter amendments. Friends Of the meas
ures, he said, would be satisfied when
the council obeyed the charter regarding
them, asked no more and would accept
no less. He had no faith in the council
himself, and warned its members against
the death at the hands of an outraged
public.
He prophesied that the people who were
attempting to obtain the forty-year con-
solidated street railway franchise were
preparing to carry that measure through
the city council by stratagem. and charged
that the sudden interest displayed by
IL
pal lighting plant was for the purpose
Of throwing little sop to the public to
quiet them while the streets Of the city
were stolen for the consolidated railway
system. He urged people to support
citizens ticket in the spring election.
Clark, Davis was called upon after Miss
Clara Tester had rendered vocal solo,
He jokingly said that he had not been
aware that he was to be called upon for
a speech and had supposed that he was
only to present set of resolutions and
take up collection. He said he had
no idea that the council was going to
act fairly upon the petitions. II don't
ter amendments to the people," he de-
clared. And what is more. I believe
they are going to grant that forty-year
franchise to Mr.. Furth. believe that
the Northern Pacific Is going to get those
streets on the water front vacated--that
is, If 1t is willing to pay for 1t. 1 don't
mean to say that they will buy the city
council; oh, mol" Long-continued ap-
plause followed this sally. After 1t had
subsidized Mr.. Davis submitted the fol-
lowing resolutions, which were carried
by a rising vote:
Text of Resolutions.
Whereas, Questions relating to the
granting Of q consolidated street rail-
way francnise' and extensive pur-
cation of water front streets for rail-
way purposes and other important pub
lie questions are constantly arising in
the city Of Seattle, and some are now
pending; and
Whereas, The future of the city in
volved In said questions is of such mag
nitude that the whole people should
have an opportunity to finally vote
upon them and
Whereas, There are now before the
city council two proposed charter
amendments, submitted by fully 1000
qualified citizens one of which will Sc
cure direct decision of the people on
the question of the proposed street rail-
way franchise, and the other afford
the people at all times final court of
appeal wherein they may reverse or in
dorse the action Of their city council
upon any question Of great public inter-
est and Importance;
Nov, therefore, BE 1t resolved, by
the citizens Of Seattle, in mass meeting
assembled,
II. That in case the petitions of the
two proposed charter amendments reiat-
ing to franchises and the peoples
right to the referendum are signed by
the requisite 20 per cent. OF the regis
tered voters as defined by the city
charter, We demand that the said city
council shall discharge its sworn duty
under the charter, and submit these
amendments to vote Of the people at
the ensuing election.
"2. That II 1t be ascertained that the
petitions, or either of them, bearing the
signatures of nearly 1000 qualified citi-
zens, still fall short under the rigid re-
v1-zw kx