The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-04-12

The Journal Agrees
With It's Contemporary.

1t is not often that The Journal can
agree with the ideas of government as
eXpounded by its evening contempt
rary, the Daily News, but in the fol
lowing from the Iatter's columns, The
Journal most heartily concurs:
Alphonso and CASTOR were out
AlphonsOed and out Gastoned last
night.
They made a noise like an ice
cream festival, a church communion,
a love feast, an experience meeting
and a yum-yum party all combined
All, that dear mayor and that love
of a cOuncili
You should have seen them in the
council chamber last night when the
mayor, that apostle of the deer
pepul," sent in a communication pro-
testing against the signing by the
governor of the amended city charter
bill, which has passed both the house
and senate and is now awaiting the
governors signature to become law.
The communication of the mayor,
as published in today's paper, speaks
for itself
In this communication, Mayor Bliss
states that he APPROVES of SOME
things, very condescending on his
part) in the amended city charter
but he diSapproves of most things in
it. The objections made by him
mainly are that the people, the
voters, the citizens, THE TAXPAY.
ERS, WILL HAVE THE RIGHT To
VOTE ON ALL THEIR OFFICIALS
instead of having them appointed by
the mayor and approved by the
council
In OTHER WORDS - MAYOR
BLISS IS OPPOSED TO THE VOT
Frs OF THE CITY SAYING WHO
SHALL BE THEIR ATTORNEY,
WHO SHALL BE THEIR STREET
SUPERINTENDENT. WHO SHALL
BE THEIR CITY PHYSICIAN. WHO
SHALL CONSTITUTE THE BOARD
OF PUBLIC WORKS. ETC, because
it deprives THE MAYOR OF The
OPPORTUNITY OF APPOINTING
HIS PETS AND HEELERS TO LII
CRATIVE POSITIONS, AT THE
CITY'S EXPENSE.
Strange, indeed strange, that Mayor
Bliss should wait until the bill has
passed both house and senate and
ready for the governors signature be-
fore making his objections known,
when it is we'll known that this
measure was made public in the
columns of the News, nearly two
months ago, when the News made
public the fact that petitions were
being circulated for signature to make
all these positions elective at a pri-
mary instead of appointive, and it is
said that the petition sent up to Tai
lahassee contains the signatures of
over twelve hundred citizens asking
that such a law be passed and mas
the unanimous approval of both of
EScambia county's representative
and senator.
In the discussion in the council
chamber last night, some argument
was used that many of the signers
of the petition did not know what
they were doing. Perhaps so, and
then again. perhaps they did, whose
province is it to say?
Surely Mr.. Bliss and the council
ought TO have confidence enough in
the people who elect them that those
same people will have sense enough
to elect men TO act with them who
will be as good as they are.
Is the mayor. is the council, great
er; have they more intelligence than
the people who elect them.
If at an election or a primary the
voters have the right to designate the
mayor, the council, the chief of police,
the treasurer, assessor and other of
ficials why should not those same
voters have the right to say who
should hold the rest of the other of,
fees. and why should the mayor call
a meeting for the purpose of pro
testing against the pleasure of the
people.
Yea, verify, this is a strange world,
my masters
And all this simply illustrates as
we'll that what The journal said a few
days ago about the mayor and council
getting together is now being borne
out by the facts. The drubbing that
both got in the recent primary has
evidently had some effect, but even
this unanimity in r,'DOsitiOn to direct
elections won't put -hem in any better
standing with the people.