The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-06-18
FOR THE CITY OF ARDMORE DIS
cUSsED LAST NIGHT
MANY SPEECHES WERE MADE
BY Men Who Have Given the Subject
Much Thought and study-Dem-
oerats Should Write the
New Charter.

OF lOCdl aUdlIs was hcld last utGut IN
the district court room. The meet.
ing was called to order by S r Bled-
soc. No business OF any kind was
transacted but number 81 speeches
were made W. d. Gibbs wB the
first speaker 10 claim the attention
Of the mass meeting The form OF
government for the city was the lead
ing question discussed. Mr. Gibbs
said that a great deal Of discussion
I was being had i'm the city about a
non. partisan government and that as
/ far as he knew there was only one
city governed on this basis and that
/ is the New Jerusalem. lie Is OF the
opinion that II the democratic party
is not capable of managing the affairs
Of the city that It should be turned
over to the republicans. lie thinks
the charter should be written by dem.
ocrats and that the commissioners
elected should be democrats.
John Whayne, who is in the race
for the legislature was one OF the
speakers. lie said the republicans
are scrambl'ng for representation on
the commission and they want non
partisan form Of government. He is
Of the opinion that this is free coun-
try, that men have right to run for
office and that the republicans are
entitled to all they can win at the
polls.
Bill Freeman said he wanted the
people TO be careful in adopting an
experimental form OF government, ad-
hitting however that Galveston
which is now being run under com
mission form Of government is the
hest governed city in the United
States He explained that the form
of government now in operation IN
Galveston was forced upon them by
great disaster and said that Ard
= more had not suffered from floods
and storms and did not see the no.
. ccssity OF adopting emergency forms
= of government. Freeman said he
a wanted to see government brought
as close TO the people as possible.
S. +. Bledsoe invited Mr.. Deem to
, take the chair and he addressed the
{ meeting. He said II was true that
+ Ardmore had had no floods but #
: the commission form OF government
y had done so much for other towns
9 that IL would certainly be good for
Ardmore. He IS Of the opinion that
:, the commission should not be given
so much power and that the people
g should reserve the right to elect
e their officers. He said he was for a
commission government because he
thought It an improvement and not
a because he thought Ardmore had
been badly governed. He expressed d
confidence in the eight men who bad
been selected TO write the cha Ter
: and said he had heard no criticism
on any Of them.
Harry X. Allen, who is IN the race
for the staet senate, made a briei
speech He believes that nc demo,
Grats did right in selecting men tc
write the city charter. Th1 chief OF
police he thinks is an electir, Office
and that right should be reserved by
| the people IN the charter. He believes
the commission form OF government
/ will practically double the expense
i of running Ardmore. H said tho re
| publicans In Muskogee wanted com
J mission government unhl they sud
: denly found themselves In power ant
=, after that they made no mora hue
n and cry for commission government
n City Attorney Bennett made
E speech full ~ lp~'c mnS'sd with vi
and sarcasm. He said the commits
sion form Of government as propos
ed for Ardmore found its Origin
among the republicans and that IN,
democrats were going to govern Ard
more. He said he was opposed I,
the appointive power and tha, Ard
more has prospered under It's pre-.
ent form Of government.
Mr.. Pennington expressed conf
dence in the men who had been Sc
lected to write the charter and fel
sure that charter would be write
under which Ardmore could prosper
Thomas Norman, a strong advocat
OF the commission idea was called 10
and responded with a speech OF som
length, He referred to Memphis an
Galveston where disasters had mad
it necessary for a change in city go
ernment, He said the plan was
y. southern plan, originated and put