The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-17
DEFINES HIS POSITION
ALDERMAN PARRISH WRITES OF HIS COMMISSION CONFIRM
 MENT VIEWS.
Deals in the Main With the Ffgh, Which Mnyor-elect Gunter fs Making on the
 HflI

Commission government Is to take q paramount place in the legislation oi both houses of the Legislature this week Much has been said on both sides and keen interest has centered on the coming fight ever since the House bill was taken from the adverse calendar last week.
 During the course of his argument against the bill, Mir. Gunter of Mont gomery. last week attacked some ot the advocates of commission govern. ment in this State as being of undem- ocratic afiliation. He scored the origin of the bill and made allusions to local municipal history in a way which has elfcited the following reply from AL derman James Parrish of Montgomery;
 Montgomery, Aug. 16, 1909. Editor The Advertiser:
 Dear Sir-A few days ago, in . speech against the Commission Govern ment bill, Mir. Gunter took occasion, on the floor of the House, of which am not member, and consequently was not present, to charge me with insin- cerity to him in his campaign for May or, and to this charge I plead guilty, In as much as I did promise my sup- port to MT. Gunter and afterwards changed my mind. and made the mis- take of not telling him of the change, and voted against him. I did not then. and do not now consider this an un- pardonable sin, or one from which l needed absolution more than once.
 Since this occurrence nearly a year and half ago, relations had been es- tablished between MT. Gunter and my self which led me to believe that he had passed the incident and that he had buried the hatchet.
 So cordial. indeed, have these rela- tions been, that he, in addition to nu- merous other manifestations of friend Illness toward me, had voluntarily off, fered me his assistance in securing one of the most important, if not one of the highest positions in connection with the municipal government of Montgomery. This offer was appreci- ated by me, but after consideration, l concluded that I could not well afford to accept the position referred to, and so allowed 1t to pass. He had ex- pressed himself to me, and I under elected to another position of honor and importance.
 Tn view of these relations, 1t would seem that in re-opening and rehashing this matter at this time, and under the existing circumstances, that he was as insincere as I.
 Advocated for Mere Than Year.
 T have for more than a year been an open and outspoken advocate of the commission plan, believing that this plan Is a material improvement over the present system of governing mu- nicipalitics. was opposed to the Ur- quhart bill. as originally drawn, for that bill provided for the appointment, rather than the election of mayors and commissioners; this, however, was changed by the committee composed of members from Mobile, Birmingham and Montgoery, and of which I was Q member, and in fact that bill was re- modelled and reconstructed and a num- Der of changes made, were at my sug- gestion. The bill as now before the House has my approval, and I have given my efforts toward its passage.
 MT. Gunter, 1t seems, has had sev- eral views on the subject of commls- sion government. If the writer's mem- ory serves him correctly, Mir. Gunter some time ago told him that he had provision for the commission plan into the present municipal code, when he was chairman of the committee which framed 1t. during a recess after a for mer session of this Legislature. Here we find him fsvoring the plan. Again in The Mobile Register of July Fth, we read that 8 member of the City Council of Mobile, stated on the floor of the Council in that city, that he was in receipt of a letter from MT. Gunter, in which MT. Gunter said he was opposed to the plan, and un- less they selected mighty good men 1t would be squally times for the people" Here again we find him quoted as be- ing against the plan.
 Again in one of the afternoon papers of this city, on July 26th, we find MT. Gunter quoted in an interview as be- ing in favor of the plan. and among other things saying: I'm heartily in favor of such government, but be- be qualified with provisions which per init revertal by election. whenever such government is found impractic- able. I'm going to make a fight along such lines"
 Section eS of the bill and following sections, make provision for the re- vertal referred to, prescribe the method for doing so as being by election. Here we find him favoring the plan, if he is correctly quoted.
 Now in the House of Representa- lives, we find him fighting the meas ure, and not only that but attacking those who favor the plan as being un- Democratic and being people who will not support the Democratic party and digressing from the subject matter of the discussion. to enter into personali- ties
 It is my opinion that the bill will pass both the House and Senate. and intend to continue my efforts In it's behalf until 1t has been disposed of. have entered into no personalities, in my advocacy of this measure but have confined my arguments to the point at issue, and that point at this time, is whether or not the Legislature of Alabama, will allow the citizens of the cities of Alabama to express them selves on this matter at the polls, and thereby to decide for themselves whether or not they want the Commis- sion Plan of Government.
 Respectfully,