The daily sentinel., 1909-02-24

With a grand total of 322 names,
secured after arduous days of labor
and canvassing, attached to the diff
ferent sections of the petition. the
champions of the Charter Conven-
tion, Ed. NJ. Slocomb, James w.
Bucklin, presented the petition to
the city council last night requesting
the council to put up to the citizens
at coming city election the question
of whether or not they want char
ter convention and a commission
form of government glance up
and down the pages of the petition
is all that is necessary to prove that
the statements being made to the eff
feet that the desire for charter con-
vention is practically unanimous, is
n barefaced lie. 1t is absolutely GER
tain that much effort was made to
secure great majority of the sig
natures.
a study of the petition brings forth
some very amusing features. AT
least two business concerns in the
city that are taking an unusually ac-
tive interest in the matter have had
every employe and official of the con-
Germs to attach their signatures to the
petition and as far as possible have
had every adult member of every
family of every official or employee
/ TO sign tne petlllOn.
The absence of the signatures of
scores of the best known business
and professional men of Grand juno
fion is most apparent.
The 322 signatures include the
signatures of between 150 and 100
women.
1t is absolutely known that n large
number of persons whose names are
attached to the petition have express
ed themselves against the charter
plan but declared that they signed
the petition because they couldn't
well get out of it and didn't think
it would amount to much after all.
1t is the old story of signing any
old kind of a petition just to accom-
modate somebody" Yet there is no
question but what, in the face of the
easy manner in which signatures can
he piled up on II petition, this charter
petition had to strain hard to get 322
signatures.
After the petition had been read
at the regular meeting of the council
last night Mr.. Ed. NJ. Slocomb pro-
duced a copy of an ordinance which
he had In his pocket and his fellow
laborers in the charter vineyard
wanted council to pass this ordinance
on first reading at once just to please
them. This proposed ordinance pro-
vides, by ordinance regulation. that a
special election on the charter mat
ter be held on the day of the regular
city election.
Naturally the city council. which
has largely been treated with indif-
ference by the star performers in the
charter play, did not propose to take
any such action on "A moments notice
just TO please Mr.. Slocomb, Mr.. Buck
lin or anybody else.
There was u discussion OF the mat
ter between Mayor Wentworth, Mr..
Bucklin, Mr.. Slocomb, City Attorney
Rozzelle and several of the aldermen.
Mayor Wentworth declared that while
he believed that it is the duty of the
city council to put the matter up to a
vote when properly petitioned, that
there is nothing whatever in the law
to make il necessary for the council
to pass an ordinance providing for
the putting of this matter up TO n
vote. The law is not specific on the |
matter and Attorney Bucklin so ad-
mitted and he failed to show where |
the council HAD to pass an ordinance
providing for the submitting of the |
question to a vote.
1t was the game of Mr.. Bucklin,
Mr.. Slocomb and others to lead the
council to believe that it had to pass
this ordinance that Mr.. Slocomb
wanted passed without giving the
council an hour to consider it, but
the little scheme didn't work The
council will probably submit the
question to a vote by formally passing
resolution in council authorizing
the question to be put up to n vote.
The council does not have to pro-
vide for this charter election question
by passing an ordinance and the
champions of the charter convention
cannot force any alderman to vote
for an ordinance of any kind. The
gentlemen realized this before council
adjourned last night. The council
will make no effort to prevent the
people from voting ON the PROPOSE
uon but it will follow its own iudg-
ment and that of its attorneys, not
the dictation OF Bucklin, Slocomb,
ct nj.
The plea made by Messrs. Bucklin