The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-01-18
BACKBONE LIKE JElLYF|sH
Prominent Citizen Talks Of the
Shortcomings Of the Mayor

Said a prominent citizen today:
"The lax manner in which the pres
ent administration looks after city
affairs demonstrates the need OF the
adoption Of the commission form Of
government very forcibly. The city
is getting deeper IN debt each year,
The cost of maintaining the govern
mant under the aldermanic form Is
monthly while they per-
nit the city tax rolls 10 be tmned
in for less each succeeding year
''Thc present city council pays less
attention to The welfare OF the citi
zens at large than any council we
have ever had. All the members
think about is seeing howi many
lights they can get for their constit-
ueEts and how much improvement
they can get in their respective
wards They care little wb' her the
contracts are carried out On lot and
whether the taxpayers get value re-
celged for their slnoney they vote
freely for public improvements, The
mayor made a brave start several
months ago TO keep down expen ses
by declaring tfat no more improve
ments should be made until the
'linance committee provided some way
for salary claims to be paid monthly.
He held up and vetoed ordinance for
additional lights, but was oyerriden
by the council, who said lights were
needed more than paying salary
claims. The mayor made no fight.
He is a jellvfsh when 1t comes to
backbone and standing up for the
peoples interests He calmly took
his medicine and blamed It all on
The council. We need commits
sioner as mayor who will have the
Daclbone to stand up for The best
interests of the entire city. The
present mayor has not the nerve TO
say whether he is for or against the
commission form Of government He
either doesn't want to spoil that rec.
ord he's making or else he doesn'f {
want TO go on record against the
proposition until after the vote is
taken, because he may still want to
be elected as one OF the commission
lsrs after doing fis best to defeat the
lroposition. II the mayor would
have had as much backbone as the
West Side members Of the council
ihe Santa Fe would be compelled to
put in chat Noble avenue viaduct
But the mayor, even after waiting
and hearing the citizens express
themselves, would not commit him
self on the proposition The mayor
ordered Fire Chief Grlber to remove
ce tain Harrison avenue shaeks bu;
when a few negro politicians appear
+ ed on the scene, the mayor washed
his hands OF the matter by showing Il
up to the council and never even put
in a word in favor of having the fire
chief enforcing the. city ordinance OIL
that subject and permitted negroes
to call him falsifier before the
council with reference to the matter
No. the mayors in business; he cam
affo to make any OF his customer
or henchmen sore by requiring then
to live up to the city ordinances, els'
they might quit trading with him
He wants 10 be mayor to further thf
interest OF his business and woult
like to be popular, but he don't know
how. He's made wrong start in th'
/ latter role by jumping on the com
mission form of government move
ment and developing such jellyhsl
1 backbone as to be afraid to declas'
himself or take any hand in the i'm
portant issues up before the councl
| or those brought forward by citizens.