Henderson gold leaf., 1911-09-28

mas, aG ledSC Dy lnlofeuce, OdhtiI
credit for almost everything good
that has happened to Henderson.
In Justification OF the administra-
tion Of town government he has ac-
tually Dragged about some OF the
very things that he opposed.
You understand we are talking
about town government, and Mr..
Powell calls attention to these things
which have nothing under the sun to
do with town government. ~.
Three hotels. (2). One hospital.
OBJ. Brick stores. a.. J. p. Tay-
lor's factory. Wonder if all the peo
pie all over the United States where
tobacco is grown believe that the
present board of town commission
ers of Henderson made Mr.. Jack
Taylor what he is today? Oh, well,
here is the next strong point in favor
of the progressive board: 90. The
United States postOttice. )6). The
fire department. This is rightfully
classed as progress in the town adj
ministration. But the point that
makes us weep is that Mr.. Powell
braggs about this when as a matter
of fact Mr.. Powell opposed almost
everything in it. ~. The Civic
League. In defense of what has
been written about the town govern
ment we find Mr.. Powell hiding be-
hind the petticOats OF the Civic
League. He once referred to me as
a ladiesman because | took up for
the Civic League Now he OutherOds
Herod (S). He refers with pride,
almost bursts the buckles on his
breast, to the beautiful gates OF the
! cemetery, though not red, not a
three-Cent piece, not Lincoln penny
did he give to it personally, neither
did the town give anything as to
that matter. He was approached
on the subject and replied that we
did not need a gate there and sup
pressed his coin Now he sits upon
that gate in his article. Like Edgar
Allen Poe's bird we find Mr.. Powell
perched upon the pallad bust of Pal
las as big as life. Got there with one
single juvenile hop.
Not the least obeysonce made he,
Not moment stopped or stayed he;
But with mein of Lord or Lady,
| PeTched and sat-but nothing more.
| (9). Mr.. Powell has found out about
the new warehouse and has added
that to his list. The moon shines
bright in Henderson, too, but some
| how our cOntented commissioner left
that out. We will be charitable and
charge this as an error against the
printer. 1O). | am vice-president
of the new automobile factory here,
but | have not found out where Mr..
Powell, either as an individual or as
a commissioner, had anything to do
with that factory whatever, yet Mr..
Powell has that achievement listed
/ too.
| Now, my dear reader, what in the
Lords round world has the slow
town government had to do with all
these things? The very point that
have been trying so hard to present
is the fact that Henderson is a good,
progressive town, but that the town
government itself is not progressive
and is about the slOWest thing in the
city.
Mr.. Powell says that everybody in
Henderson is cOntented, except two.
Ii it were so it were a grievous
fault. Nobody blames Mr. Powell
for being contented. He is on the
towns payroll. He does exactly
what he pleases. He spells his name
Silus when almost everybody else
spells the same word Silas. He
writes for the papers whenever he
! feels like it and closes up the source
of all knowledge at his pleasure. He
voted twice to have the mayors sal
ary 500 per year, then on the third
vote changed to$300. This was the
night on which Mayor Switzerland
was in town but absent from the
meeting This was the same night
that some of the commissioners fell
all over themselves to increase the
mayors salary regardless of whether
it was according to law or not for
they refused to let their paid attor-
ney pass on the question. This was
the night that Mr.. Powell said in
open and official meeting that he
had been on the board for about five
years, that nothing had ever been
done according to law and that he
was opposed to the beginning OF do
ing anything according to law. Now,
Mr.. Powell, can't you deny this, can't
you convince me that | was dream
ing? would not like always to re-
member that the town of Henderson
ever went on such a record. This
was the night when the mayors sal
ary cropped through the crevace in
the dark, cropped through the yawn
of a calm summers night into the
treasury of old Henderson to the ex-
tent of $500 per year, and the COM
missiOners refused to come out into
the light of paid legal judgment.
Here is where every old red strand OF
my old red head stood up and | re-
belled at the situation because | be-
lieve in conducting government at
least according to law. One score
years and ten | can remember we'll
within the volumG of which time
have seen hours dreadful and things
strange but this sad night surpassed
| all former knOWings.
Mr.. Powell told me face to face that
the fire horses were all right. Now
he criticises them. Mr.. Powell talked
J against the Civic League. Now he
: praises it. 1t is my humble opinion
: that Mr.. Powell can change his mind
sixty times per minute in so small 6
: space as the eye of spool of cotton
When you See him basking in the sur
don't think he is idle, he is busy
changing his mind
Disseminated, yes discontened. Ifol
one am disconnected at the towns gov
ernment. Mr.. Powell, you are stree
commissioner. Do you reckon F
p ". AdcOck is contented when he say
that in times of rain your bitches AM
your drainage bring more water un
+ der his house than they take away
h Do you reckon ". L. Garlick is con
G tented when he says that on accoun
f of your poor drainage in front OF hi
q house the water ran through hi