The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-05-02
olsMlTA ANp Tne cHARrra


Mayor 0ismllha inaugural address
was a plain, cemmouscnse suite.
meAt Of 4 plain business man IN
ssumiug tho duties Of bis new in
siiion, Nh Olsmith offered no lulsome
promises Given the undivided sup
BORT OF tRo people OF Guthrie thb
new mayor viii provide by perform
once the eitys redemption O,sm IA
e a business man, n0l a marrow pat
isan and as head Of aldetmanic goNr
'crnment will come nearer placing
NutArlg .oN elean, sale and gane..
Nasis 'tiAa any man $40 has thuk
iar graeed the eNecltlge ehalf, TN
Ger the fdunhafson regime the city
made no progress due ,u the Fact
that che magor being an intense par
tisan, kepf a eauldmn of trouble
brewing continually, Every move
rent looking ie progress WAS knoeS
ga hy tns mayor, unless the mayor
himself was ita he caused bitter
ness and strife. was az loggerheads
constantly with his own official
Household and knew little OF nothing
OF the oitys financial condition
Eight months ago, when the viaduei
was assured and the expenditure OF
100000 Ia Guthrie about TO be real
,7ed, the mayor welshed hence no
iaduct, ne progress It was the
sloth and noli-progressiYeness OF the
FarQuharson administration that bred
civic discomfort. that caused the agi.
tation for commission form al gov
ernment. Farquharson was long on
promise and short on performances
He initiated nothing for the city,
eood, all public Improvements were
lpangurated by prior administra TONS.
III three ears the Farguhafson ad,
miuistration plunged the city hope
lessly and helple a.g into debt Fake
debts were piled mountain high and
each month saw monthly salary
budget Of from ten To twelve thous-
and dollars with no relief In sight.
No wonder the people shrleked for q
change When commission govern
nent was proposed Mr FarQuharson
fought the idea vciously In two
campaigns he helabored commission
government Suddenly. the eXmayor
iacea about. Overcome BY instantan-
eous conversion the eE.mayor became
whoopihg zealot for commission
government, and when the present
charter was being written II was
phrased for defeat, In order that Far
quharson might hold over. But Mr.
Farquharson was caught mapping He
failed to file for reelection When he
| finally woke up he became even
more energetic for the charter tIe
wanted it adopted in order that he
might be mayor under commission
form
| Mr. Olsmth, Is sincere commits
sion advocate. He possesses none OF
the Jackinthe-boX characteristics Of
| lis predecessor. The new mayor
wants commission government inaug
rrated by the advocates of the plan
He Ii ayowedly against the present
charter He says that 1t is defective;
that it does not Gil the bill He ie
especially against six years fer may
or, the election provision sfd be4
iieyes that the SO per cent recall
means M recall at all-eyen ii heti
constitutional Mr. Olsmiqh has
carefully compared the current chart
cr with charters Of other cities and
is sincere in his opposition He is
Lot actuated by selfish interests, nor
is he the tool of any man or clique.
He believes it were better for the
city 70 reject the present charter
which he says, SO iberallY provides
for the paying of so many bogus
Judgments against the city, and ask
ior new draft Whether the
voters OF the city coincide in the
Few mayors opinions remains to he
seen