The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-18
ATLANTA CHARTER FIGHT WAKES WARM City Officials Struggle to
 Hold On OPPOSITION PAPER
Thorough Electioneering Will Estab. fish for Both Sides a Certainty As to How Each Man
 VIII Vote

Atlanta, September 17-(1peoial. )-When
 the average Atlantan opens his news paper these days looking for news, about the only thing that greets his eyes are headlines something like these: Grand rally Saturday night for new charter"
 First ward citizens hold meeting to oppose charter.'
 'Federation of trade to fight new char ter"
 Why the new charter should be adopt ed." and so. on almost ad infinitum.. In fact. so far as would appear from the newspapers, there Is nothing else going on. It is charter, charter, char ter for breakfast, supper and every other
 meal. It is talked on the street corners, in the restaurants, at home, in the clubs and even in business offices.
 There Is nothing like apathy floating around Everybody Is lined up on one side of the charter or the other and If
 sides, then the lineup is so closely drawn that it will be difficult to predict the re- suit until after the election. The fight over the charter Is fully as lively as was any race for mayor In
 which various clements combined to keep Jim Woodward out of the mayors of flee.
 Both sides are well organized, have headquarters and are distributing cam paign literature by the bushel and the cartload. City officials are handing out snti-charter literature at the city hsjl, 3ustifying their partisan action on the ground that 1t Is a question of their jobs. Employees of city departments have
 been practically put on notice to let the new charter movement alone ex- cept to the extent of voting against 1t. All but few of them working quiet ly to beat it. Many of them have been made to believe the success of the char ter means the loss of their positions
 The Atlanta Federation of Trades has adopted strong resolutions against the new document, on the alleged ground that it makes no provision for vote on the eight hour law. Both of the original charter amendments submitted, provided for a separate vote on the eight hour law-thst is the observance of the eight hour rule for labor by the city
 'The Peoples Defender" a four page four column daily paper edited by B. M Blackburn. former executive secretary under Governor Brown, has at last made Its appearance. and 1t tells every day why the citizens of Atlanta should vote against the new charter amendment and commission government. Atlanta's three big dailies are all engaged in telling why the people should vote for the bill.
 The registration of 12.0oO, a pretty good number under the circumstances, is pub ..Sy construed by both sides to mean victory; how they view it privately. they have not let out.
 But men like former Mayor Robert F. Maddox, who have gone over the situa- tion, express the firm conviction that the new charter Is going to win. Both sides are making a thorough canvass of the city and getting a line on every voter. Before the election is held 1t will come pretty near being a campaign somewhat like those which Tammany conducts. with full knowledge of just how every man registered is going to cast his ballot.
 It Is pretty game with the city hall crowd and It's friends who are numer- ous, pitted against the rest of the folks who want a change
 Those working for the change may get it. but they are going to have to scratch for 1t.