The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-05-31

you or anyone else
Your statement that you have not
sufficient time in which to attach a
referendum to the original charter bill
is not justified by the facts and the
circumstances. You do not say in
your letter that you are willing to
agree to submit this matter to a vote
of the people. You eVade the question
by saying that you have not sufficient
time in which to act in the matter. If
you favored submitting this matter to
the vote Of the people you had plenty
of time to have attached the referen-
dunn clause on your own initiative
This you did not do. If you are really
desirous of submitting this matter to
a vote of the people at this time 1 can
have the charter bill sent over to the
house tomorrow morning before ten
o'clock and you can have the house re-
consider the vote by which it adhered
to its amendments and also the vote
by which the house passed the bill
You can then withdraw your amend
ments and attach the referendum
clause to the original bill. This will
not require twenty minutes Of your
time and the time of the house. You
also say in your letter that you will be
glad to support and pass a commits
sion form of government charter for
the city with the provision stricken
out of the present bill inserted therein.
If you have time to pass a new bill or
If you are willing to make the effort,
why are you unwilling to make the
effort to amend a bill already pending
in the legislature by attaching the ref
erendum clause? If you are willing to
support a commission government
charter for the city of Pensacola with
the provisions stricken out of the
present bill inserted therein as you
say you are, why are you unwilling
to support the present charter with
the same provision therein?
You know as we'll as 1 do that in
my platform I promised the people of
the city of Pensacola that I would not
vote for or support a commission gov
eminent charter bill for the city unless
the people had previously passed upon
and approved such charter bill in an
election in which they had an oppor-
tunity to vote upon the specific charter
bill proposed. Such a charter bill
has never been voted upon by the peo-
pie and you suggest to me that l
violate solemn pledge made to the
people. This l cannot do. By sug-
costing your desire to pass a commits
sion government charter bill for Pen
sacola you disclose your real wishes
and desires to foist upon the people of
| Pensacola a commission form of gov
| eminent which Is desired by many of
those who wish to build up a machine
whereby the special interests can con-
| troll and dominate the city and its af-
| fairs. This the people of Pensacola
| will never submit to in conclusion !
| again wish to remind you of the mag
nitude and Importance of the charter
| amendment drafted by the city attor-
ney of Pensacola approved by the city
| council and desired by the people of
| that city. The position that l occupy
/ in the matter is pregnant with great
responsibilities and 1 wish to dis
| charge it to the best of my ability
and for the best interests of my con-
stituency.
Yours very truly.
| JOHN P. STOKES,
! Senator from Escambia County"
| Hon. John P. Stokes, Senator from
! Escambia County.
! Dear Sir: 1 have just read an
other letter from you received by me
at nine o'clock p. m. see that in
| stead of accepting my offer honestly
made to you, you are trying to play
! the game of politics. I am not a
| politician and therefore I am not a
match for you in that occupation
! Accept my offer or reject it as you
please. l refuse to give you any fur
Their opportunity to misunderstood me
Il respectfully suggest that you
write no more letters on this subject
You cannot play politics with me. In
stead, you might be passing bill
as amended in accordance with the
wishes of the people of Pensacola.
Yours very truly,
RECEIVES MANY TELEGRAMS.
4 1lreT ~. crc