The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-05-31
Stokes Asks Jennings to At
tach Referendum Clause
to Utility Paragraph
SPEAKER JENNINGS DECLINES,
BUT Is WILLING TO PASS
A COMMISSION GOVERNMENT
RILL-MuMERous CURT LET
TIERS EXCHANGED BETWEEN
THE EscAMRiA MEN DURING
THE DAY.
Bv 4. n. Reeaa,

NJ
Jennings and Senator John p. Stokes
exchanged q number Of curt and
pointed letters today, regardtng the
Pensa cola charter bin, and several
times the words playing politics.
were used. Speaker Jennings. appar-.
emily worsted in his argument. has
declined to receive any further letters
from Senator Stokfa on the subject,
Senator Stokes proposed that the
public utility paragraph be passed and
that a referendum provision be at
tached that it might be submitted 10
the people.
The letters exchanged during the
afternoon and night were as tollows3
Hon. T. A. Jennings, Representative
from Escambta County. TallahaS-
see, Fla
Dear Sir: In one Of your com
muniCations to Hon Jno. B. Jones,
city attorney Of Pensacola, you stated
that you were unwilling to pass the
amendments to the charter OF our city
in their original shape as drafted by
the city attorney and approved by the
city council, which includes provision
Couferring upon the city the power to
regulate public utilities, because you
say that you had promised the people
| Of the city in your campaign for rep
resentative that you would not sup
port amendments to the city charter
without giving the people of the city
| the opportunity to vote upon the same
| by way Of referendum.
In view of the position that you
have now assumed In this connection
/ propose to you that a provision be
| inserted in the original charter bill
| providing that these amendments to
| the charter of our city be submitted to
a vote of the people of our city In the
| approaching city election and that
such amendments shall become effec-
| tive only in the event of their ap-
proval by q majority of the voters OF
I the city and that az amended by IN
serting this referendum provision the
bill be passed and submitted to a vote
of the people Of the city. A prompt
reply will be appreciated.
Yours very truly,
| JOHN p. STOKES.
Senator from Escambia County"
Mr.. JENNiNGS'S REPLY.
Tallahassee A O'Clock, p. M.
Hon. John P. Stoves. Senator from
Escambia County.
Sir: I am in receipt of your letter
| Of even. date which has just been
handed to me by a senate page.
Your letter is in bad taste, coming
as it does two days before the finish
| of all legislative business and during
the week when all local bills should
| have been in the governors Office.
| You know as well as do that II. Is
| impossible now to revise the BIN in
| question in the manner as outlined in
your letter and have II passed by both
houses of the legislature at this ses-
sion and become a law. The purpose
! of your letter is very apparent and in
my opinion will deceive no one. unless
possibly yourself.
II am confident that am backed up
by a majority Of the property owners
and citizens Of all classes In Pensacola
in my position, but If you are IN
| earnest in your proposition to submit
| this matter to the voters Of Pensacola
| I beg to say that ] shall be glad to
join you in submitting TO them a new
charter for a commission form of gov
| ernment or such amendments contain
| ing that form of government, ern-
bracing all the features which my
amendments strike out OF the present
bill. together with the initiative, refer
endum and recall. And / will do all
in my power to get the same through
the house, although l am frank TO say
! that your offer comes at the eleventh
hour and fifty ninth minute for all
practical purposes and I repeat will
deceive no one, in my opinion.
Very truly yours.
'"r. A. JENNINGS~
Mr.. STOKES ANSWERS
May 30, p. NJ
Hon. T. Albert Jennings, Representa-
tive from Escambia County.
| "Sir: Your valued favor Of this
date relative to charter bill for the
| city Of Pensacola IS TO hand. In reply
| I beg to say that my suggestion to
you that a referendum clause be at
tached to the original charter bill for
| Pensacola so that the people Of the
city might pass upon this charter for
themselves was not made for the pur-
pose of deceiving anyone. II was
made in good faith and in the hope
that you would allow the people OF the
city an opportunity to vindicate either
you or myself in our respective
courses in this matter and I resent
any iatimation on your part that
had any desire or intention to deceive
| Confined on Page Seven.