The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-05-21
VOX POPULI.
Mr.. ELLIOTT OPPOSES
THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE

Editor Pensacola Journal
At a meeting of the City Council on
April 10Th, 1911 an ordinance. was
introduced before that body as fol-
lows: No. IT'S; An ordinance. to be
entitled: An Ordinance, relating TO
the police department of the city OF
Pensacola.
Be it ordained by the mayor and
council of the city Of Pensacola Sec.
1. That on and after the 9Th day of
June 1911, it shall be the duty of the
Marshal Of the city of Pensacola to
appoint from the qualified members of
the Police Force of the City a Deputy
Marshal. a Captain Of the Night
Watch and a Captain Of the Day
Watch, and three (3) Desk Sergeants
or Station Keepers and the drivers of
the patrol wagons, and he shall also
have the power to designate and as
sign to every member of the city po-
lice force, and the employees of the
police department Of the city under
him, the duties which each such Of
ficer shall perform in accord with the
ordinances of the city.
Section 2. That all ordinances and
parts of ordinances in conflict here
with be and the same are hereby re-
pealed.
The above ordinance, has passed its
first reading. reported back to the
council by the fire and police COM
mittee and passed its second reading
and is now in the hands Of the ordi-
nance and engrossing committee, and
after reported by them will pass to
its third and final reading.
At the beginning l wish to state
that 1 am opposing this ordinance,
| because ! have the rights and privi-
lege to do so, of a voter and tax
payer, and from desire for good
tao cd
or inef11ciency.
And in so doing do not charge any
wrong intention on the part of the
alderman who introduced this mes
sage, or those who do or may support
| it, for especially do I believe in the
honor and integrity of the councilman
| who introduced this measure and be-
lieve that he acted in good faith and
| a desire to benefit the police is that
the said alderman, should have moro
| thoroughly investigated the cause and
effect that such a far reaching ordi-
nance would have if it becomes a
| law.
Neither do blame the chief OF po-
lice. and 1 shall admit that any and
all who may or do give it their sup
port to do so from a clean motive.
What it would do: Ist. Give the
| chief of police autocratic power such
as no chief of police of any city in
the United States possesses.
/ End. 1t is a welcome to vice and
crime, and an invitation to graft and
inefficiency.
ard. 1t is the death blow to any
and all reforms in the police depart
ment, and the funeral knell of civil
service for the department.
4th. 1t is direct insult to the hon.
esty Of purpose and efficiency of the
board of public safety recently elect
ed by the people to take their ONCE
on June 9Th next.
5th. 1t is an indirect insult to the
retiring board of public safety, brand
ing them incompetents.
9Th. 1t is prison, that locks be-
hind Its barred portals the individual
liberties of every member Of the police
department and fastens its letters of
Emancipation to every policeman on the
force.
7th. 1t is a sentence pronounced,
without trial or jury on gentlemen
who will make out next board of
public safety. 1t says without words,
that there is more knowledge, more
honesty or purpose, more wisdom pos
sessed by one man as chief of police.
than hve men who give their time,
gratis to the ity-endeavoring to do
anything in their power that may ben
ef1t the city of Pensacola and its cit
liens.
| In saying that such an ordinance
would give the chief of police of this
city more power than is possessed
by any chief of police of any city In
the .. S. q say so without fear of
contraction.) I will admit that have
not corresponded with the chief of
police of every city IN the United
States but have with many and have
been informed from many sources
that was not direct but from the
there is not one as yet, that has not
and does not put more protection
around the election and appointment
OF ofacers and men in the police de-
partment. than does the city of Pen
sacola. Why then should any member