Evening journal., 1912-04-16
err nOwN no sENsiBLE DISCUSSION.

II 90 much of the time Of the meetings held to dis
cuss the merits and demers of the proposed
city charter is being wasted in exchanges Of
sonaltes that are foreign to the issues involved and
in Aounderng around aimlessly in of general
disputaton Nothing can he gained by such policy.
II engenders i-win and besrs good fruit It keeps
out of the meetings many nen who while willig to
discuss the charter provisions have desire to waste
time listening to ramblngs that lead nowhere
The meeting in Turn Hall last night by all odds
the Of the series and the only in which there
been violent display Of personal malice. II re-
aected no credit Of those who participated in
It and gave to it such unfrutful turn
The only question at stake in all this controversy
whether the proposed charter, framed by BIZ
partisan commission. is suited TO the governmental
needs of this city, and If in what essential parti-
culars It Is lacking No Intelligent decision such
points ever will be reached by who lose their
mental poise and spend time in discussing
another in discussing the proposed charter itself
It is pity the meetings have taken such unfavor-
able turn. The object in providing for them to
bring out intelligent discussion of the provisions of
the proposed charter and not to supply to with
overheaed minds opportunity to deliver irrelevant and
abusive orations
Friends Of good city government cannot but regret
that there should be such perverson Of the charter
meetings. They know that only six weeks remain in
which the proposed charter may be discussed Then a
vote will be taken and the of Wilmington will say
whether they want such charter Il thought the
meetings would be such that they would give to those
voters comprehensive information in advance bearing
the good and the bad features OF the work of the
commission. That has rot been the case a rule as
the issues have been buried beneath irrelevant per-
sonal and too often. abusive discussion.
Why would It not be well, that the time s get
ting short for those who really 70 throw light
this important question to hold a series of meetings
which the broad charter provisions he taken
up one by one and disposed Of systematically and
finally with the rule prevailing that all times the
discussion shall be restricted TO tho questions involved
in the section sections under consideration? II that
be done the meetings will work toward definite con-
clusion and when they have ended they will have led
to something beneficial. What the Rev George Henry
Dole and George W Litz may think Of William f.
Kurtz. and what William p. Kurtz many think Of the
Rev George Henry Dole and George w, Litz is OF no
importance TO the people. What the people want TO
know Is whether the proposed charter is good bad.
The mere fact that Mr. Dole and Mr. Litz say that il
is bad does not necessarily that it is bad and
by the same token. the fact that Mr. Kurtz says
that it is good does necessarily that is
why 1t is bad. They do not much time wasted
attend such meetings 20 throw light upon the work
they have done. Those men have done their work and
they and entitled to respectful consideration and
treatment Attacks aboundng in glittering generali-
ties founded prejudice immature thought will
not do. The voters want good sensible. cod-bloo-ed
business-like argument that something and
not abusive harangues that merely becoud
the issues at stake.