Evening journal., 1912-06-03
CHARTER
GOES DOWN
TO DEFEAT
Is Smethered URder Avalanche
Of Votes at Saturday
Special EIeCtlOn
MAJORITY AGAINST
DRAFT IS EIGHT TO ONE

With an avalanche of votes the p-o7
posed new city charter for Whining
ton was overwhelmed at the special
election on Saturday. The vote against
the charter draft was nearly eight 10
one. The total unofficial vote against
the charter was 77Ol, while the
vote recorded for the charter waa
992. The total vote cast was S693.
compared with 1910 cast at the city
election In June Of last year. The
total vote was about two-fifths Of the
total registration In the city.
At that the vote was larger than
many persons had expected, and the
result was more decisive than many
had looked for. The agitation against
certain phases of the charter which
proved Objectionable bore fruit. as the
deuge of votes against the proposed
/ new system of government showed.
So widespread was the uprising
against the charter draft that but two
OF the los election districts OF the
city returned a majority In favor or
II They we're the tenth district OF
the Seventh ward where the vote was
45 in favor and 26 against, and the
Ninth district of the Ninth ward where
the vote was 81 in favor and 40
against. In the Fifth district of the
second ward. the Fifth district of the
sixth ward and Seventh district Of
the Ninth ward not a vote was cast
for the charter. l2l votes being cast
IN opposition in the Fifth district OF
the Sixth ward
The official canvass Of the vote was
conducted this afternoon In CITY
Council chamber, by the Departments
of Elections, and u showed no ma
terial change in the result The re-
suit was known early on Saturday
night
Later in the evening cards with
mourning border on them and reading
"He Died" we're distributed TO tne
crowds on Market street by some op-
ponenis Of the charter
4 n Is estimated that the total est
= of the special election and preparaf
4 ton Of the charter draft cost bout
$4,000 and Council has increasf the
3 tax rate three cents on the 500 to
. provide revenue for this,
q Mr.. Kurt1's View.
r William r. Kurtz. a member of the
r Charter Commission and the most in
r defatieahle defender Of the charter
draft. has this 10 say of the election
e result
II cheerfully acauiesce in the de-
y cision Of those voters who exercised
,heir right of franchise Saturday in
2 voting against the proposed new
q charter Nv only interest In the mea-
f sure was the same as that Of every
other citiIan in good government;
e no more. and no less The disheart-
h ening feature Of the whole campaign
IN me was the general apathy and
lack of interest manifested by ciu-
zens generally in not informing
Themselves Of what the proposed
charter contained Ny own opinion Of
the proposed charter is not changed
? I'm the slightest degree by the vote
thereon I know what II contains, nut
7 seriously doubt whether the larger
nroportiou Of those who voted agalns1
" The charter knew its contests lne
discussion of the measure started IN
a prejudice and passion and the poh-
iicians took advantage OF the situa%
b. tion TO give II its quietus for the TINS
IN being. Some day in the future "hsn
n the citizens or wilmington na'o hi'
Is m their minds that they want a new
A. charter which will give them etnclens : ).
is government. ! am convinced tnat ,neF
must adopt the fundamental prln-
J. ciples contained in the proposed cnar<
a ter"
4 Approves the Method
t., Herber. n. Ward, president of tho
le Wilmington Civic Association and an
advocate of the charter, said
p "One thing is clear that the peo-
h nle of Wilmington have no over
S mastering wish for new charter.
. and believe that the present charter
r is good enough I yet think that ths
r method adopted by the Civic Associa'
. tion for procuring the framing or :
d new charter is sound, and that tns
:, Continued on Second Page.