The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-03-04

clauses about which there might be
considerable difference of opinion. He
said he told Mr.. Semmes that unless
all questions were submitted to the
people he would not work for its pas
sage.
Mr.. Stokes paid a high tribute to
the honesty of John B. Jones, who
drafted the Jones charter, and said his
patriotism is unquestioned by anyone.
Mr.. Jones, he said, has acquired an in
sight into affairs of the city govern
rpent from his long years of service as
city attorney and that he has always
been on the side OF the people.
Mr.. Stokes asked: who prepared
the Semmes committee charter" and
asked those in attendance to answer
the question. After waiting a moment
some one in the crowd said, "the
Osceola club" Continuing, Mr.. Stokes
said no one seems to know where 1T
came from, but the advocacy of the
afternoon paper is sufficient to stamp
it as being wrong.
Mr.. Stokes said for the afternoon
paper to quote woodrow Wilson, Prof
Frank Parsons and William Jennings
Bryan in support of commission gov
eminent is like taking the name of the
Lord in vain. In 1905" he said, when
we were trying to send delegates of
the people to Denver that paper was
tying to send representatives of Wall
street."
ANALYZE THE CHARTER.
When you come to analyze the
Semmes committee charter. said Mr..
Stokes. all of the bad things in the
Des Ioines charter. from which it was
drafted, are there, but all of the good
things are omitted. Under the Semmes
charter the three commissioners can
hire and fire city employees, while the
Des Moines charter provides for
board of civil service examiners to
hire and fire employees. Under the Des
Moines charter all of the office -holders
&C in and out at the same time, being
the mandates of the taxpayers; also
they do under the Jones charter, re-
flecting the will of the people Even if
there be a revolution of sentiment,
under the Semmes committee charter
the people cannot do anything, because
there is always a majority OF two COM
n1issioners in office. Under that char
ter the newly elected commissioner
coul1 not do thing because there re
always TWO old ones in office. The
pay of city employees can be placed as
high or low as they want it, but If the
employees do not obey them on election
day or at other times their pay can be
cut down SO low that they will quit
their jobs.
Mr.. Stokes said there viii be
greater scramble for jobs under the
Semmes committee charter than there
will be in Washington today. He said
that the committee charter does
not contain referendum clause from
the fact that the one in it is not ef-
fective; it is bait to secure entire
control of the administration.
Mr.. Stokes said that the citation OF
Wilson, Bryan and Parsons by the af-
ternoon paper reminded him of the
fable OF an ass who put on a lions
skin, when all the beasts fed from him
until he came to fox when he under
took to roar like a lion. But the fox
said, of you had kept your mouth
shut you might have fooled me-" IF
the Evening News had kept it's mouth
shut" said Mr.. Stokes. ait might have
fooled the people as TO who are be-
hind it" The issue, he said. is one Of
the most important in several years
II is not one of whom you want to
run the city, but a contest over prin-
cipIe. One urged by the followers of
jefferson. and one by those, with few
exceptions, men who have refused to
allow the people to vote on a munich
pal electric light plant. the men who
want to enjoy the spoils of govern
raent.
Are you, he asked, going to surren-
der your rights TO Muldon. Semmes,
and others2 The Semmes crowd. he
said, refused to allow the people to
say whether they wanted the munich