Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-03-21
Reform Leaders Predict That
Council Will Order Election
Within Sixty Days.
MANDATE EXPRESSED AT
GREAT MASS MEETING
Estimated 5000, Most of Them
Voters. Last Night Attended
Protest Rally.

Though some of the councilmen stili
are defiant. Mayor Woodward and tha
charter reform leaders declared to-day
that they believed council would obey
the mandate Of the people expressed at
the great mass meeting last night and
submit both the new charters to a pop
llar vote within so days
Here are some opinions Of well known
men expressed to-day on the meeting:
There were several times as many
people present as attended any rally
during the last mayoralty race and
more than 1000 votes were cast in that
election. This certainly demonstrates
the wish of the public on this charter
question declared w. G. Humphrey.
Martin Amorous said:
The people present last night were
from all walks Of life and
all sections Of the city. There were al
most enough advocates Of the charter
present to carry it in an election"
Presented United Front.
Il don't think | ever saw a meeting
before when the people were so united
on a question If it had been a good
night 10000 persons would have been
present" asserted Captain j. w Eng
lish, who presided.
1t was one of the best political
meetings l ever saw" said Mayor
For council to refuse to
act according to its instructions would
be direct and absolute reputation Of
the expressed will of the people
That meeting demonstrates what the
two sides to this question are--the peo-
pies side and the politicians side" was
John e. AcClelland's comment
Estimate 5000 in Crowd.
Despite the discouraging night. the
meeting was attended by a crowd esti-
mated from 5000 to 5000. There were
few women and boys among them. The
stamp of voters was Enthusiastically on
The face of that crowd While some
out after the speaking had
been in progress for some time, the
climax Of the demonstration was dra-
matte and fOrceful
Chairman James w. English put a
motion indOrsing the new charter of
he committee Of 25, requesting coun-
I'll to submit this charter and councils
-evamped charter to a popular election
within so days, and authorizing the
chairman to appoint committee of 100
to present the resolutions to
council. they arose to their feet in one
great body and voted AYE"
Just before the motion was put, j. w.
Rowe. several times an unsuccessful
candidate for council. jumped from his
seat and asked to be heard. The crowd
1ooted him down, but when the oppo-
,ition vote to the resolutions was call
ed for he again stood up in solitary
protest
CouneiImen Are impressed.
Nisibly impressed by the gathering
number of councilmen were seen on
he outer edge of the assemblage.
Among them We're Aldermen James r.
Nutting and James f. Warren and
'ouncilmen Roy Abernathy and Albert
Thomson. all bitter opponents to the
lew charter. They would not admit
hat their position had been affected by
he meeting
As the crowd came out, an anony-
nous defiance was hurled from the op-
circulars dLldthln8 ledulnR
,harter advocate reforms and the At
anita newspapers we're being distribut-
ID by boys.
Rings Tactics Played.
The tactics of the politicians who
nave been endeavoring to block a vote
by the people on the new charter ques-
ion were hayed by the speakers.
Declaring that the time had come
when the public servants must be
forced to understand that the people
are their masters. Captain James w.
English the presiding officer, opened
the meeting The first speaker he
called upon was Charles T. Hopkins.
the noted lawyer. who launched into a
stirring appeal for the rights of the
people.
He reviewed the history of the char
ter of the committee of %. how it had
been published three separate and dis
tinct times and public criticisms on it
invited Then he told how the other
charter was drawn
There was man defeated fer may
or by James c. Woodward" he said.
He embraces all the essential, funAa-