Atlanta Georgian., 1913-03-11
Council Denounced for OBJ
struCting Vote by Citizens on
Peoples Document.

Advocates of genuine charter re-
forms We're indignant today at the ac-
ton Of council Indefinitely delaying
submission of the matter to the peo-
| pie. Many suggestions for big mass
meeting to protest were heard on every
/ side, and some significant develop
ments in the charter reform fight are
expected within the next few days.
Mayor Woodward declared today that
/ many persons had urged him to call an
| Indignation mass meeting in the Audi
torium. He said the general impress
sion Of councils action was that they
| had endeavored to complicate the whole
matter, so as to bewilder everybody.
! Tt is the same sort OF petty poll
ties they have been playing all the
to preserve all the little petty politi-
clans in Office. and they are fighting
every move that might loosen the grip
of this little clique on the city gov
ernment.
Would Kill Reform Move"
"They would XIII the whole charter
reform movement They have dismiss
ed the charter revision committee of %
without acting on its recommendations
But. mind you, | have not approved the
resolution abolishing that committee"
Joseph Loewus, Of the Second ward,
asserted that councils action revealed
gross insncerity. He pointed out that
council created the committee OF 25 and
dismissed it before hearing it's report.
at the same time declaring they were
acting in good faith and thanking the
committee for its work.
Councils charter was prepared inI
secret. | heard Alderman Nutting tell
an official yesterday before the meet
ing to keep the copy hc had secret from
everybody. That doesn't look like rep
resenting the people to me" he de-
clared.
Plans Kept Under Cover.
When Alderman Nutting and the
fourteen other councilmen offered their
resolution providing for certain charter
amendments. it was the first time these
plans had ever been made public They
were not even read in council, and the
resolution contained no provision for
informing council Of the complete con-
tents of the resolution. Only Council
man Claude MasOn's motion instruct
! ing the clerk to furnish copies to the
members of council prevented what
| seemed to be a plan to adopt ti!em
| without any consideration or discus
sion by the council in open session.
The plan is to have the amendments
made into law by the Legislature with
out submitting them to the people at
all
Vote BY People Blocked.
Having caucused in secret and franz
ed a program under the guiding hand
of Aldine Chambers, councilman and
defeated candidate for the mayoralty
by James G. Woodward. council pro-
ceeded to block a vote by the people on
the new charter as smoothly and easily
as the running of a well oiled machine
Alderman James r. Nutting. who has
succeeded to the position Of floor leader
for the reactionaries since Mr.. Cham
bers retirement, began the action with
the introduction of resolution to dis
miss the charter revision committee Of
20 The report of this committee had
not even been read.
On an yea and nay vote to adopt the
resolution the yeas were l3 and the
nays H. Singing criticisms hurled
at the clique, caused several who had
pledged themselves to the caucus pro-
gram to waVer, But the majority
stood firm, though most of them took
pains elaborately to explain their votes
Majority "Signed Up"
Then the real work of the caucus de-
Veloped. The members were signed m
While the resolution to refer the new
charter Of the committee of % to the
legislature instead of the people and
providing for certain slight changes in
the present charter without any ex-
preston by the people was signed by
enough councilmen to insure its adoD-
tion, motion by Councilman Claude G.
Mason to postpone action for two
weeks was adopted. The wonder TODAY
is why council postponed action after so
clearly indicating that its mind was
fully made up.
Here are the members who stacked
the cards for the meeting by signing
the resolution:
Nutting, SpratIins. Maddox. Van
Dyke Greer Si>son, Baskiu Han.
Thomson, Ashley, Smith. White. Ma.
son, shepard and WardlaW
Here Is the Resolu+iop