The Pensacola journal., 1913-02-15


vice from men of the same calibre
when elected.
What class of men will put aside
their work and devote time, with abso-
lutely no compensation. to the affairs
OF the city, with such provisions as
that in the Jones charter. The mayor
can suspend any commissioner for
cause. even incompetency, in his judg-
ment Then after thirty days of such
humiliation submit your name to be
passed on by the voters as to your
fitness to serve. What a chance for
the mayor TO intimidate and humiliate
the commissioners not in sympathy
with him into retirement, and the sue
cessors being elected by the remain
Ing commissioners, build up a machine
that could bring about a state of chaos.
What class of men will be willing to
assume the chance of being placed In
such relative connection with a gov
ernment that might have most anyone
for mayor. For the mayor receives
but s2,50o, can serve four years, and
then start life over at something else,
regardless Of how good his services
rendered have been. He can never
be candidate for mayor or commits
sloner again. Did you ever think that
this commission will elect all OF your
heads of departments? To whom will
such Officers be responsible? To the
free serving men who elected them,
and care very little for detail results.
or to commissioner ~7ho has to re-
gard the opinion OF hts other nine
fellow commissioners. Is there any
argument Can results possibly OBJ
tain from this class Of government?
Compare 1t with the clean cut pro-
visions Of the committee charter.
The fear has been expressed that
far-reaching evils will result from the
granting of large enough powers to the
commissioners to enable them to pro-
ceed with the public basiness untram-
meled by the old time checks and
balances" on which the citizens have
relied in vain, but to which many cling
with almost superstitious attachment.
It is doubted whether the three COM
missioners will feel the responsibility
for which the advocates of the corn-
rnittee charter have so painstakingly
provided. 1t is predicted that these
powers will be abused and an oligarchy
established by the three officials trust
ed with such powers. Such appre-
hensiof, it must be said, however, is
In no case expressed by persons IA
miliar with large and successfully con-
Quoted business operations. Such per-
sons know how invariably direct re-
Sponsibility sebers and steadies him
upon whom 1t rests and how certainly
we'll -digested system and proper or
ganization increase efficiency.
BY the initiative, referendum and
recall. the committee charter puts
democracy in as complete control Of
the management of the municipality
as human ingenuity can do; provides
direct, simple and easily operated in
strumentalities for compelling the pub
lie representatives to respect the
wishes Of the people, both Affirmative
ly and negatively, or submit to the
penalty Of involuntary retirement at
the behests Of the people, with ways
and means for the enforcement of the
EXTREMIST decree within easy acc sss.
IL any element of popular supremacy
has been omitted from this charter, the
writer is unable to discover what it is.
Paradoxieal as 1t may seem, it is
, easier fer sinister, anti-publie Unfit
ences to control large body than a
small one. The sense of responsibility
| increases as the number upon whom
1t rests diminishes. If to the contain
| ing force of this law be added that
which arises from the unificatien Of
the community by election at large
instead Of by precincts, 1t may readi
ly be seen why a commission of eleven
men may be seduced from the path Of
/ duty while commission Of three. each
soleTnniy charged with specific duties
and facing definite responsibilities to
q constituency empowered to enforce
/ its will. would resist all the arts Of
the lobby.
| trust that these few thoughts, ex-
! pressed incoherently, will but he the
means OF helping others to see the ad-
vantages, SO apparent to the writer.
We are now Just at that point in our
political history when 1t IL an abso-
lutte necessity to make a change in
our municipal government. we must
not retard the commercial growth OF
Pensacola by the antiquated form Of
government prevailing today.
| Thanking you in advance for the
publication Of this communication, I
am. sir