The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1913-10-03
get TOGETHER SAYS
GEO. f. MONTGOMERY
MARIETTA, GEORGIA,

fare of Marietta, especially at this
ter of such great importance, / am
prompted to write this letter and
will be glad if you could give 1t
space in your paper. Now l would
not be misunderstood in writing this
letter. / have no axe to grind;
want no office or other political pref
erment, and l am neither interested
in nor opposed to the candidacy of
any man or set of men who aspire
to the office of Mayor or Commits
sioner of our City. What l have to
say is born of desire to further the
best interests of Marietta and it's
people. &"
1t is very much to be regretted that
| all the men of Marietta will not get
together and present assolid front for
the welfare of our little city. Ny
earliest recollections of our city gov
eminent are associated with faction
al bitterness and strife. Year after
year these things have been repeated
until we find our city today in such
condition that every self respecting
citizen should feel ashamed. If we
have one thing to be proud of, the
result of human sacrifice or effort,
l don't know what 1t is. True we
have climate both delightful and
healthful, but this is not the handi-
work of man. The easiest and cheap
est thing we could have is co-opera-
ton, and yet we haven't got that.
How long will our people permit
such conditions to obtain.
We have tried the plan at present
used for half century or more, and
each succeeding year finds us worse
off than the year before. If | am
correctly Informed we are not only
without the civic improvements that
we ought to have, but the city today
is in debt to the extent of something
over $20,000.00. Now it is not my
purpose to point out the man or set
of men WHO brought this indebted
ness about. Nothing VIII BE gained
by drawing. comparisons one admin
istratiOn with another. In the words
of the proverbial Irishman, one May
or and council has been about as
good as the other and a little bit
hnftnr fnn ~ Thorn fS
personalities; and yet | fear this is
the occasion for what, little sopposi-
ton there appears to be to the pro-
posed Commission plan of govern
ment. The matter now to be consid-
cred is not the election of any man
or set of men, but Involves princi-
pie or plan of government. Let us
put the plan into effect and then we
can take up the matter Of who shall
be elected Those who are now OPP
posing the Commission plan because
they want to be mayor can run for
Commissioner after the plan is put
into effect just as easily as they
can now run for Mayor. and they
will then have all the advantages
which the new law affords.
The bill passed by the legislature
is not the creation of any one person
or political faction. Some twenty of
our men, equally divided between the
two factions, met and carefully con-
sidered the matter and every man in
the meeting agreed that the Com
mission plan was what Marietta need
ed. Some of those talking the loud
est now against the plan talked the
loudest then for it. The provisions
! of the proposed bill were discussed
in detail by the Committee and all
agreed what it should contain. A
committee of three lawyers selected
from these twenty men was then
named to prepare the bill ready for
the legislature and this they did.
Our representatives were then re-
| quested to have the bill enacted into
! law. Some of these men now come
| and are opposing the Commission
Government and Directing to some OF
the provisions of the very bill that
they had the Legislature to pass
If these DIRECTORS were sincere in
their desires for change of govern
ment before the bill was passed, and
If they are sincere in their objections
now, why don't they try to remedy
the trouble instead OF trying to teal
| down the plan? If there are any
imperfections in the bill, let us cor.
rect them, and such can of course be
done. Are we going to burn or de.
stroy the house because one or two
| window panes are broken?
Objection is raised because the
managers who hold the elections and
The Commissioners elected are re.
| CURED to be free holders. Do these
directors know that the general law
for many years has required that al
| election managers must be free hold.