The Detroit times., 1914-02-06

much time had been consumed. he
Wluld NOT make an address and 100
PRODUCED Judge Connolly
This WA, fhe sigu3I than tbe mon
had been Whiting for There Was an
Immense burst o. applause. and as
the wdgc male his points. the and
fence continued 10 interrupt with
haud-clappne When me- had finished
there were cries ot Frazer SO Mr.
Frazer Naded INTO his address. and
was SIN speaking az l,45. Now the
rules OF the Board OF Commerce are
that these meetings must conciude al
30. and NE charter advocates, Tues
day. respected the rules.
judge Connolly spoke as follows
81 listened with interest last Tues
day 30 my good friend Denhys good
natuIed fable about the white mice,
his honor the mayor and Commission
,r Burton. and. as heard his kindly
raicry. and passed IN mental review
the frantic and labored Clamoring. the
writing and wriggling of the charter
advocates. was reminded OF another
mouse that is perhaps the most Ia
NOUS in human history-the mouse OF
which Horace sang
P6rturiunt mOntes nascltur ridr
culus mus The mountains groan in
child birth and mouse is born
For several months, the charter
comm .ssiuu mountains groaned and
struggled these Intellectual cloud
peaks were Iva sore travail. ana When
I they got all through. they had "a docu-
Iment nine times as long rs the consO-
tuition Of the United states, and three
times as long as the constitution on
Michigan, which cuts the penalty TOT
| roOdling from one year or $lOuo me
/ 20 90 days or $500 Ane. and gives the
! FIRE commission sole and exclusive
right 10 pat ont fires. They must
/ have been 80 busy with these import
liant details that they could not give
/ 20 the people of Detroit form OF gov
eminent al least as progressive as
/ that OF Port Huron or Pontiac.
J Il have listened TO my good friend
AID Lodge. and learned Why he op-
posed piecemeal revision OF the char-
ter He said he feared that the com.
mon council as at present constituted
would fail 10 refuse to submit the
needed reforms OF a spring city cleo
ton. and non-partisan ballot ana
concentrated power in the mayor. He
left the Inference that the counch
failing 10 submit these reforms, they
could not be effectuated in any other
way.
In the hurry OF his leaye-taking.
my good friend forgot 10 tell you that
upon a 10 per cent initiative petition,
any desired amendment can be sun
mitted 20 the people with or without
the consent OF the common council.
ont DC "A
house OF cards that blows over and
falls in ruins before the face or truth.
why do | oppose this charter
might say in passing that | oppose II
because the corporation counsel, Mr..
Lawson, has today filed an opinion
declaring this document 10 be wholly
invalid and void | have learned 10
respect Mr. I.awsons judgment. Mr..
lawson has never lost case for the
city before the appellate courts; re-
peatedly he has led the city's legal
forces 10 brilliant victories, on vital
questions or the city's power
accept Mr. Lawson's Judgment.
think every citizen ought 10 accept II
as matter OF common sense and
ordinary prudence. Let us not go
laundering into bottomless bog OF
complications when the man who has
won our victories flashes danger
signal in our very eyes
Why am | opposed TO this propos
ed charter. Because IL does not real
ize the ideals OF progressive city bet
tCrment. thinkers and workers.
What are these ideals?
Il. A commission form OF govern
ment. 4 small compact board OF
H.. ., Tass
of large business enterprises. Such
a plan was suggested 10 this charter
commission and fell by the wayside
in the sheltering oblivion OF the waste
basket. How can | measure this doc
ument with the yard'stick or my
ideal. agree that this proposed char
ter is an acceptable charge? Why,
its an almost unsurmountable obsta-
Gle to the achievement of the idea
OF the commission form or govern
ment Why? Because If this charter
is passed, people will say: We have
just adopted a new charter. Let II
alone Give IL chance TO be tried
And the commission form OF govern
ment fades into the far away land OF
dreams.
"2. Another ideal OF progressive
city buil0ers-the short ballot. Does
this new charter shorten the ballot?
Does 1t give as the short ballot?
think not think that with the elm
ination OF the primary. the only linn
itation upon the number OF candi.
dates on the ballot Is a number OF
qualified voters In that particular
political subdivision. You might
have IL candidates for mayor; and,
under this win place-and-show style
OF voting. the voter would be asked TO
vote for one first choice, one second
choice. and IL third choices. This
presents a very labyrinth OF confu'
sion 70 the voter IL has taken MS
90 years TO educate our people on the
present simple style OF ballot How
long will IL take TO learn this new
tangled fad? And how long viii this
fad last? As long as the central
counting board survice-about two
elections.
But why waste words? The town
lawyer--your lawyer-tells you this
charter IL invalid and void. why
should | kick the dead?"