The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-02-09
CHARTER CAMPAIGN
ENDS WITH SINTEEN
NOON MEETINGS
tCoatInurd FROM i'aEs oSel

Postmaster Nagel. the letters were
placed In the postoflca. Saturday and
were safely mailed
The letters were as follows
We are mailing this 10 you SO
you sill get IL Monday heb.
tire day before the vote Is taken
Oh the new charter
Tomorrow sou viii have the
opportunity ot rendering a great
service 20 the city OF Detroit by
voting for the new charter.
IL Win take only few minutes
az your time TO help adopt this
charter and II you don give that
Jew minutes tomorrow, b. may
lake 10 or 20 years az time 10
get for the people o.. Detroit what
they can get tom orrow " You and
other men VIII only give up these
few minutes OF your own time.
You can help make tomorrow
live in history as Detroits sec
und birthcsv just vote Tor the
new charter
"A vote for The charter is a vote
for YOU and sour children The
new charter gives 20 US. the peo-
pie OF Detroit. the means OF gov
erning our city ourselves as We
want il governed u enables us
&c have a better. more healthful,
more beautiful Detroit-with
MORE equal Justice and fairer op'
pOrtunities 70 all.
There has been no real organ
lied opposition to the charter
The only thing that can lose 20
Detroit this great opportunity for
home rule Is that men VIII not
take few inmates OF their time
10 20 10 the polls and vote.
Just pin this letter 10 your
overcoat. or 10 your hat tonight,
so as 70 remind you IN the morn
ing that you should so 10 the
polrs and vote for the new CHAR
ter. Yours sincerely.
CHARTER COMMITTEE
Hugh Chalmers Chairman
Charter Commissioner Judson Brad
way made a statement. Monday, snow
ing to what extent just one memoei
OF the charter commission asked Cor
poration Counsel Law son for advice
Other commissioners were as active
as Mr.. Broadway in seeking opinions
from the corporation counsels office
and had similar experiences. Ar
Broadway says.
AS chairman CT TIE committee on
eglstratlon AMI elections, consult
ed the corporation counsels Office on
every importau point, and as the non
partisan ballot proposal came before
nv committee, wrote letter 70
the corporation counseps Office.
ar. Bradways .etter asked for AZ
opinion on the Legality OF the non
partisan ballot The proposal, as SUB
mitted TO Mr. lawson, contained the
oath which he NOW says Is Illegal.
81 waited several days Tor al an
swer. Mr. BradDay continues, AND
the members OK the committee remem
Der that | held she proposal up, await
ing the opinion. Finally. had taih
with one OF Mr. Lawson's assistants
and ne stated that he could see noth
ing wrong with the proposal from q
gal standpoint, although be did po'
like the idea. With this, the proposal
was allowed 10 90 on genera order, OF
the understanding that II the corpora
ton counsels written opinion, whel
received, differed from the one given
we would change the proposal later
Mr. Lawson states, IN an inter
view recently published, that 1 was
treated insolentlv and so were my as
sistants; the opinion | gave today Is
the first on the points involved, as
have not been asked before what
thought OF them Ny. letter proves
he was asked about thetn. Was Il be
cause he was treated ins0leni,y' that
he failed 10 do his duty as a city ON
cial. or what?
Il introduced a resolution In the
commission to the effect that the CHAR
ter as a completed document be SUD
mitted 10 the corporation counsel De
fore being finally adopted. and after
much discussion Mr.. Lawson was CALI
ed in and his Sdvice asked, and he
said he did not think 81 necessary 70
nave his office go over H. Why2 AL
he opening OF the commission, be was
asked 20 be its adviser, and Willingly
consented. His attention was brought
directly to at least two or the points
involved in his recent opinion, and yet
ae advised the commission that ne
thought the new charter did not need
he inspection Of the legal depart
nent.
Il am satisfied that this delayed
and well.planned opinion will help. IN
stead 81 injure. the chances or the
,harter at the polls. The people real.
re that this last desperate effort OF
he opponents TO defeat the charter Dy
getting the city attorney 70 render an
opinion eve all can give an opinionD
which be refused 60 give the commits
sion. Is merely n well-timed attempt
10 lead the voters 10 believe that
there are three or four technical legal
defects in the new charter. wnloh
every other lawyer be-
ieyes OF no consequence.
This Is my nrst experience In po-
,itical affairs in which | have been "a
miliar with all the facts, and hence
i Is d revelation TO me 20 witness
how certain class ot professional
will Intentionally misstate
and distort facts In order TO defeat
anything that is not for their inter
est"
Frederick f. Ingram made the fol-
loving statement. Monday:
Through a combination Of the poll
ticians and their party machines, the
initiative proposal / introduced VAS
defeated in the constitutional con
vention OF 1905, although a majority
OF the members had been pledged at
the election 20 It's support. Al the
final vote. denounced the Int ended
betrayal OF the people and warned
those interests that the men of Mich
igan Intend to be and viii be- free,
that class rule must aud Will end
and that their arrogance and dupllc-
itys only effect was 10 make victory
for the people sure Ia i've years.
not only the initiative. but the refer