The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-08-23
Mr.. Shackelford Deplores
Publicity Given the City.

Elsewhere The Journal publishes
this morning a communication from
Cade E. Shackelford, in which he re-
cites that publicity improperly direct
ed is injurious to a city, and con-
cludes with plea that the citizens of
Pensacola support the city commits
sioners and cease criticism of their
administration.
The Journal will not accuse Mr..
Shackelford Of being influenced by the
city commissioners in writing this arti-
Gle. It makes this statement because,
some knowing that Mr.. Shackelford is
building inspector and close to the
triurnvirate that rules at the city
hall, might jump to the conclusion
that he had been so influenced and
/: was acting as their spokesman.
Mr.. Shackelford is correct in the
assertion contained in the first por-
ton of his article that Bayview park
flor that presumably is to what he
refers) was given undue publicity
The two daily newspapers of Pensa-
cola reached this conclusion long be-
fore Mr.. Shackelford appears to have
permitted it to penetrate his dome OF
thought. The papers agreed, and Sc
did some of the Bayview park COM
naittee, that a simple announcement
only sufficient to warn the people OF
the danger of bathing there, should
be made. But the newspapers and
members of the committee had no
control over the city commissioners.
nor could they prevent the latter from
injecting politics into matter SO
vital to the health of the community
The result was the undue publicity,
Of which Mr.. Shackelford complains,
but in which Mr.. Shackelford did not
appear at all reluctant to join.
Mr.. Shackelford, before closing his
communication, attempts to take to
task the newspapers for their criti-
cisrn Of the city commissioners, says
the inference is that the commission
ers have been derelict in their duties,
and declares it to be the duty of all
good citizens to uphold them.
The Journal, during the past seven
teen years, has never hesitated to give
p-aise where it was due, either to an
official or .aassvzid,, but to say that
the city commissioners have not been
derelict in the administration of af-
fairs of the city would only be to as
sumo the role of the ostrich and this
The Journal does not propose to do.
The city government of Pensacola
today is a joke, compared with which
Mutt and JEFF are pail bearears. The
government has deteriorated, instead
of improved, with the change from
the aldermanic to commission form
and the city is now practically bank
rupt as the result Of Encouragement
incompetence and the injection OF
politics into its every department
Commission government as admins
tered in Pensacola is a colossal fail
ure. The commissioners have violat-
ed the trusts imposed in them 5y the
people and instead of giving the city
a clean, business-like and economical
government they have squandered the
peoples money in their attempts to
build up political machines.
This is a severe indictment. The
Journal regrets exceedingly the ne
cessity that brings it forth. It has
no desire to injure Mayor Greenhut
Commissioner Pou or Commissioner
Johnson, but newspaper has duty
to perform. It owes it to the public
to keep it informed and to expose
conditions that are opposed to public
welfare. It cannot, with the knowl.
edge it possesses, remain quiet or in
active as Mr.. Shackelford wishes.
Instead of keeping quiet for the
public good" as Mr.. Shackelford ad.
vises, The Journal believes it the duty
of all good citizens to aid in exposing
these conditions and demanding that
the city's business be properly con.
Quoted.