The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1916-02-11
AND DAVIS
CLASH IN C0LL0QUY
And Turn Charter Mass
Meeting into a Screen
ing Farce.

the proposed new Palatka charter,
and held at the board of trade rooms
on Monday night, will go down in
the history Of the municipality as
one of the most enjoyable exclusive
ly male social functions of this gen.
Grafton.
The meeting started right. The
secretary was on motion requested to
read the charter, but when he ar
rived at 'steenthly, his vocal chords
became fuzzy and he had turn the
document over to the chairman; VI
the audience saw that the chairman
was also getting weak in tones and
his vocal chords needed fabrication,
they took pity and ordered that the
reading of the last 20 columns of the
charter be dispensed with, recon-
mending instead that individuals i'll
the audience take the charter home
and read it on the installment plan.
1t was then suggested that Mr.. H.
O. Hamm, president of the charter
board, give a brief resume of the
charters provisions. This Mr.. Hamm
said he thought would be unnecessary
as most of the people present had
probably read the charter. He did,
however, explain the work Of the
board, told how it had worked faith
fully and conscientiously and had per-
formed it's best service without hope
of reward. If there were any pre-
visions in the charter not fully un-
derstood, he would be glad to explain
them if called to his attention. Mr..
Hamm made good impression, and
those. in the audience who heard him
are sure that no matter what the fate
of the charter, he has performed the
part of a patriotic Palatkan, giving
freely of his time and talent for what
he conscientiously believed would be
for the city's betterment.
J. H. Yelverton, Jr., also men,
ber of the charter board, spoke of
the work of the board and his pur
pose to give the city a fundamental
law which, while differing from those
of many cities in the state, would
prove an advantage to the city of Pa
latka. Mr.. Yelverton called atten-
ton to several objections which had
been raised to the charter and ex-
planned them. He did not claim that
the board had rendered the people
perfect document, but he did insist
that it was one that was long way
ahead of our present unsatisfactory
tumble, one whose faults could easily
be remedied later.
Both Messrs. Hamm and Yelverton
made good impressions, and their
words carried weight.
There was a pause in the proceed
ings.
Col. C. A. LeHardy slowly uncoiled.
He reached his feet and twisted
his gaze until it had penetrated all
sections of the audience and finally
became glued to the chairman.
In his hand he held copy of the
Postem Serial left over from a late
breakfast.
Mister Chair-m-a-n-, he said,
| this is wonderful document; it is
one of the most wonderful documents
ever evolved from the mind of man.
If l could only get clearly printed
copy, something that could be read,
| I would send it to Washington and
have it placed in the national museum
of municipal documents. 1t is lu-
lu. 1t places the management of this
city in the hands of our "best citi-
zens"-men who can slap their chest
protectors and say "now we have you
plebes on the hips-right where the
hair is short, and we will run this
town to suit ourselves" The initia-
tive and referendum and recall have
been left out of this charter, and il
we adopt it the commissioners will
have US just where they want US.
o, they are some peaches, all right.
Mr.. LeHardy talked in this strain for
some 20 minutes and he was sarcas-
tic, vindictive, smilingly so, every
second of the time. He had the
house in an uproar of laughter all the
time he was speaking. And let us
tell you it was some speech. 1t was
LeHardyesque to the core, and yet. an
appeal for real democracy as opposed
to autocracy.
The Honorable Howell Davis sat
but little distance from LeHardy
and his blood went bubbling toward
his head, making him angry.
He also arose deliberately, looked
the chairman in the eye and pointed
his index finger at that gentleman
Just like statesman on the half
shell does when he buys his first long
tailed coat with the purpose of break
ing into congress.
Mr.. Davis was impressive. He
started in to use his peculiar nasal
twang, but as he warmed up forgot
to use it, thus loosing much of his
power as platform debater. He
said that the charter board did not
place a recall plank in the proposed
charter; had they intended to do so
they would have elected socialist
on the board.
Excuse us please; we could not do
that address justice, and neither could
we do the address of Mr.. LeHardy
Justice. They alternated-made two
speeches each, and in the course of
delivery each looked the other in the
eve. Davis was mad clear through;
LeHardy was provokingly good ma
tured.
In Davis last speech he told of
his knowledge of municipal matters;
he was an expert and he didn't ap'
pear to care who knew it. "I have
given many years to the business Of
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