The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1916-02-25
and Advertiser.
lit South Second st. Phone 1876.
VIM. A. RUSSELL. Editor.
DO WE NEED A
NEW CHARTER?

Next Tuesday the qualified voter
of Palatka will be called upon to vot
for or against a new city charter.
This charter, or constitution, ha
been provided US by charter board
regularly elected, the members O.
which, so far as The News can learn
approve the document and desire tn
people to ratify their judgment.
There are a few things that shoult
be considered before one makes VI
his mind to vote for the charter.
In the first place it had its orlgl:
in no popular demand. Early IN the
summer, when the weather was hot
and people naturally demanded sur
cease from political worry and the
right to smoke the pipe of peace I'M
hampered by designs of men who
make politics and the science OF gov
eminent study, a certain member
of the city council made discovery.
He found that the city of Palatka,
sometimes referred to as "The Gem
City," was actually passing rapidly
along through the Christian era with
out a charter, its common people ig-
norant of their perilous condition. He
sought to arouse them from their
lethargy. They failed TO respond.
He took the matter before the city
council and by repeatedly jabbing it
in the ribs succeeded in arousing
that body sufficiently from its coma
to discern as through glass, dark
ly, the peril to which the city was
being daily subjected. There was no
excitement such as a body of alder
men would naturally experience on
being caught unawares in a trap.
Nothing of the kind. However, I'M
der pressure the council did consent
to the calling of an election to name
a charter board.
The election was regularly called,
several gentlemen who allowed them
selves to be impressed with the SER
iousness of the situation, permitted"
their names to go on the ticket as
members of the charter board. At
the proper time few people voted
for them. There were no others to
vote for. They were elected.
This board held regular and fire.
quent meetings to which the people
We're invited. They (the people,
failed to respond; they didn't even
send their regrets.
In the course of time the charter
was completed. Without warrant in
law, the charter board had the finish
ed document printed in the Morning
Post at an expense to the tax payers
of $3.50 more than the city would
have had to pay had the work been
let out in the regular way by COM
petitive bid.
The document has been published
and we presume it has been read.
Next Tuesday the people will en-
press their opinion.
But to go back to consideration
number one. Palatka is not charter
less. The News has this on the au
thority of one of the city attorneys.
Back in 1888 the Supreme Court did
spoil the face of the 1887 charter By
declaring unconstitutional certain fea
lures of the document.
But the legislature of 1891 gave us
a new charter, and we have been Gid
ing along very nicely on it ever since.
True our 1891 charter is bit old |
fashioned; it doesn't provide for a
government by commission, possibly
for the reason that the commissioner
had not then been born into the world
of municipal politics. He is found
ling that was left on the doorstep
of Mr.. Autocracy by some one not in
accord with the old-time "falacy'
that "a government of, by and for the
people," was a constant menace to all
who believed in the divine right of the
few wise ones to rule.
Under the provisions of the pro
posed charter the people will still
have the power to elect mayor and
a city council. The council will con-
tain six members, two from each
ward. But there will be but three
wards, so arranged as to run from
one end of the city to the other, mix
ing the races into political salama-
gundi such as has not been in vogue
since the voting days of reconstruc-
ton.
By this arrangement of the wards
the charter board planned to eliminate
the negro from city politics and make
impossible the election of Elder Rob
inson and Sport de motion" Adams.
A prominent attorney of the city,
however, states that by the proposed
system, it is not only possible but