The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-08-01
STAND BY COUNCIL
SAYS 0. A. HAWKINS
Proposed New Charter Is the
Product of Brains of Wise
City Fathers.
BRANDS FALSE REPORTS
Secretary Anderson Explains
That One-Man Government
Is Myth-Political Meet
ing in Fulton.
BRANDS FALSE REPORTS

President 0. A.. Hawkins and Sec
rotary D. n. Anderson, OF the CIVIC
association. expounded the ideas OF
the association and explained the pro-
posed new charter to about one hun
dred Fultonites at Labor hall last
night
The audience was slow In assemb-
ling. Professor STEMS orchestra
awoke the neighborhood to melody.
and evoked some enthusiasm when It
played . medley Of Southern airs,
wiudtnx M with Dixie /" And shout
ID 0El61k Chairman F4oyM tNoek rap
ped the meeting to order ana intro
duced DR.. Anderson.
The speaker said the efforts Of the
Civic association were not directed to
the defeat OF the administrative board
particularly but that its elimination
was q mere incident to the general
fight for np-to-date government. He
said that Richmond should awake to
the opportunity OF getting in a class
with other progressive cities. The
city Ii not a failure, he said. nor is
IT bankrupt. because the pocketbooks
Of the people seem to be deep and we'll
filled. and the citizen IL always ready
to come across with increased taxa
ton. which he stands for good ma
turedly.
why Pay More?
But, the speaker pointed out. what
ID the use Of paying $4,000 year for
salaries for the administrative board.
when others can do the work better.
He had no personal feeling against
single member of the board, but he
felt that the people who elected the
members OF council who recommend
this proposed charter. should stand by
their Representatives. particularly as
members Of the administrative board
had hurled threats at them before the
proposed charter had been adopted.
and said that II the board went down
II would take council along with It.
He said, that they were doing q
lot of gum shoe work" by passing
misleading reports along. and refus-
ing to come out in the open. With
out making reference to any particular
thing, he warned his hearers to be
on their guard. for 1t had been rumor-
ed that the opposition might at an
early day spread false reports. which
would be made at time when it
would be impossible to head them of
or even reply.
But you must be prepared" said
DR.. Anderson. These things are false
0IQ IAlciCd0iAlk. 0ad go0 must ~ VP0A q
yourself to fight the real light Of
democracy, and crush the naligners Of
democracy and patriotism"
In refuting the report that the pro-
posed charter created a one-man gov
eminent. DIR. Anderson explained the
various sections OF the document. and
endeavored to show that the heads OF
the various departments would be gov
erned by their own actions. that the
mayor nominated them and that city
council had the power to accept or re-
ject the nominations. so that the rep
resentatives of the people. who We're
close to them, had the fnal say.
True Democracy.
we have a charter that gives us
true democracy" the speaker con-
tinued. Amy time we wish to make a
clean sweep. we can 80 to the polls
and defeat the mayor, and by defeat
ing him we can get q clean sheet. and
change the whole personnel. This Ii
what call true democracy. The peo-
Pile are given the power to remove
the one man responsible for the con-
ditton they wish to change. by exer-
else OF their privilege at the polls
This. however, IL not a one-man gov
eminent. for It IL up to the people
themselves to remedy the conditions
by moving the one man who may be
responsible"
In reference to = card which is be-
Ing circulated. bearing the legend:
While your boys are hghting Against
one-man power IN Europe. you should
vote against one -man power At home
Or. Anderson said this was one OF the
most despicable pieces of low poll
tics he ever heard Of.
III our tight against tho adminis-
|trAttve board h to be compared 10 the
nght Of the, Hun. said Or. Anderson.
then God hNlp M X that wers 4
parallel 7 would ratheS call my boy
hack from Tho battleasld. than haye
csntap, "a, oepn1a iInl 3gl.l,