The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-03-20

mitted that he had broken the pledge
he made to supnbrt. the city manager
plan, n said he would break any
promise, II to keep 1t would, in his
opinion, be detrimental to the people.
These are his words: ar / find ont
a promise 1 made is to the detrlment
OF the people l represent, I am going
to break IT,"
Mayor Was Adroit.
Mayor Monteverde, being an adroit
politician n an experienced public
speaker, took a more roundabout meth
% IN getting out from under the prom
ises he maze before election. His honor
trled 70 make II appear, n actually
charged that the committee of 100
business men had changed front, and
not ne himself. He asserted that when
ne signed the pledge, which is printed
at the head of this column. he was led
TO suppose that the city manager bill
would merely provide hat the present
would be empowered, IL they desired,
to appoint a city manager, and when
ne found that the present bill provides
Tor the election OF 10 couneilmen in
stead OF FIVE commissioners, and that
It contained no referendum clause, he
felt himself justified in breaking his
promises, just as Mr.. Mason did.
Dan Wolf, the next speaker, only said
that as a member Of organized labor
he felt that the principle of referring
al changes In rules or regulations Of
the varisus crafts, which Is a tenet
OF all organized labor bodies, ought to
be carried out in the charter amend
ment.
Capt. Fitzhugh, the last speaker
was the only one who made a direct
attack uponathe bill and the city man
ager plan. He waved the copy of the
bill above his head and announced a
score OF times that he was about to
read 1t, but had so much trouble with
his spectacles that he never. during
the hour he occupied the stage, ac-
tually read any Of II, although he quot
ed from about three out of the 100
During the hour, he attacked the
bilrs provisions which give such "au-
toCratc power" TO the city
but most carefully RETAINED from the
f%aintest allusion to the provisions for
the regulation of public utilities, the
initiative, which would give the people
ne right to inaugurate any measures
they wished passed by the council, the
compulsory referendum on all fran
chises and bonds, the recall and the
real civil service, or the many other
features which give the voters and tax
payers themselves control over the
work OF the council and through them
OF the work OF the city manager.
Actual Figures on Crowd.
As to the crowd here are the facts,
The seating. capacity of the lower floor
OF the Lyric Is exactly 613, exclusive
OF the ~ chairs In the four boxes. There
were 80 chairs on the stage, but only
rs OF them were occupied. There were
a few stragglers In the balcony, scat
tered along the first two rows, with an
occasional one In the third row. As
nearly as an actual count could be made
there were SAG peoDle<in the entire au-
dience, including 25 or 30 ladies.
Yet the meeting had been advertised
for a week In three daily spape
city employesahad beaten tom-toms day
and night, heads OF departments, in
Guiding Commissioner Miller, of the po-
lice department., had persanlly ordered
the men under them to attend, and a
brass band had paraded the streets
Wednesday, in a desperate effort to
make some sort of a showing which
might influence the members of the leg
i~slature to believe that there was some
opposition 10 the city manager bill
other than that of the politicians now
In office, and the few other politicians
who hope to get jobs under them.
Mayor Applauded.
The crowd gathered slowly and there
was a long wait while those in charge
| fNuli VI uiNuAlu w NUN UP d ldlk6I
audience, 1t was $50 o'clock when
Judge Buchanan walked upon the stage.
accompanied by the few others who
found seats there. Mayor Monteverde
took his seat last to the accompani-
ment Of prolonged clapping by the po-
hcemen from the rear of the house.
The orchestra had just played a clos
ing dirge.
Judge Buchanan said, as he rose to
open the meeting, that ii was called
to protest against the enactment OF a
law which would be destructive of
democratic government in the city un-
der a plan which harked pack to the
days when every, ruler had arbitrary
power. He asserted that II the bills
drawn were changed so las to conform
with the decisions of the supreme
court, a referendum clause could safe
y be iRcluded in its provisions.
Mason on Herodia's Dance.
Mr. Mason said in the beginning Of
his address that he was not opposing
the bill because he wanted to hold on
to his office as commissioner, but be-
cause he just didn't like the bill. He
believed 1t was actually imported from
Germany and that he was doing ex-
actly right In breaking any pledge made
last summer, when the bill had turned
out to be something different from
what he had imagined it. y In closing he
told with thrilling effect the story OF
Herod, who kept his promise and had
the prophet John the Baptist beheaded,
and said he was not like Herod, for
his promise. His words are quoted
above.
Dan Wolf, who has recently become
a candidate for magistrate with, he
said, the pledged support of the city
ADMINISTRATION, had a bad cold and
couldn't say much, except that he and
many other members Of organized la
Dor we're determined to have a referen-
dun clause inserted in the city man
ager bill and believed II ought to be
submitted to a vote Of the people. He
said that ever the street Garments
union had demended a referendum
which. when one considers some
Of the opposition 10 the city manager
bill, was no surprising statement.
Crump Brought In.
Then came Mayor 'Monteverde witt
n promise Of some inside political his
tory. He said during the campaign hC
the keeping Of that promise had caused
all his political troubles. He ASSERTED
that former Mayor Crump had demand
ed the election OF F. ], Ric'
as fire and police commissioner
and when he and the other two com
m~issloners who stood with him refused
a political fight was at once begun
upon him and the city manager bill
was seized upon as one means by whicl
Mr., Crump could regain control OF tn,
city government, He asserted that hi
pledge to the city manager plan wa
made on the supposition that the bf
would merely permit the city commits
sion, as at present constituted. to ap
point a city manager, and that tn
hill as drawn proved to be an entirel
different plan. He said he did no
pledge himself to any such bill an
was fighting it, not because Of 20
httcal matters, but because he woul
not support a measure providing eve
I for the most ideal form of municips
; government unless it gave the peopl
; a right to vote upon its adoption or re
' lection,
. Mayor to Nashville.
He said that when members of tn
l committee OF 100 appeared before tn
legislative delegation last December I
ask than, IN sIppnrt the Sity mn n gre