The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-04-11
MAYOR BACKED
FROM HONEST
REFERENDUM
Senate Added Clause He Had
COntended for in Charter,
But City Hall Crowd Again
Broke Their PLEDGES,

Broke Their Pledges.
The advocates Of the city manager
amendment TO the Memphis charter
Thursday tore from Mayor Monteverde,
Commissioners Quinn and Mason and
Representatives Hanover and Galella
the thin veil Of deception and fraud
and exploded completely the claim that
they simply were fighting for the right
OF the people to vote again on the pro-
posed form Of city government.
On the floor Of the house Wednes-
cay Hanover and Cialella both stated
that If the senate would recall the
tlll and amend it with a referendum
clause and send 1t to the house that
they would vote for it. They said they
wanted the people Of Memphis to have
sn opportunity to pass upon the bill in
a referendum election.
The challenge was accepted. The adj
Vocates of the charter bill believe that
a majority OF the voters of Memphis
are for the measure. Thursday morn
Ing a referendum was drawn to COM
ply with what the city administration
claimed it stood for. Immediately after
II was drawn Senators Fuller and Gwin
insisted upon presenting 1t to Monte
verde and Quinn. They considered 1t
from II o'clock in the morning until
3 o'clock In the afternoon, meantime
having their henchmen busy in the
house preparing to oppose ii. Finally
the senate proposed that the house
return the bill, pledging TO amend 1t
with a referendum clause and insert no
other amendment. Hanover and Galel-
la led the fight to keep the bill from
going back to the senate for the amend
ment, which tho day before they de-
clared they would support, and sue
ceeded, with the aid OF the Republi-
cans, in defeating the move.
Plain Referendum.
The following amendment Is the one
proposed by the senate and which Is
described by the opponents as "a joker
without being able to cite a flaw in
it,.
Amend by adding a new section, to
be known as section 124, and by chang
ing the number OF sections 1874 and 1875
to 125 and 1875, respectively, said new
section ia to read as follows:
Section 124-Be it further enacted,
that the amendments to the charter OF
the city Of Memphis contained in this
act shall be submitted to a vote of the
election to be held on Thursday, the
25th day of September, 1919. The cleo
ton herein provided for shall be held
by the commissioners Of registration Ct
Shelby county in the manner that
other municipal elections are held In
the city OF Memphis, and the voters at
said election shall possess all the quail
fications usually required of voters In
municipal elections in the city Of Mem
phis, and the said eection shall be held
under all Of the restrictions now sur
rounding municipal elections in the city
OF Memphis, including the holding Of a
supplemental registration and the APP
pointment Of watchers, as provided by
chapter l04 OF the acts of 1909.
AT the election herein directed to be
held the ballot shall contain, in addi-
ton 10 the official designation Of the
ward. and precinct in which the cleo
ton is held, the following:
For council-manager plan Of gov
Against council-manager plan OF
government. ........
80 arranged that the voters can
conveniently Indicate their preference
for or against by marking with a cross
mark at the appropriate place.
Void Unless Approved.
The commissioners Of the registra-
ton shall certify the result OF said cleo
ton TO the city clerk Of Memphis after
a canvass Of the ballots in the manner
nov required by law In municipal cleo
lions, and, II a majority OF the persons
voting at said election shall declare In
favor of the council-manager plan OF
government, then all Of the provisions
Of this act shall be operative, and in
fun force and effect as amendments to
the present charter Of the city Of Mem
phis; but, II a majority shall be against
same, then the present charter of the
city of Memphis shall continue in full
force and effect without any OF the
amendments contained In this act.
The returns Of the election shall be
70 N ~ uuad hv thA Nnrn R1taaI1n an, "a go
~istration on the Monday following said
election and there shall be no contest
OF said election unless proceedings to
contest same are taken prior 10 the
canvass OF the returns"
Hand Forced.
Mayor Monteyerde shifted from an
advocate Of the referendum to an OPP
ponent as soon as the issue was put
up to him squarely. He declared that
1t vas clearly unconstitutional to have
a referendum although he has insisted
that he only desired TO have the people
vote OH the bill that he pledged himself
to support when he was elected last
August.
The advocates OF the charter have
all along insisted that the referendum
would mako the validity of measure
doubtful but they were determined that
tho city administration and the East
Tennessee Republicans should not get
away with their fake pretense.
True to their record, Monteverde,
Mason and Quinn backed up on their
pronouncement, buck-tracked and re-
pudated their o~ft-repeated willingness
to submit the charter to a vote OF the
breaking city administration has made,
II has had the approval OF the paper
that recently referred TO Monteverde
as THE Spaghetti Kid and the morn
Ing paper that gave Quinn the affec-
Tomato title OF "Turncoat Charles"
Open Town Indicated.
II is the consensus OF opinion that
he city administration Is to have news
paper support in permitting the town
10 run wide open In exchange for their
two-faced tactics in opposing. the city
with a referendum or in any other
form, It has been observed for sew
Cral months, following q vigorous but
exceedingly short campaign OF criticism
Of rampant lawlessness, that the critics
have been singing mighty low and have
only spoken on rare occasions to keep
the record straight inc to deceive the
people. -
can Snuff CO., seems to be the only
member Of the citizens committee Of
100 to be lntlmidated by the implied
ttihIkS lhdt Ht' ~ 1N. Fllls, =, A.
Gerber and others were askeu to part
with some OF their big business money"
In two allagod interviews In the papers
opposing the city manager plans, Mr..
Condor is quoted as saying that he was
opposed to the method employed In the
attempt to pass the bill In the house
with the referendum.
The method was according to GUS
tomary parliamentary procedure. II
could not uass without the constitu-
tional vote OF so and then 1t would
have gone back to the senate with the
amendment for acceptance or rejection.