The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-06-25
JUNE Is 1918
FOR GOOD GOVERN
TENT.

70 1919
FOh GOOD OONEnNNd ENT.
The Journal does not seek to 49,. ,.a,,o x,,;+,,
any man or group of men, in conI ac+;,-, ,.t, +e
contemplated change from Go, - 81, al
uermanlc form of government ,TLa Io,,rnol
"ould De the last to contend that .o-o,,4 "A
alnlseratio1 Of city affairs is wi ~ go :.
out there III an old but honely - on 4
something about jumping fro1f uase which says
into the fire, whichaitb .Akt "a the Trying pan
nhout at tn a tfn,sf 90 migd@Pbe we'll to think
There rs no MISREPRESENTATION on the part of the
editor of The Journal as to the contemplated re-
forms in city government The Journal is per-
fectly familiar with the administration Of the
city in the past as in the present, and in these
pages have been holly chronicled objections to
the aldermanic form, by many of those who wish
to revert hack to the old councilmen.
The storm, or shall we call it a furry, seems
to have conferred about the charter. But even
though charters may be amended, men and
measureslsre not easy to change.
Should Pensacola revert to the aldermanic
form Of government again, this step should be
taken without any camouflage. That Pensacola
under commission form of government is woe
fully lacking is about as far as many of those
who have signed that petition seem to have
thought. AS to whether the old form will be
any better, they have no idea and apparently
hardly more interest, inasmuch as they are I'M
willing to have those who have openly expressed
themselves as not opposed to either system, even
so much as discuss these questions in a reason
able manner.
1t can hardly be said that The Journal is
biased, as it has already published many columns
calling attention to the movement for change
Of government. But The Journal is unalterably
opposed tc anything which smacks of putting
something over on the public without free and
full discussion.
In the Yox Populi column of The Journal, a
writer who has been much in evidence in pro-
noting the movement for return to the old al
dermanic form, in referring to the meeting of
last Thursday, says: "Now, when we consider
what the meeting was called for, and BY WHOM
CALLED, and who by said call were invited to
attend and participate, do not believe any
WELL POSTED, fair-minded person will think
for one minute that the procedure of the meet
ing was undemocratic."
The writer in Vox Popul though a lawyer, has
forgotten his logic To be well posted, free dis
cussion is necessary; fair-mindedness presup-
poses freedom of expression for all.
The Journal commended and still maintains that
such procedure was far from democratic in prin-
| ciple. If the meeting had been truly democratic
THE FACT THAT SOMEONE PRESENT HAD
/ CALLED ATTENTION TO A MOST IMPoR-
sTAHT FACT IN REFERENCE TO A MOST
UNSATISFACTORY CHARTER WHICH
WOULD HAVE TO BE CHANGED TO BE DE-
fSIRABLE, would have been received with inter-
lest rather than disdain, with personal reference
to the man who called attention to the defect
The people of Pensacola must realize few
things which they apparently have forgotten
The men who made up the council when this city
was under aldermanic direction were men who
had many business cares, and little time to de-
vote to the administration of city affairs. This
is always true of city aldermen, unless they are
dyed-in-the-wool politicians
It Is hardly probable that the councilmen of
tomorrow viii have any more time to devote to
civic affairs than the councilmen of yesterday.
Pensacola needs change of government. No
one viii deny that. But many of those who are
now. agitating the removal of the city commits