The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-11-22
A LAYMAN,s POINT OF VIEW

great many years prior to that time,
and 1 although a tax payer here and
elsewhere in Marion county, and vi
tally interested in the affairs of the
city and county, have scarcely ever
mixed in politics. But feel that it
Is time for all persons having the re-
hottest interest in business and prop
erty to come to the front and express
themselves.
As the real opposition lies IN the
race between the alderman from the
third ward and the mayors Office.
shall direct the greater part of my
remarks to those offices.
Alderman from the Third Ward
Mr.. McIver has served in this ca
pacity for many years, and in fact,
] believe is one of the oldest city of
ficials in the state of Florida, and
therefore he has record of consid-
cradle length to be examined. l have
not the time, and you have not the
space to publish this long record, but
taking up matters of recent occur
renee, ] want to call the attention of
the people to some things which 1 be-
lieve render Mr.. McIver unfit for an
office holder.
First, the city charter provides for
city manager. Mr.. McIver has sat
here at least for four years with this
charter staring him in the face, and
has simply ignored it. He now comes
to the front and says he is in favor
of it. If you will examine the min
utes of the meetings of the city coun-
| ell for four years, you will not find
an expression by Mr.. McIver that
would warrant this assertion, and it
is first heard of when he seeks to be
reelected to office. If Mr.. McLver
will silently and wilfully ignore this
mandatory statute, has he not violat-
ed his oath of office? If he has vio-
lated his sworn duty and oath of Of
| flee in this, is he fit to serve the peo-
/ pie? If in these enormous PROPOSE
tons Mr.. McIver is wanting, he must
be wanting IN small matters, and we
can only conclude that Mr.. McIver's
candidacy has encouraged his state
ment, and it comes from the head
rather than the heart. Therefore /
say we have no more reason to take
Mr.. McIver's statement that he IA
vors city manager seriously now
than we did when he was elected four
years ago, and promised to do it, but
has so silently and wilfully avoided it.
In the second place, Mr.. McIver has
served in the past years in many ca
pacities, one of which has been chair
man of the street committee, or
member of that committee. Has Mr..
McIver anything to be proud of-to
point the people to as their servant
in this capacity? There has not been
a single permanent street improve
ment in Ocala in ten years, and dur
ing that time we have wasted at least
9 quarter of million dollars in So
called city improvements under Mr..
McIver's administration, such as the
light and water plant, that are now a
liability on the people.
The Mayors Office
Mr.. Thomas has no record to speak
of. Although he has been in Office
four years he has not been in attend
ance at great many of the meetings,
but his record as alderman, though
short, is not very encouraging to the
people. He says he wants all the
people to be treated alike, and indi-
Gates that those on Oklawaha avenue
1have had special privileges. If a per-
son will drive over Oklawaha avenue,
he will at least conclude that those
special privileges have been only as
the special privileges given to the
other citizens of Ocala, and that Ok
Ilawaha avenue is a hell of a rough
street. Mr. Thomas ought to be proud
of his record in regard to the streets
of Ocala; so ought Mr.. McIver, be-
Icause the streets of Ocala are in the
worst condition they have been In for
twenty years. In fact, half of the
streets are almost impossible, and yet
these men have the nerve to go be-
fore the people on their so-called re-
cords and, ask to be returned to office.
Kaiser Bill in his palmiest days never
made any more ridiculous promises to
the American people than Mr.. McIver
and Mr.. Thomas. They have not kept
their promises made any more than
Kaiser Bill kept them, and row since
we have so effectively disposed of
Kaiser Bill, l think it is time to make
a clean sweep of these promisors who
have so signally failed to keep even
the first one.
One other question that i want to
ask. Mr.. Editor, before concluding,
and I think the people are entitled to
an answer to it. When John Martin
demonstrated the fact that Ocala
could get a dollars worth of service
for a dollar instead of twenty
lcents worth, as she had formerly got
for the past many years, why did Mr..