The Ocala evening star., 1921-10-14
GIVE THE CHARTER A CHANCE

Al couple Of months from today,
Ocala's city election will be held, and
the people viii be called on to elect
for the term of two years mayor,
and for four years each three alder
men. The aldermen are one each to
represent the first and third wards,
and one to represent all four.
The only issue of note that the
Star has so far heard OF in this cam
paign is the city charter. Some peo-
pie are dissatisfied with it; some with
the way it isn't being administered
Some want it revoked and a return
made to the old system. But from ev-
erything it can leaEn. the Star believes
that a large proportion of our citi-
zens want the charter To be given a
chance.
1t has been often said that when
the charter went from OcaIa to Talla-.
hassee, it fell down and was broken,
and was never properly put together
again. When it came back to 0caIa,
so "they say" its gizzard was where
itg epigolottis should be. While we
have many times heard the assertion,
we have never printed it, because in
order to be sure that the charter had
been changed we would have to OBJ
tain the original copy or certified
copy of it; then read it over aloud
With another person to hold copy of
the charter now extant and check it
off, and thereby ascertain without
chance of error if any alterations
had been made. This would be some
job. and stunt we ween no one has
so far pulled. About three years ago,
the Star printed tie charter in sec
tions, so the people could read and
study it, and while we have asked
many. if they read it, few have re-
Piled yes. If any man has positive
proof that the charter was changed,
we hereby invite him to come for
ward with it and submit same over
his own name, and we will take pleas
ure IN printing it.
But changed or unchanged, this
charter is now the law of the city,
and can't be changed again until the
legislature meets, nearly year and
q half from now, and even if changed
again the change would not go into
operation for more than two years.
And in the meantime, we think the
charter should be given chance.
The charter was drawn up by
members of as honest and progressive
a council as this city ever had, and
they framed it with no thought OF
personal gain, but with the explicit
intention of putting the administra-
ton of our municipal affairs on an
efficient and economical basis. And
we believe if their idea had been
faithfully carried out, the result they
desired would have been attained. Our
critics may sneer at this statement,
bat they can't disprove it. The char
ter in the hands of the aldermen who
have governed the city has never
been given a chance
We viii concede that these gentle
men very likely thought that they
were doing what was best for the
town, and we also concede that they
have governed the city much better
than many other cities are governed.
But the fact remains that a majority
OF the council resolved itself into an
autocracya benevolent autocracy
perhaps, but an autocracy just the
same land set the law aside and gov
erned according to its own ideas. And
its ideas have not worked out well.
Take, for instance, the matter of
streets. It has disputed for almost
two years over street material, and
we have no streets yet; and there is
no certainty we viii have any.
0cala needs a city manager, Who
can and viii manage, and who viii
have the support of the council IN
stead of its antagonism. 1t wants
man constantly on the job, and not
bunch OF councllmen, the majority Of
whom can seldom take more than a
few hours at time to attend to pub
lie business. 1t wants man who can
make the different departments of the
city pull together, instead of pulling
against each other. as they frequently
do now.
Certain members of the council say
this can't be done under the present
charter. They don't know They
have never given the charter a chance.
The people of Ocala have to i've
ard work and pay taxes under the
charter until January, 1924, whether
IL be good or had Ne heiEieve IL would 1