The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-11-30
ISSUES IN THE IMPENDING
CITY ELECTION


it is time the people were carefully
considering the issues and the caildi-
dates and making up their minds how
tc vote
The principal issue is, shall the
charter be carried into effect or nulli- /
fed. The candidates are Messrs- Z. |
G. Peek and A. T. Thomas for mayor, /
Messrs. H. W Henry. A. A. Winner,
D. E. McIver. w. II. Pedrick and z. |
II. Martin for councilman.
In considering the qualifications for
eouncilmen, the voters must remenn-
ber that they vote for all the candi-
oates, those in the other wards as
well as in their own. So no voter can
rivet his attention on one candidate
or two, but on all FIVE.
1t is a question with the voters
whether they shall continue the pres
ent charter with FIVE aldermen and
city manager, or go back to the old
plan of nine aldermen and no man
ager. The Star prefers the city man.
ager plan, but comedies there are vir-
taes in the old time tried system. As
l to how much virtue there is In the
new system, our people do not know,
for it has never been tried. The
charter has been in the hands Of a
hostile council, which has given the
city neither business administra-
tion nor a democratic government,
but set up an autocracy the efficiency
Eof which has been further diminished
by each autocrat doing what was
fright in his own eyes, and as is often
the case two rights frequently make
one wrong.
Whether we use the-eharter or ask
the legislature for another, we must
live under this one for the NEXT two
years and some weeks. If the char
ter is changed, it will not change until
after January |, 1924. If the people
re-elect candidates who have served
them the last four years, the same
j. lack of system and disregard of the
law, is likely to continue. 1.-THE vot-
ers elect new men On the council, they
will have a chance to see how the
charter works, and to give an expert
; decision whether to change it.
1t is the Stars opinion that the
: charter needs some changes. 1t viii
be better to change it than to abolish
it and adopt another, which may prov.
Objectionable 1t is not good for this
or any other city to be externally
! changing charters. 1t is bad fol
government and bad for business.
+ The three candidates who are pledg
: ed to give the charter fair tryou
: are DIR. Henry in the first ward, Mr.
. w. r. Pedrick in the third and Nh
z. H. Martin for alderman mt large
Their election does not mean that the.
will try to rivet the charter on an un
4 willing people. 1t means that the.
+ will put it into effectual operation $
; the people can Judge if they want il
O They viii elect bona fide city man
: ager, and If the people ike the pla
! they can keep it In operation, and
! they don't like it they can call for
: new charter or amendments to thi
It one There will be plenty of time DC
q tween the time the new councilme
d take office and the meeting of tn
q legislature for our citizens to form a
4 experienced opinion on the matter.
v Mr.. Winer. opposes DR.. Henry
the first ward, and Mr.. McIver OF
poses Mr.. Pedrick in the third. M
Martin has no opposition.
Mr.. Winer is outspoken in his OF
- position to the city manager. 3
d says he does not believe any one ma
N can attend to the affairs Of the cit.
=, II may be safely concluded that if /
! is reelected that his influence will g
toward proIonging the present het'
rogeneous condition of affairs. M
Winer is straight as string ar
square as a die i'm his own positio
but it doesn't seem gessitlle to COZ
Is vince him that in his epppsitieH
IS the charter he really IL setting ASH
y. his oath of Office and refusing b
4 fellow citizens a fair chance to u
v. their own judgment.
:. Mr.. McIver says he is I'M favor
= the charter. and the only reason tn
. he has not tried to put in o bona fiji
A. city manager il the opposition OF M
4
Winer and Mr. Thomas. II Is Their
fore evident that if Mr.. Wilmer is :
elected and one of the heldevers
lagainst a city manager, that Mr.. d
IA liver NAV again allow himself TO
he eoerced into keeping dummy ma
of ager in office and for a large pa
ag managing city affairs himself.
must be admitted that MIR. McIvel
management has in some respec
been good; in others, be has allow
s other aldermen to have too much ths
n r: Town way. Between Mr.. McIver, W
e, may possibly atlosg City affairs to
e. main in their present anefnslous go
u; n dition, and Mr.. Pedrick, who pros
n ises. to give the people fair chan
C. to improve them, il seems hest
vote for Mr. PedFick-