The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-01
Forum Of The People
In Defense of Mir. Dominick EI.&o, <>f FTN1,o rn IJ1rolI.

10 the Editor Of The Age-derald:
 As friend of MT. Frank Dominick, I want to let you know that I resent the un- kind, unjust, unfair and uncalled for edito- rial in Sunday mornings paper entitled "The Southern Steps In."
 Your insinuation that Frank Dominick thinks, as one of his many clients thinks, because he represents that client in some legal Shatters, and your charge that his client expects special privileges because his views are democratic are unworthy of a newspaper that has rendered a measure of public service and taken Q, commendable stand on many public questions. I know Frank DopSnick. I was in col lege with him. We graduated in the same class Any suggestion that his views as a citizen or his conviction on principles of gov ernment are shaped by his clientele is un- true and demagogery of the most yirulent type.
 Why is it, Mir. Editor, that men can't diffee on great questions without impugning the motives of each other? Does the dem onstrated weakness of your city manager plan of municipal government require you to im- pute unworthy motives to one of Birming- hams outstanding citizens?
 In accepting the chairpanship of the citi- zens committee advocating representative gov ernment, Mir. Dominick stated that this would be a campaign free from personalities. It was our ambition to have it so, and there was no excuse for your unfair attack. 1 Had MT. Dominick charged that The Age | Herald was advocating the city-manager plan, because The e-Herald expected to control the manager or for some other ulterior mo- tive, then The Age-Herald would have been justified in replying in kind. Had MT. Dom mick charged that an Age-Herald controlled city manager would naturally take advice | frar to ho nf of of the city, particularly with respect to the persons or firms with whom he transacted business for the city, then you might have some provocation for your outburst | It is just as reasonable to argue that The l Age-Herald expects to control the city man. ager, and dictate to him from whom he should purchase city supplies, so it could make a commission brokerage in the form of adver- tising, by throwing the city's business to its advertisers, as it is to argue that MT. Dom inick's client expects special privileges be- cause he advocates a representative form of government. There is as much basis for one charge as the other. MT. Dominick is a gen tleman and has made no such charge against you. Your attack on him is without miti- gating circumstance and calls for ah apology at your hands.
 1 am not falling out with The Age-Herald for not supporting the modified modernized form of representative government. l am not falling out with The Age-Herald for ad- vocating a city manager that would be under obligations to a newspaper instead of to the people as a whole. I want to say to you frankly that, in my opinion, if you will give this modern form of representative govern ment hell for a few days, we will get the required number of names for an election in less than a week and carry the election by the biggest majority ever returned in this city.
 Your paper promised the people that if the omission" form of government was put into effect in Birmingham, the millennium would dawn in about three years; that taxes would be immediately reduced, licenses light ened, refunds of various kinds would be made tfN taxpayers, parks, playgrounds, schools, and improvements in almost unlim- ited number would be developed, without bond issues, and that a spirit of brotherly love and affection would settle over this city like cloud, shielding and protecting us from all the embarrassment that other municipali- ties are subject to.
 There is as much difference between what you promised and the performance of your then advocated system as between daylight and dark. HORACE c. WILKINSON.
 Birmingham, Ala, August 30, 1924.