The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-02-14
Italian Republicans
 Adopt Resolution
 Protesting Change
Citizens Lose Privilege of Direct Voting Club Claims in Protest-Deprive of Right to Elect Members of
 Education-Campaigno of Protest Underway

Italian. American Republicans, re- solving that the plan for elimina- ton of the party system for substi- tuition of city manager for Water- bury is contrary to precepts favored by Abraham Lincoln, today came out as definitely opposed to the plan.
 Members of the Italian Republi- can league, Michael J. Anthony, president, met last night ct Liberty hall, unanimously adopted Q resolu- ton opposing the city manager. council charter, and approved 300 applications for membership beyond the 200 members present.
 The league, which received Q charter Feb. 10 from Secretary of State Sara B. Crawford, took the occasion of It's first ofiieial meeting to attack several phases of the pro- posed charter change In Waterbury for adoption of the city manager plan.
 Simultaneously, in Temple hall, the Citizens Good Government as- sociation was holding 0 mass meet- ing for the furtherance of the bill now pending before the legislature which calls for a referendum on the charter change by special election In Waterbury on adoption of the city manager-council government.
 officers Sign
 Signed by President JAnthony, elected last night with the following other officers: Vice president, Pas- quale DeMartino; recording secre- tary, Alexander Do Santis; financial secretary, Frank Davino; sergeant at-arms, Louis Freer; and Treasurer Michael Stolfii. the following state- ment and resolution resulted;
 At Q meeting of the Waterbury Italian-Republican League, of Wa terbury, held at Waterbury on February i3, 1889, the following resolution was unanimously ap- proved to wit:
 WHEREAS, e measure has been submitted to the Legislature Of the State of Connecticut entitled "An Act Revising the Charter of the City of Waterbury" tH. B., wherein 0 council-manager form 0f government for the City of Waterbury is proposed. and
 WHEREAS said council consist ing of seven CD electors are to be chosen by the proportional representation system of voting and no other officials are to be directly chosen by the people.
 Be ft Therefore Resolved, that it Is tho sense of this meeting that the proposed council-man- ager form Of charter be opposed for, among others, the following reasons;
 Protect Privilege
 1. The founders of our coun- try have established Q form of government that has endured suc- cessfully down through the years and the party system of govern. ment has made this success pos- sible; Abraham Lincoln, an inc mortal American, whose birthday we this day celebrate, was Q foremost Proponent of the party system of government. The Amer ican people will never relinquish their American privilege of elect- ing then. own officials and should not delegate their authority or re- sponsibility. This is the Ameri- can form of government and the duty of selecting our own of- ficials Is one of our most cherished responsibilities.
 2. Contact with the people re- quires as representative e Board of Aldermen as possible and the proposed charter limits represen- tation to seven CD members in- stead of fifteen i5) as at present.
 3. AS American citizens of Italian extraction, we are about one-fourth (k) of the voting population of Waterbury and are blessed with q large number of children, who attend our public