Newspaper Page Text
Paper calls Andy Young vows Waring is The meaning
for recall to walk with Lincoln League’s of Jackson’s
of councilmen Mclntyre, Jones top citi; " ’ up
Page 1 I Page 1 Page 2
Volume 13 Number J 7
Blacks rocked by move against
mayor,Black council members
Black members of city council
reacted angrily to a vote by white
members of city council which
denied Mayor Edward M. Mcln
tyre his choice of committee
assignments, and substituted
another slate of appointments
which included no Blacks as com
mittee chairpersons.
The slate was amended during
the meeting to name one Black
chairman. Blacks make up 53.4
percent of the city population and
comprise 25 percent of the 16-
member council.
It was the first time in the
history of the city that a mayor has
not been allowed to make his own
appointments.
Third Ward Councilwoman
Margaret Armstrong, who was
inaugurated earlier in the meeting,
told council she had to “rise in the
name of justice.’’
“There is a group of councilper
sons,” she said, “who felt that
they had the right to go behind
closed doors, leaving 51 percent of
this population without influen
ce.” She said that Black council
members were not contacted about
their committee preferences.
“When we took the oath of office
we didn’t take it for one segment
of the community. We took it for
the full benefit of Augusta, Ga.
“I say that when people do this
kind of thing behind closed doors,
I’ll be the first person to jump on
the bandwagon and say recall all
16 of us.”
S. Herbert Elliott Jr., who
proposed the opposition slate, said
jAg%jEff-J3tfo*,-. »..,: „■ . jsSr -r
oV ■'■' ’’ H
Community tells Mclntyre, Jonev
‘We’ll walk this road together’
ft WsV-
f \V-3r
MOMMA DENT—Mrs.
Jerriyn Dent is comforted at
rally by Mayor Mclntyre.
STfje Augusta •Nms-IReutew
• S
that the slate was not his, but that
he was asked to present it by a
“group of people.” When asked
by the mayor to make public the
names of members of the group,
Above the pulpit of the Taber
nacle Baptist Church was a large
sign. It read:“We believe in Ed
Mclntyre.” And the throng of
people who lined the walls while
others had tq be turned away,
proved their allegiance with their
hard earned money.
The offering plates netted more
than SIO,OOO in cash. So freely did
the people give that most didn’t
concern themselves with a check
for record keeping or for a tax
deduction. Many dropped hundred
dollar bills from the balcony. It
was all away of saying to Mayor
Mclntyre and City Councilman
Joseph C. Jones, ‘‘We’re with
you.”
Andrew Young, mayor of
Atlanta was the speaker at the
Mclntyre-Jones Defense Fund
rally, but it was apparent that the
crowd would have been just as big
and the response just as strong,
regardless of the speaker.
S. HERBERT ELLIOTT prepares to address council
Elliott refused.
Elliott said, “1 want to clearly
state that this is not my slate. I
was asked to do this by a group of
people. I didn’t even draw up this
Most of the money raised did
not come from middle-class
Blacks; it came from the so-called
grassroots people, many of whom
led the way when requests were
made for contributions of a hun
dred dollars or more.
Mclntyre entered the church
following a line of local and state
dignitaries to the pulpit. He
raised, both thumbs and the
audience greeted him with a stan
ding ovation.
The Rev. Andrew Johnson, who
served as master of cermonies,
urged the audience to feel free to
let Mclntyre and Jones know that
“We think that if they endure for
the night, the joy will come in the
morning.”
In his prayer, the Rev. N.T.
Young, former vice president of
the Richmond County Board of
Education, said,“We need thee
now, oh Lord, almost like we
never needed thee before: because
January 7,1984
slate. This is not a racist thing that
we’re trying to do at all.”
State Rep. Charles Walker, who
said a majority of the city’s
residents live in his district, said
that he was not surprised by the at
tempts of “power hungry people”
to usurp the authority of the
mayor.
“It has long been our under
standing in the Black Community
about Herbert Elliott. I under
stand about Oscar Baker, but I’m
surprised at Jerry Woods, and Mr.
(Cecil) Eubanks. I’m surprisedd by
Charles Devaney and Carolyn
Usry. I’m almost surprised at
Stovall (Walker), but not really.
“You’re telling the majority of
the people in the City of Augusta
that you don’t give a damn what
they do or what they say, that
you’re going to have it your way or
no way at all.
“Gentlemen you all are wrong.
You’re dead wrong. You’re
abusing our community. You’re
overstepping your boundaries.
Yov have set racs relations back 50 f
' years.
“You have used the slime of the
earth. An earthworm with a top
hat could not crawl under the belly
of Herbert Elliott. I’m dealing
with Herbert Elliott because I
know you’re the one who is
carrying this torch. You’re the
man who led this movement, and
you’re the person who has those
hidden ambitions. But you too,
Herbert Elliott, will have to face
See consolidation page 3
NEW COUNCILWOMEN—
Margaret Armstrong (left) chats
with Kathleen Beasley Monday
following their first meeting as
members of City Council. They
represent the 2nd and 4th wards,
respectively. Carrie Mays, the first
woman to serve on the council,
was present for the meeting. The
council now has four women
among its 16 members. The others
are Carolyn Usry and Inez Wylds.
of thy servant Ed Mclntyre, who is
also our servant, who has done so
much for us, not only for one
segment of the people but for all of
us.
“Give him the faith to believe
that if he has faith, you have the
cure; if he has love, you have the
power. We don’t know how you’re
going to do it, but we’re trusting in
you. We’ve got all faith in you.”
Fulton County Commissioner
Reginald Eaves, said of Mclntyre,
“I’m not here because he happens,
to be my (Morehouse College)
classmate. I’m not here because
he’s my fraternity brother. I’n><
here because of my experience with <
him as a personal friend. I’m here
to tell him that he is not alone.” <
Eaves said America is entering a
second Reconstruction. “They
used to hang us in the streets.
Now they try to destroy us by
See Mclntyre page 3 <
Less than 75 percent Advertising
\ 'i < ? 3 /
, Bfelß TEL W* < !. ’ f <
LEAVING COUNCIL—Mayor Edward M. Mclntyre
presents plaque to 4th Ward Councilman I.E. Washington.
Dr. Washington has served three successive terms on the City
Council and is not eligible to succeed himself.
Recall council members
The only thing worst
than the decision of a
group of white city council
members to deny the
mayor’s slate of commit
tee assignments was their
justification of their ac
tion. Penland Mayson,
one of the supporters of
the opposition slate said,
“The main reason we did
this is that this community
has been shocked by the
events of the last few days.
This community is crying
out for credibility and
leadership in city gover
nment. This puts very
responsible people in key
positions in city gover
nment.’’
Os course the “shocking
events” of the last few
days refers to the arrest of
the city’s Black mayor and
a Black councilman on
charges of bribery and ex
tortion. The problem is
that his group’s thinking
presumes that Mclntyre
and Jones are guilty. The
law calls for a presum
ption of innocence until
proven guilty. These coun
cil members took this ac
tion without an indic
tment, much less a convic
tion. But, of course, where
Black people are involved
obeying the law was never
a priority.
As far as credibility and.
Editorial
leadership are concerned,
these men have never ac
cepted the fact that the
majority of the people in
Augusta (53.4 percent) are
biuck. Since Black people
don’t count anyway, that’s
easy to understand. But if
credibility is a concern
then they ought to resign,
because they have no
credibility at all with a
majority of the people
they are supposed to
represent.
As far as leadership is
concerned, Mclntyre has
provided more leadership
in two years than any
mayor in recent memory,
regardless of the length of
his tenure.
And Mayson’s final
sentence, that this move
puts “very responsible
people in key positions”
simply means that white
people have been put into
the key positions, which is
what the whole thing is
about anyway.
This kind of action is
worthy of white sheets and
hoods. And people of that
mentality have no business
on any city council, par
ticularly one wherein the
majority of the constituen
ts are Black. They should
be removed from office
all deliberate speedy
30C