The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1856-04-05

mense interest in the character of the city nd
ministration, its views of public policy and
qualifications for Office, whose property,
whose business, whose every day pursuits are
affected bv them, there are other questions
more important than such as political speeu-
| lators and aspirants consider. So much for
! And is he not acting in the same spirit9 Has
he himself not an eye beyond the Mayoralty 7
Is not this mere stepping stone, IN his de-
signs, to something higher Is it not mere
ly thing to be used, to be turned to &C
count 2-the position and influence it posses
SEES, things to be acquired as so much political
stock in trade? We have shown that he is a
/ demagogue; that he trims and truckles, puts on
and puts of political opinions, assumes and
discards political alliances, with the same
readiness that the weather cock upon his
house changes with every wind, and for the
same purpose, to catch the popular breeze ?
He is always hunting Office, always chasing
the party that has the power of bestowing it.,
Wing, Aboltionist, anti Mormon, or Loco
foco. His name is eternally up for some
thing. He is an ofhce-hunter, emphatically !;
IN intriguer, q trimmer, a political adventur-
er. His last achievement was to worm into
the Council, that he might hoist himself up
to the Mayoralty. Now he wants to make
himself Mayor, that he may be able to lift
himself into the Legislature, or speculate on
the Office for some other distinction. That is
his object, not the mere city interests and
municipal and private wsshre. There IS no
doubt, in the mind Of any observing, reflect
ing, candid man, upon this point. Is the
same thing true of Col. Curtis He is not d
political aspirant or manager. He has no
political aims in view, no political objects to
accomplish. No political cabal or set Of par
tzan managers called him out No party
have made him their tool, exemplar, or rep
resentatiye. He looks solely to the city in
terests. His sole aim is to promote the pub
lie welfare. And that was the only aim of
those who placed him in the position he oc-
cupies. His official conduct will not be sub
ordinate to any partizan purpose, or be quail
fled by any personal political ambition. This
is his attitude. These are the auspices under
which he is presented. The respective posi-
tons of these candidates in this regard GER
tainly demand impartial consideration.
PARTICULAR QUALIFICATIONS NEEDED.
In the third place, that man can serve the
city best who is best acquainted with all the
varied interests of new and growing towns !;
who, with equal capacity, has had the most
experience, and possesses the most practical
knowledge concerning what makes for their
interest, what are their needs and necessities /;
he who, in town like this, in its formative
state, where the Mayor is relatively an officer
OF FAR more Importance than in an old city,
where every thing is regular and settled,
would best serve its interests, must have had
ence in respect of all public measures and in
fuenees bearing upon it's welfare, and needs
to Join in his own person in the most eminent
degree the qualities of skillful fnancier, a
firm and impartial executive and judicial Off
GER, an enlightened and thorough business
man, and last, but by no means least, al ex-
perenced and scientific civil engineer. We
need not discuss the qualifications of Col.
Curtis in this connection. They are well un-
derstood, and unquestioned. They are be-
yond dispute or doubt. He is VIGOROUSLY
pre-eminent in respect of the possession of
them all. Nor need we discuss those of Mr..
Newton. No friend If his, even, will claim
superior capacity in either respect. In
some respects, no merit, no capacity, no
knowledge al all is claimed for him by INV
one. And for any Of them it will not be
claimed that he possesses more than mod
crate, fair capacity. In contrast with Col
Curtis we charge that on all these points he
is inferior, and In some wholly incompetent
and uniformed. With respect to them, it
only needs to call public attention to them,
and solicit public reflection upon them.
PERSONAL ENERGY--cANDIpATEs coNTRAsTEp.
In the fourth place, personal energy and
influence is great merit and advantage, in
general point of view, in whoever is to be
Mayor Of this city. Mr.. Newton is not man
Of much personal energy he is not a man
who makes his mark upon community who
gives tone and direction to il; he is not
man whose opinion and counsel carry with
them any particular weight; he is not man
capable Of moving the minds or influencing
the conduct of his associates; he is not
man to gain the ear and convince the udg-
ment Of public bodies or individual men, in
| any department Of life. He is harmless, in
offensive, inefficient, and of small account
Is this true of Col. Curtis Doesn't every
body concede him man Of mark, man Of