The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-08-28

f'What can't be cured must be endured is
piece of homely wisdom, the truth of which no
body will call in question. To make the best of n
bad bargain, is the only resource of him who can
not help himself, and to bear in accomplishing
silence misforunes which are in their nature rene
dess is alike the part of sound philosophy and
of true manhood. If, therefore, we deemed the
present state of society in this city to be hopeless
" and incurably bad, regarded the social evils
of which every day we hear so much complaint
as past all relief, we should have few words to
waste in their discussion. To be always brooding
over wrongs for which in the nature of things
there is no redress, or to be forever carping, and
never suggesting remedy, would be merely the
qualification of love of fault-finding and could
never possibly lead to any good result. In no
such spirit, however, have we undertaken the
thankless task of exposing the evils of social
condition, and laying bare the causes which have
produced them. We have an innate faith, If not
in the virtue and intelligence of what popular
orators call ''the Masses, at all events, in those
instincts of sefpreservation which are common 10
all men, and which will at length rouse the most
patient and long-suffering community in defence
we are patient and long-suflering we think cannot
be questioned Our Baltimore camel has strong
back, and can bear a heavy burden, but a pound
too much will break it. The cup may be long in
filing, but it will some day overflow. 1t is not
therefore because we do not see end one day to
the evils from which we at present suffer, that we
are so urgent with fellow-citiZenS to apply an
immediate remedy. It's because by the aid of timely
measures and mild medicines that we would avert
the necessity for those sharper remedies which are
only resorted to when all else fails besdes,-when
through long neglect the disease has grown obsti-
nate and hard TO cure, and the patient is like to
die. For the very reason, that people are so
patient and submissive we should not like to see
their temper and their endurance tried to the utter
most. We would exhaust all constitutional and
legal remedies, before we appeal to those which
are extraordinary and revolutionary. We would
hrst see how much can be effected by change
of administration, and by the substitution of
faithful and capable officials for those who have
been tried and found incompetent or nerlectfnl Of
their trust before we confess that the institutions
which we have adopted ourselves and the laws
which we have made for our own government, are
insufficient for the wants of society and the ends
they were intended to subserve Therefore. il is
that, at the present time we have SOUGHT so earn
estly to impress upon the public mind the necessity
of choosing good men for the offices of Mayor and
City Councllmen at the approaching October cleo
uon. we DO not OF course expect an immediate and
complete reformation of existing abuses, and an
entire eradication of all social grievances from this
simple change in our municipal administration
but if we intend to look to the baIlot-box and to
the elective franchise, for a cure for present
evils, we must see that access to the one is un-
lmpeded, and our exercise of the other undisturbcd
by violence or fraud The MAYOR appoints all
Judges of Election, and the City Police and except
the former be men of honesty and firmness, there
can be no fair expression of the popular will and
without the protection of the latter no voter can
deposit his ballot in safety. The purity of Elections
is the foundation of our political institutions, and
whether the present incumbent of the MAYoRALTY
has been faithful guardian of the ballot-box and
OF our political rights, we leave every man in this
community TO judge for himself The facts are
sufficiently notorious to all-the scenes of last
October and November have become matter of
history, and the popular verdict upon this portion
OF Mayor SWANS official conduct cannot be
doubted. This, then, is why we attach so much
Importance to the office of the MAYoRALTY; not
that we expect the MAYOR at once to put down all
rowdyism and lawlessness in the city,-that he
cannot accomplish, not with five times five hun
dred Policemen at his back unless the Magistrates,
and the Grand Jury, the States Attorney and the
Judge, prove equally faithful to their trust; and
second his efforts for the suppression and punish
ment of crime but because, without an upright
and impartial MAYOR, can never again expect to
have fair Election in the city of Baltimore and
without a fair Election, we can never hope to re-
place any of the present unworthy incumbents of
executive and judicial offices, by better men,
Municipal Reform, therefore, must pecessa-
rlly precede all other Reform, and we earnest
ly hope that the community will not overlook
the Importance of the coming election, or under
rate the influence which is eXerted by the incum-
bent OF the MAYoRALTY. We have seen how much
evil may result from confidng that office TO the
hands of an INSCRIPTIONS partizan; let us try the
experiment of placing in it conscientious and
man, who will not dishonor his bioh
functions by using it for the qualification of politi
cal or personal ends-a sensible man, whose head
will not be turned by his elevation-a brave man.
who will not shrink from the discharge of his
duty.