The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-04-06
communicated
WHAT Inv LATE CITY ELECTION
TEACmES.


II Is customary among oficc-holders
in these degenerate days to act in accord
ance with the wishes Of the party which
elected them, regardless Of the opinions |
Of the minority, be II ever so large or In. |
telligen;.
1t Is needless to say that this is wrong
more especially at the present time. when
among certain class Of people vote Is
as much an article Of merchandise as
gold in Wall street or goods on the shelf.
Among such people every election day is
great auction sale, where votes are sold
to the highest bidder: some votes being
an X, some V, others can be bought for
a dram Ind still others can even be had
for little jaw.
The majority Is thus invariably upon the
side which has the most vote purchasers
(electionerers az they are mildly tcrmed)
out. These are facts--sad. but stern facts,
which no one will contradict. Such
state OF affairs makes It very doubtful in
deed that the majority of the votes cast
are really the voice Of q majority of
honest voters-voters who pay taxes for
the support Of local government. and are
interested in the economical admins
tration Of public affairs.
The opinions Of the minority party at
our late city election are certainly en-
titled to consideration on the part OF the
newly elected directors. because. first :
they were entertsined by nearly one hall
Of the voters. and secondly. because that
minority (?) counted with in its ranks
some of our heaviest taxpayers, anyone
of whom pays more taxes per annum
, for school purposes alone, than ten and
.. perhaps fifty OF the class above referred
|, to- pay altogether, and who probably
voted, were induced to vote. against the
taxpayer.
For these reasons, AID several Others
= which may have occasion TO mention
= hereafter, beg the gentlemen who have
!. lately assumed official lonors In the capa'
city of school directors, to kindly turn an
;. attentive ear to the following. what be-
ievc to be "teachings of the late election
think 1t is generally known that the
defeated candidates were the advocates
Of rctrcnchmcnt in our public school cx-
penses, and as nearly one-half of the vot-
. crs cast their votes for these candidates.
we must conclude that the opinions OF
the candidates were shared. by the voters,
aud that therefore the election teaches.
first. That nearly one-half of the voters
of the city OF Cairo and re,y hkeiy more
than One-lialf OF the tar payers are Oppos-
cd to the manner in which our public
school funds arc being sunk.
Whatever may be said Of the
excellence of our public schools
and the good reputation they have OBJ
tanned abroad, 1t is a fact that that excel.
lence and reputation are kept up at an
enormous expense, and what is worse, q
violation Of law /; an expense which we
cannot only not afford, but which is far
beyond our means, and violation OF law,
which il PERSISTED in and justified will
lead to greater violations and terminate
in the utter disrespect Of the peoples
laws on the part Of officials.
That our former board Of directors did
in several instances, disregard the statutes
OF the State bearing upon our public
schools, is well known, and As obedience
to the State laws-coniorming the
branches OF study and the use OF text
books to the provisions OF our laws
was one Of the planks in the platform
upon which the defeated candidates
stood, we must conclude that the late
election for directors teaches, secondly
That nearly one half OF the voters and
very likely more than one-half Of the tax
payers of the city Of Cairo. are opposed
to this disregard on the part of the direc-
tors OF the statutes OF the State.
WILHELM.