The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1880-06-23
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THE WAY 1T WORKS.

If parcel of disorderly fellows out upon
spree and full of the stuff that "helps bus
iness," create disturbance in the dead hours
of the night, straightway an increase of our
police force, and keeping them on duty all
night, is strenuously advocated +; and when
you are asked "Low wouldn't it be a good
thing {" why, being lover of quiet and or
der and remembering the direful yells which
made night hideous, you naturally answer,
"why, yes, it would be gerry good thing
And just here good citizen speaks up and ex-
plains that evil deeds are done in darkness,
but shun the light, and he thinks that liber
al increase of our street lamps, and burning
them all night, SO that every part of our city
may be brightly lighted and evil doors easily
recognized, has been shown to be a necessity
and this would be another good thing. But
the cost ? Why, who in the world is going to
stop and count that when the peace, good
name and reputation of our city are at stake?
Does fearful confagration devastate some
other town--then comes a boom for fire pro-
lection. The extension of the water pipes
and the multiplication of fire hydrants are in-
sisted upon. The owner Of every isolated
house upon the outskirts of the city, thinks
himself entitled to a fire plug in the immedi-
ate proximity of his front door; whilst the
fire laddies are perfectly convinced that
large amount of money spent upon apparatus,
and heavy increase of their allowance, is
just the thing that is needed. And recogniz-
ing the importance of good fire protection,
and that the firemen's pay as scantier than
you wish it might be, what can you do but
acknowledge that these also would be gerry
good things? But the cost again2 Why,
what wretch you are How can you think
of stopping for such ptiful consideration as
that, when the very existence of our city is at
stake?
Are our streets fearfully dusty, to the great
damage of stocks in stores and the utter dis
comfture of neat housekeepers-- or is there a
sudden alteration to dreadfully muddy con-
dition--then Belgian blocks and macadamiz-
ing become the TOPICS and enthusiastic advo-
Gates will be found to demonstrate the great
advantages of renovating the entire city, and
Kidding 1t forever of both dust and mud by
the easy process of spending a few tens of
thousands of dollars. And with your eyes
blinded with dust, or your trousers woefnlly
splashed with mud by the hoofs of some pass
ing horse, or the wheels of vehicle, you are
ready to exclaim, what an excellent plan, let
the paving begin at once But just then
some one chimes in with another good idea.
Don't forget the sewerage--thnk of the sew
erage Consider the Importance of the pub
lie health and the baneful effects of malaria
The city must certainly be severed sooner or
later, and it is much better to do 1t at once,
and secure the benefit of 1t for all time to
come. If you put down the pavements first,
you will have to tear them all up to put in the
sewers, so it will be wise economy to do
them together and the sewers first it is a
very easy matter and will only cost--well,
really only few more tens of thousands in
addition. Now your opinion being asked
can you really say that Belgian block pave
ments are not excellent, or can you deny that
good system of sewerage would be capital
thing. But then the cost? Why, my good
gracious Is everybody's eyes to be blinded
Is everybody to wade through mud all thor
lives? Is business to suffer and anguish
Is our city to remain the dirtiest hole in
American Above all, is the public health to
be neglected, just to save lot of mean stingy
dollars Never mind the cost | Let's have
public improvements that will be credit to
our city, and count the cost afterwards.
Then drop into conversation with some
whose minds have been especially turned to-
wards the subject of education. Hear them
enlarge upon the subject, its vast and gigan-
tic magnitude, and its overshadowing import
ance. Even if you think them rather enthu-
siastic, can you deny their being right2 And
when they picture their ideal of what our
schools should become-equal to colleges they
would have them--with teachers enjoying
college salaries--and buildings equal to col
ege buildings, surrounded by tastefully laid
out grounds adorned with flower beds, to
elevate" the minds of the children--why
what wretch it must be who could UNDER
take to maintain that all this would not be
very nice indeed. Do you drop hint about
the cost? Why what fiend you must be
Don't you know that the strength and sta
bility of our institutions and the pefpetuity
of our liberties as a nation lies 10 our public
schools? And are you going to be mean
enough to higgle and haggle about some pit
| ifnl items of cost?
Now really and truly, all these things, each
in itself considered, are very right things, and
you might add whole string of approving
adjectives to every one L have mentioned, and
not miss the truth either. But then, alb !!
just undertake to put them all into operation,
and what state of affairs you would pro-
duce What would become of the people
who would have to pay for it? If the law
permitted it what fearful monster Of debt
and wrong might rise in our midst as it has
risen in other places, to grind the people
down under the pretence of the public good
and liberal spirit of improvement. Fortu-
nately for us the law does not permit it.
Thanks to the wisdom of those who framed
our City Charter with limited taxation and
limited indebtedness. These features have
been and will continue to be the safeguards Of
our city. And for these our people owe a
debt of gratitude they never think of having.