The daily gazette., 1882-05-26
WILNINGTON DEL. FRIDAY MAY &C. 1882.
OUR NEXT MAYOR.
A Careful Consideration of the Merits of
the Democratic Standard Bearer,

| the Democratic Standard Bearer.
To THE EDITOR OF THE GAZETTE: tits fire.
quently said that men who are mechanics are
not professionals by education and therefore
united for public Office. Hence 1t was that
the present Republican candidate for Presi-
dent of City Council was led to make the
remark "He is only II stairbuilder." The
observation was innocent in itself and only
showed the influences under which the young
man had been reared, and a meagreness of
the intellectual culture that produced it. As
II he held a stairbuilder could not be a good
Mathematician or as sagaclous and exact in
MS methods of business MS the professional
wilmington must become city of
mechanics, and they must see to 1t that
wisdom shall guide in its public places.
Neither party could exist In our city without
the vote of mechanics, and it is not surpris-
ing that the Democrats should place in NOM
lnatien so many mechanics, artisans and
| laborers and so few of professional gentle
men. Whence come our most ingenious in
Ventors; our most elaborate craftsmen and
skillful engineers and architects Four
| nfths OF them arise from our mechanic
shops. Their labor becomes a basis of our
prosperity and no city or town can afford
to discard the efforts of its enterprising me-
chanics. The next most valuable man TO
the sagacious and enterprising mechanic is
he who adapts himself to the position of u
leader in the line of enterprise strictly be-
longing to mechanics. The man may be
merchant or laborer or a professional. But
be he what he may, if he uses his capital to
give productive labor to the people he be-
comes a benefactor. 1t may be in the
machine shops; tine ship yards or in the
| adornment of the city by the erection of
comfortable homes and the enhancement of
the real property in which the people are
deeply interested. Men of this character
can rarely afford to enter politics. Aud it
Is only occasionally that one ia found who
possesses the methods and careful practice
of his daily round of toll that permits of
his taking upon himself duties of public
character. In the career of Mr.. Joseph L.
Carpenter, Jr., the Democratic candidate
for mayor of the city, the characteristics
which are needed to enable one to attend
well and faithfully to the duties of an
official position are conspicuously apparent.
lie is not professional, he is not Il
mechanic, his friends do not claim
for him learning beyond the ordinary
scholarship of our public schools. And Of
what use is learning If it is not made of SER
vice. Thousands of school boys are capable
OF demonstrating problems that many
lawyers and doctors cannot solve and
mechanics will not waste their time in efforts
for solution. They might also interpret the
correct meaning and application of our
laws. But they are as utterly helpless as
other boys for improving towns or cities.
could not call them droncs; they might be
likened to the young bees of hive, while
older men as professionals may be drones
In society, Notwithstanding the field for
enterprise be as inviting for the one as the
other.
In Mr.. Carpenter we have the man of pro-
gress the man of diligence and method
n hn Al ,,1n Ia,
economist the cXamplar for the youth and
the best friend of the poor and honest
laborer, while he does no less for the rich
landholder than for the humble dweller in
the cottage. If he that makes ''one blade
OF grass grow where none grew before" is
benefactor how much more is he a benefac-
tor who builds house where none stood be-
ioref In this light Mr.. Carpenter is CON
spieuous. He has erected houses In almost
every quarter of the city, having within
few years built over $50 dwellings. These
not only afford comfortable homes to 15O
families but they tend to keep down the
rent as well as to increase the prices of all
adjacent improved or unimprovcd property,
whether in the possession of the lowly
widow or the wealthy gentleman. As an
active, enterprisng useful citizen Mr.. Car
penter may be cOntrasted advantageously
with his adversary. But it is not in that
alone. He has been found one of
the most useful workers for public beneficial
matters and in all successful. The butchers
found him the very man for leading the
work when they erected the Second street
market house, and when the removal of the
courts to this city was undertaken as chair
man of the meeting he performed the
greatest amount of work and never suffered
the matter to rest until success rewarded
the efforts of our citizens.
For this service he deserved and received
great credit. Should the people elect him
to the Office they have nominated him
for he will, feel confident, be one of the
most popular mayors that has ever filed the
position. PROGRESS.
Wilmington, May "a, 1882.