Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-12-31
WHAT WICHITA NEEDS.


ita at the present time is an honest, efficient
government: men Of moral standing and
the very best business habits and ability.
Wichita Is no longer a frontier trading post
nor a COW boy town; bnt great commercial
center.
In the old times, the chief qualification
looked for in those days for u candidate,
from mayor down to policeman, was that OF
being good fellow which in English
means to be off-handed, ..blox in dollar
frequently with boon companions and stand
in with tho boys. Day before yesterday the
writer overheard couple of citizens speak
ing of couple Of men prominent in the
city. council, and they admitted that the
parties referred to did not amount To much
in the matter of running a city government
but they we're good fellows Good fellows
are just what this city don't want at present.
What she needs are men Of the highest
social standing and the best business ability
men who will do their duty in any cmerg-
ency, regardless of the good or bad opinion
Of ''the boys
We have frequently called attention to
the filthy condition of the city in general
and the laxity shown in executing the laws
the leniency shown to criminals and law
breakers and the disposition of the author
ties to cover up evil deeds and to shield
evil-doers. Whenever We found if necessary
% <.an asta, 10 tat nf thtpo-
cry WAS raised by those interested, together
with certain newspapers, that il was impO-
tic TO let the outside world know that this
city was not IA model Of law and
order, or that everyone who chose
TO plumber and rob our people
were not Angles. We conceive it to be the
duty of daily journal to expose every evil
deed Of which it has coguizance and 10 fol-
low every evil-doer until brought TO justice
or compelled to leave town. The EAGLE
will never become party TO the covering
up process. Our police have had TO bear
good deal of blame that probably ought to
be credited to those in authority over them.
The writer had a conversation with an ex-
policeman some time ago concerning GER
tain criminal matter that had been covered
up. He said il was useless to try to deal
with certain criminals according to law,
when officials high in authority were rs deep
in the mire as those who ought 10 be brought
to justice. There is good reason to believe
that if our city council would support the
police in doing their duty the latter body
cities
Just now there arc some matters Of vital
importance that should command the atten-
ton of the city government. Anticipating
the spread of cholera in this country next
summer, every city in the United States is
adopting rigid and Wig )rous sanitary meas
ures. This city is VIGOROUSLY filthy; it ap-
pears to be nobody's business to see that
sewers, back yards and closets are kept
clean. The sewerage is wretchedly made
quatc. 1t is urged in this connection that
owing TO Il lack of fall the sewerage must
remain bad. There is reason to believe
that a competent engineer could BY going
a couple of miles down the river
find sufficient fail. 4 large main sewer or
cana! could be cut through the city to that
po.at which would serve rs AN alimentarv
canal for a complete system of sewerage.
Hog pens abound along the river and when
ever rain comes the filth from these i,
washed into the river and ia high tide the
water i backed up to the scource Of our
water supply and IT, filthy particle neccs-
sarily permeate> all the water supplied
from that quarter.
Several wagon ioad> Of rotten pot,,t,.t., AID
other trash have lately been ,,nnplied OF, The
rivers brink last week wlici, a,il add it, ia,-
purity to the wafer; agar, during iasi week
pilc Of rotten manure has been stacked up
against the street on the rivers edgr at the
east cad of the bridge. Tiir. f,.ii breath of
this hothed of rotiing manure pcrrnestcs the
air we breathe right III the heart of the citv.
During the present cold weather, perhaps,
no harm will result from all this acciimula-
ton o. filth, but when thaw and warm
weather comes then the city is ripe for all
manner Of disease.
The moral atmosphere of the city !. also
dreadfully corrupt.
II appears to lac Useless t. move for any
reform while the present council holds. II
Is seldom that the affairs of city Of the
magnitude of Wichita is found in SO de-
plorably loose and corrupt "a condition.
Corruption, loosenes- and irregularity reign
on every hand. When such laxity and cor
ruption exists in city government, the in
lection generally spreads to society and all
forms of vice and immortality creep into the
foul atmosphere and flourish in it.
The EAGLE shall always regard it u duty
to point out a disease, if one exists. that
threatens to undermine the moral and
physical health of the city, and it should be
the duty of the city government to discover
the seat Of the disease and not only to pre-
scribe remedy, but to administer the dose
no matter how nsuseons it may be to a GER
tain class.
Men who will do this. no matter If they
be called bad fellows, are what Wichita
wants just now. If n cancer is found to
exist in the body polite we take it that il is
best TO make it known and have it cut out.