The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-02-25

cised, that the crltlc1sm was unreasonable:
he does not show that he and his party in
the city government are not responsible for
what has been done amiss; he does not
meet, in any way.that would refute them if
untrue or unjust, the specific charges that
have been made; In short he does not appeal
TO The intelligence, or the public interests of
the citizens at ALL He shirks that ordeal
and, instead, he claims that he has been
UNANIMOUSLY abused" by the criticism of his
administration, and he demands personal
vindication. He slyly attempts to change
the issue before the people from a question
concerning the government of the city to
question concerning the conduct of news
paper. Perhaps he feels that he will fare
better If he can make the citizens forget that
the choice Is between him a, d Mr.. King,
and get them 10 thinking it is between him
self and the PRESS. But the PRESS is not
the candidate of the opposition to Mayor
Deering, nor is Mr. King responsible for the
conduct of the PRESS.
Assuming an air OF injured innocence the
Mayor calls on the citizens to take his
word for it that he has been highminded.
acting only on the most honorable motives.
and, by re-electing him, to rebuke his crit
les for their presumption. He asks to have
his administration approved not because he
is able to demo lstrate that it has been COM
petent, judicious and honorable, but be-
cause newspaper has ventured to saw it
was not altogether admirable on these
grounds, and to charge him with errors and
misconduct which in its judgment make it
desirable that he should be retired from he
office he holds at the earliest oppoi tunty.
We suppose there never was boss who did
not consider honest criticism an imperti-
nence, and it Is one of their favorite lodges
to try to make it appear that adverse COM
ment on their oficial conduct in the public
interest is malicious attack on their personal
character for pri vate ends. Aud they do
this, relying for sympathy on that percent
age of soft-hearted people who without tax
Ing the trouble 10 ascertain the merits of
the case, always give their penny to the
whining beggar and their vote to the whin-
ing politician, being nine times out of ten
tie victims Of imposlure, and encouraging
by their Indifferent sentimentality the pros
perity and the increase of both mendicants
and demagogues
What the Mayor calls the s'infamous
abuse" of the Press has consisted in a
clear exposure of the extravagant aud illegal
acts OF his administration, based for the
most part upon the public record of his cor.
duct in office.
We are informed, and believe, thai S49, 344
of the overdue interest recovered from the
Grand Trunk r. R. Company during Mayor
Libby's administration has been used for
| the current expenses of the city during the
present year without rightfuI authorization.
The job of repairing the Chestnut street
schoolhouse, By the mayors unwise insist
| ance on having the work done by the day,
cost many hundred dollars more than re.
| sponsible parties offered to do it for, and the
ordinances regulating the expenditure of
appropriations were dsregarded in the pro-
gress of thai work.
| In the estimates for building the CONNER
cial street sewer no provision was made for
| putting The street in safe condition, the
gravel upon which tie pavement should
have been relad was carted off, and the ex-
cavation was -etilled with mud, upon which
good pavement cannot be laid. The
MAYOR himself, in message TO the Civ
| Council, condemned the street as unsafe
and disgrace.
With an available sum for current expen.
SEES exceeding that of the year before by
more than $4,000. the city's affairs have been
managed 80 unwisely that appropriations
were early exhausted or reduced to figure
which has embarrassed the city's business.
During Mayor Llbby's administration,
| with, as We have SAID. much smaller su m
Sdveu
from the apr 6prfatf0fs. and at the end 81 the
| year $51 869 81 was carried to the sinking
fluid According to tie best Information we
can get,i there Is dol ar from the appropri-
| atoms carried to the sSk,ng fund this wear
| II viii. ba because bills for current expenses
are left unpaid to be draft upon the appro
| praions for Dext year.
One of the first Efforts OF Mayor
Deering was to increase the salary of mem
beers Of abe police force.
Throughout the year the Mayor has treated
Que brauch of the city government, with
gross indgnity and insult; aud to members
"tthe other b,auch who have opposed bis ar
binary dic'aiion, he has been offrnsiyri,
discourteous al d abusive.
In his intercourse with members of the
city government and with other persons his
manners have been intolerably rude
and his tanopage often shockinoiy ,ros.,,
If the PRESS should approach in language
or In temper the style of abuse which he
often employs in speaking Of, and to, per-
sons having official business with him, its
readers would not permit it to enter their
homes.
The PRESS bias carefully kept within the
limits OF moderation in speaking OF the May
or. II at any time 1t has seemed barsh it
has never been so harsh as the circamstap-
ces would warrant. The cnzens o, Port
land may think it COMFORTS with their char
acter and tue ciiy's credit to have for their
CHIEF magistrate person of this sort. bat
we do not believe it. The election Of Mr..
King will bring into that place dignity, ca
pacity, reasonableness and courtesy which
will be very grateful to those who re-
sDect themselves and desire to be able to re-
sptct their magistrates, however, they NAV
differ from them in opinion.
There are persons who consider them
Selves UNANIMOUSLY abusrd'' by being exhibit
ted as they are; bat that is not the fault of
their critics.