Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-03-31
An OPENING FOR GOOD GOVERNMENT

An OPENING FOR GOOD GOFERNMENT.
All citizens who are earnestly in favor OF
the reformation of our city government will
have an opportunity on Monday, April %,
to accomplish their purpose, promptly and
to very large extent, without the assist
ance of the Ohio legislature. The quickest
method of promoting reform Is to eject
good, intelligent, capable men 10 local
Offices, as men of this sort will make the
very best possible use of existing laws anu
circumstances, and will at one ana ue
same time reduce expenditures and get u
largest results out of the money EXPENDED.
We have water works and are to have q
splendid city building to show for our
large Indebtedness, and bGtn institutions
will demonstrate, throughout the years 10
come, the wisdom of the people in proyid-
ing them. But our Indebtedness Is now
so large that our finances must be handled
cautiously and ably. We must have an
efficient administration. We must
have an adequate water supply; an
efficient fire department.; police force
u1ahC up VI SdpdOiC duu OAPSAtNhSSN
irrespective of politics or coior-the very
best men who can be obtained: and we
must have public schools in which instruc-
tion is thorough, stimulating and helpful
and just enough money should be expended
In these several lines to secure the best re-
suits. but not cent should be wasted any
where.
All contracts should be closely watched.
Especially should street work be looked
after, SO that we can have good, clean pub
lie thoroughfares at the least possible cost
We believe that we may have better
schools for smaller expenditure. tn,
list of branches taught should be revised
and cut down. In teaching children, VT
should aim to make them useful and prac-
tical as well as intelligent and by all means
moral and virtuous, exercising care for their
physical training and development. 1t is
not the mission of boards of education to
make scholars of their pupils-to make
men and women of them-but to make good
great variety of branches but to show them
how to learn and find out things for them
selves; to give them habits of study and re-
search. To do this we must put good,
strong. practical men in the board of edu-
cation-men like DIR. Wilkinson, Mr.. Ser
viss and other good men who have been
named for positions in the board.
II every voter would go to the polls, on
Monday, and vote to the best of his knowl-
edge. conscientiously, for the best men
placed in nomination, we should have re-
form at once-genuine and thorough-and
we should have a council and board that
would be capable of devising and working
out plan for recognizing the city govern
The adoption of the plan now under COZ
sIderation, we believe after much consider
alton and study, to be a step in the right
direction, which would give us improved
advantages, but it will not give US an ideal
government, so that we shall be shut of
from further attempts to improve the sit
uatIon.
Now let all citizens, on Monday, improve
their opportunities and vote for the best
men and we point with pride" that is
genuine, to the fact that the republicans
have placed the names Of these men on
their city and ward tickets. We invite and
challenge comparison with the men NOM
mated By the democracy. But do not
think any of the candidates will walk
over" the track. Let every man go to the
polls and vote for every good man who
Is a candidate.