The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-11-15
PUBLIC LIGHTING.

The journal sympathlZes with those men,
bers of the Council who feel wrathful Mt the
course Of the News. By name and by impu-
tation every one who would not accept its
dictum respecting both natural and illuminat-
ing gas were assailed as corrupt, the tools of
robbers and scoundrels, intent only upon
fleeing the city. They were held up to
public opprobrium day after day, until it is
little wonder that men 60 treated should be
both sore and vindictive. For weeks and
months the News succeeded in establishing
reign OF terror in the city. during which no
one, whether in the Council or out Of it,
dared express an adverse opinion to the mob
ocracy that had taken control of municipal
affairs. The Journal was decorated
with lavish abuse, because it declined
to bend the knee but steadily and
persisten,ly favored course which results
have demonstrated to be for the
necessary best interests of the city. If the
exclusive policy of the mobocrats had pre-
vailed, a large number of people in Indian
apolis would have been without the benefits
and luxury of natural gas who are now enjoy
ing it. The city would have been pilloried
before the country as city given over to a
policy of destruction of private capital and
spoliation of private property while as to
public lighting we should have been still pay
ing an exorbitant price for gas, or had jobbery
foisted upon us, and system of lighting the
utility of which is by no means determined
for city of this size.
Fortunately, the era of madness passed
away. BY means Of the Trust, the prices and
the monopoly of natural gas were settled in
favor of the people. and against the corpora
tons; and that done, the private companies,
the Broad Ripple and the Indianapolis. were
permitted to 60 ahead and contribute to the
service, prosperity and comfort of the people.
AS it is, with three companies. the whole city
is not supplied; and what the Journal urged
from the frst-that no one company
could possibly supply the city-has
been so fully demonstrated that no one thinks
of now questioning it. The days of moboc-
racy, that called public meetings controlled by
non-tax-paying communists. drowning the
voices of such old and respected citizens as
Mr.. Fred Ostermeyer, are now recalled only
as a grim satire on popular government.
The Council came from out the spell, and
concluded a contract for public lighting,
partly gas and partly electricity, which saves
thousands of dollars to the public treasury
on gas bills. and gives an opportunity to solve
the experiment of the utility and
value of electricity for the whole
of the city. This being the case, and the
city happily saved from bigotry and moboc-
racy, we do not think it dignifed, and GER
tainly it will not add to the reputation of the
city or Council to indulge in fiippaut personali-
ties or attempt to spite" anybody. The cleo
trio light is an experiment. Many people doubt
IFS applicability for lighting the residential
portions of the city, and, therefore, the wis.
dom of the policy that would permit prac-
tical test of the question. 1t was,
from the first, proposed that Meridian
street should be selected for that
purpose. It is one of the most heavily
shaded streets in the city, and if the electric
light serves there it will likely serve every
where. There was no snap judgment taken
on Meridian street residents for that street
was mentioned in the beginning as the one
to be used for the experiment. But it is
plain that the poles erected on that street are
clumsy, altogether too numerous, unsightly,
and seem to have behind them desire to
irritate the people and depreciate the electric
light, rather than to make a fair
test under proper conditions. The
remarks made in the Council give
color to this idea. The committee having
the matter in charge should see to it that O
different and better test is made than is likely
to be made now. If such ship masts are tc
be erected on the streets as are now on
Meridian street, people who care for the
beauty of the city will be offended, and the
electric light will suffer in their estimation
The business and interests of the city ough,
to be conducted on a plane higher than ''get
ting even with anybody, and with differen,
motives than are ind gated IN what has thus