The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-02-24

strange TO say the gentleman VINO occupleu
the Mayors chair on that fourth of July
was the Hon. Neal Dow, the very
man whom the editor is now recon-
mendng to the citizens of Portland as
panacea for intemperance. /, The editors
memory as well as his judgment is bad.
Mayor Chapman's Ad ministration.
To those who believe that the supremacy
of the principles and policy of the Republic
can party in the State and nation would be
of great advantage to the interests of the
country, the fact that we are now approach
ing State and Presidential election will
give additional Importance to the result of
our municipal election vote this Spring. But,
if we are to let that consideration pass and
decide the present election solely as a matter
of municipal concern, why should any citi-
zen vote for General Dow in preference to
Mr.. Chapman?
The municipal administration is a matter
of direct Importance to every citizen. On
this all agree. 1t is undoubtedly true that
several years ago the tide was turned in our
municipal affairs against extravaganza and
excess of public expenditure. During the
last two years under Mayor Chapman's adj
ministration the tax rate has not been in
creased and there has been reduction OF
over $500, 900 in the gross city debt and net
reduction of over $150,0e0; while all the debt
which has matured has been refunded at
four per cent instead of six, an annual saw
ing of about $4,000.
Mayor Chapman is an active man, OF keen
to- Inns aYparin0Qn
and capacity. He has given his personal at
tention to the details of administration In
the different departments of the city govern
ment, to an extent that will compare fayora-
bly, with the best of his predecessors. There
is probably no man in the city who is so IA
miliar with all that relates to the question of
the Portland g. Ogdensburg Railroad Com
pany, both to what has been done and what
is best to be done in the future, as Mayor
Chapman. Under his administration the
new company has been organized with a ma
jority of its stock conceded to the city and
controlled by the city. and claim is now
pending in court for large amount more Of
the stock in this new corporation, and resist
ed by the other stockholders. Whateyerlmay
be the result of this suit the city still has its
controlling interest in the road, but if the
city should prevail in the suit, it would have
nearly three hundred thousand dollars more
of the stock of the new road.
A plan has been perfected, and during the
coming year will probably be carried out, for
relieving the Back Cove nuisance by inter
cepting all the sewage on the northern side
of the city and carrying it out into deep wat
A Ne haro hanu aonnn1QfQd fnr
a new reservoir of the Water Company with
out detecting North street and intended to
afford separate service for the high and low
levels of the CITY, About two and one-half
miles of sewer have been built during the
past year. A system of ventilation has been
introduced into the High School building,
which, if not perfect, as perfect, perhaps
no system can be claimed to be, was intro
duced under contract which gives the city
full redress in case it proves inadequate, and
which, with the notifications that are now
proposed, it is believed will afford satisfac-
tory result as to the heating and ventilating
of that building. The administration of
Mayor Chapman has undoubtedly been fay-
orably inclined to an extension of New High
street and removal of the nuisances near the
Park, and it is hoped that this may be work
ed out in some way without increasing the
expenditures so as to increase the tax-rate.
The fact is Mayor Chapman is a thorough
business man, successful in his own business
and devoting his time faithfully and dill
gently to all municipal affairs. He is alive
to what the business interest. of the city re-
quire and in full association and sympathy
f9aorabantG He
has conducted successfully every important
municipal measure since he assumed the OF
fee of Mayor. 1t was his influence and skill
in organizing effort which made our centen-
NAL celebration the success it was, and he is
man who represents our city with dignity
on every public occasion.
We know of but one exception which is
made to this almost universal commentator
of the administration of Mr.. Chapman, and
that is that there has been a failure with rel
erence to the enforcement of the prohibitory
law. Now, it must be admitted that Mr..
Chapman is temperance man. His assocl-
atoms are with temperance people. Person
ally none of them can have any objection to
him. In society, in the church; in all his
personal and social relations, he is identified
with temperance people. He is not man
wilfully or willingly to neglect his oath of
office in any respect. He selected as marshal
man who was in thorough sympathy with
the prohibitory law, who was understood to
be the choice of its advocates and against
whose integrity, so far as we know, no charge
was ever made.
These complaints of inefficiency as to the
enforcement of the law have come late ia the
last year Of the Mayors administration. The
same charges having been made at every mu-
nicipal election for the last twenty years.
While we make no charges against the mo-
tiyes of their authors, we think much more
would be accomplished bYnldicious aid and
encouragement to the officers in the perform
ance of their duty than by these protests and
complaints. The responsibility does not lie
on the police alone. The police force have
many other duties to perform, while there
are several deputy sheriffs, whose only duty
is'to enforce the liquor law We think the
officers, as rule, intend to do their duty and
need ana will be glad to have the direct as
sistance of citizens In the performance of it.
The prohibitory law is the settled law and
policy of this State. This fact is established
for the present and probably for the future,
and it has been established largely by the
efforts of the Republican party. The law is
far more successful and accomplishes far bet
ter results in actual experience, than the ex-
tremists on either side, either for or against
it, are disposed to admit. The agitation for
better enforcement of the law may be all
right, but to accomplish this result does not
require such radical change as would be
made by the election of General Dow. The
services of Mr.. Chapman as Mayor have
been of great value to the city and there is
no way in which municipal interests can be
so we'll served as by electing HIM for third
term.