Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-01-10
An Mayor.

Mayor GLENN, OF Atlanta, Ga, delivered
the other day his inaugural address. which
the Constitution has found so full OF wise
sayings that II has culled Il good many OF
them and presented them to its readers upon
the editorial page. 10 has enforced them by
the use Of italicS, but we think they need no
such bolstering. We reproduce frs, the fol-
lowing specimen:
1.-THE city should never surrender the
ownership and control OF the water-works.
An article so necessary TO every citizen and
10 the health OF the people should never De
put IN the power OF a private company
This dictum is so plainly true that thought
not to need TO be impressed upon the mind
OF any citizen OF any city. No city should
ever surrender to contractors the control OF
her w~aler-works, or her %gas-works, or her
public schools. The plea that any one oil
these three can he more economically or more
efficiently managed by private individuals
than 10y public servants IS not worthy OF q
moments consideration. We trust that the
people OF Richmond will bear in mind what
MAYOR GLENN says on this subject, and act
upon II whenever they shall be asked to be-
lieVe that contractors desire TO get hold OF
the city's property IN order to make money
for the public and not for themselves.
We quote Mayor glenn again:
"The city service should not be converted
Into q refuge for those who have proven
failures elsewhere, aud politicians should
not be permitted 10 shit from their W
shoulders into it, employment burdens IN
the shape Of relatives or dependents
As we have never suffered from this eyil
in Richmond, 1t may be thought that there
Is no occasion to repeat here Mayor GLENN's
dictum on that point. But we are not above
p~rofting by the experience Of other cities,
and therefore will do well 20 deposit what
Mayor GLRNN says where We can readily lay
our hands upon II when IL is needed.
Here are three more Of Mayor GiESN's
pithy paragraphs:
awe uhe CounciD have no right to pro,
hibit the liquor lrSaic. But IL IS our solemn
duty 10 control IT,"
..Neither beer. saloons nor bar-Tooms are
necessary. And II can hardly be claimed IL Is
our duty 10 make either convenient"
"Bar-Tooms never built a city, nor dld IA
nstielsm ever nurse one into greatness"
A perussl Of the address is necessary to a
correct and clear understanding OF the mean
ing OF those three paragraphs. We infer
that Aiayor GLENN Is an advocate OF high
license; bur we may be mistaken 10 drawing
that inference. II the City Council Of At
larta has no right to stop the sale OF liquors,
bot has the right to control the sale, surely
the Councils duty Is TO control 1t In the in-
terest of the community at large. When he
SAYS that II can hardly be claimed that 1t Is
Che duty OF tue city authorities 10 make
beer.saloons and bar.rooms "eonyenient."
he seems again TO hint that only a few "a.
looms are needed in Atlanta aud this would
seom TO be another utierance 10 favor OF high
license.
The saying last shove quoted shows that
Mayor GLENN regards as fanatics some Of the
prohibitionisls OF Atlanta. Doubtless IA
natic,sm plays Is part on both sides when
ever the question OF prohibition is submitted
10 the popular vote Tor decision.