The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-06-30
ROANOKE, VA. JUNE 80, 1892.
THE MUNICIPAL OFFICES.

There has probably been no Council
ever elected in the city Of Roanoke
which has Tor willy come into office
with graver responsibilities than the
twenty gentlemen who will take the
oath of office as Councilman Of this city
on the lst proximo.
After a somewhat lengthy history of
municipal virtues and mistakes. which
can only serve as guides to future &C
ton, these representatives Of the brain,
the Drawn, the energy, The capital, the
tights and liberties and the thinking
common sense OF the citizens of this
truly phenomenal city are to be placed
in the hands OF twenty representative
men in our midst.
The question is what will they do?
We will do the incoming Council the
Justice to say that we believe that they
without an exception so far as we can
at present judge will be actuated by
due sense Of their responsibilities to the
public. 1t Is only, therefore, ques-
w
they shall vote for to fill the municipal
offices of the city. Therefore, the first
question that would naturally present
itself to the Council is, which of the ap-
plicants for any particular Office is the
most competent?
This is the very first question to be con-
sidered. It's well-known fact that pub
lie position makes all men conservative.
If the applicant is competent he would
naturally be conservative and do justice
to the office from the fact that he would
have the judgment to realize the impor-
lance of holding his position. Just as
soon as you make incompetency or mod
crate competency the test of office,
just so soon do you put man in who
does not understand or realize the I'M
portance of faithful discharge of his
duty, because his mind does not reach
10 the Importance of his position. This
statemen of the question is coldly logi-
cal, the premises are automatic, the
conclusion is inevitable.
First, then, as we said before, is the
question Of competency. In solving
this namely, as to who is the mos, COM
petent) you have more than half solved
the problem of the coming election by
Council.
After this the claims of the differen t
claims as to residence? The time to
inspect one; the fealty to tradition; the
faithfulness and firmness in the dis
charge of other duties. And just here
upon this question of business: above
all things let men be elected who have
hrmness and BREADTH who have phys
ical and mental frmness in all emer.
gencies to do the proper thing at the
proper time, unawed by the IN adding
crowd, and who would have the CAPACITY
''to get up in meetin'" and explain
what is wrong and who is responsible
for the wrongdoing.
For some occult reason we have not
had such men in all positions.
Let the Council, discarding all preiu-
dice and swapping" look to these
qualities. We want no Pecksniffs nor
Uriah Heaps; no people who "put or
their livery of heaven to serve the d
in" for our rulers. A progressive city
such as Roanoke, wants no blue laws and
sham reformers, but it wants mcr
VINO, knowing the rights of their fellow
men, dare do their duty to them, who
will uphold the right and redress the
wrong regardless OF the surroundings O
any individual, and who are not ham
pered by marrow creed OF bound down by
foolish fanat;cism or idle scntimen-
talism.