The Portland daily press., 1892-02-29
MIR. INeRAHAM,s CAMPAIGN.

formally nOnllldleu 1OI hdyOI Ou 0dUuI
day evening and accepted in what one of
the papers styles ringing speech"
This ringing speech appears, howev-
er, to have been confined almost entirely
to the discussion of questions that a
municipal election has nothing whatever
to do with. 1t is valuable perhaps as in
dicating the opinions of one of our prom
iuent fellow citizens upon questions
which at some time in the future may, if
the Democratic party has sufficient cour-
age, be submitted to the voters of the
state for decision, but as showing why
the municipal affairs of the city of Port
land should be handed over to Mr.. In
graham and theDemocratic party it is alb
solutely valueless. sHardlya single one
of the questions which MI. Ingraham
discusses has any actual place in the com
ing election. For any real bearing which
the most of them have on the pending
contest, Mr.. Ingraham might just as well
have discussed the silver question OF the
tariff question or the revision of the
Presbyterian creed Mr.. Ingraham
thinks the employment of deputy sher-
ifs to enforce the liquor law is piece
of extravaganza. Well, suppose it is,
how will Mr.. Ingraham's election tend
to bring it to an end? MI. lngraham also
thinks the agency system for the sale of
liquor is a bad system. Assume
that it is will Mr.. Ingraham's election
abolish it? Mr.. Ingraham doesn't ap-
prove of the registration law, but that law
will remain in spite of his election. The
only thing in his whole ringing speech"
that has any bearing upon the coming
election is his expression of
opinion that ssin looking over the repre-
sentative names of respected citizens
nominated on our municipal ticket, busi-
ness and capital could not justly hesitate
to confide to the Democratic party the
management of affairs, if economical ad-
ministration and lower taxation are de-
sired, as well as a liberal policy of en-
couragement to those who might en-
bark in manufacturing enterprises, in
order that the currents of trade might be
stimulated, population increased and
better opportunities afforded for labor"
This is sort of guarded intimation that
the election of the Democratic ticket will
in some way reduce taxation, and at the
same time promote the establishment of
manufacturing enterprises, increase
trade and furnish new opportunities for
labor. Now what branch of trade can
Mr.. Ingraham promote if he is elected
Mayor? Can he increase the grocery
trade, or the dry goods trade, or the
ionr trade? What facilities can he af-
ford these trades which they do not now
enjoy. or what demand can he create
that does not now exist. Mr.. Ingraham
knows perfectly well that if he We're
mayor and the whole city government
were Democratic the business of not a
single one of these branches
of trade would be increased. There
is one trade which he might increase
the trade in spirituous liquors-but he
could only do that by shutting his eyes
to violations of the state law and prov
ing false to his oath of Office, and MI.
Ingraham is too honorable a man to be
guilty of either of these things.
The fact is if Mr. Ingraham and hisDem-
ocratic followers are indulging the idea
that they can promote the business of
Portland they are simply cherishing
delusion. Municipal governments have no
power to promote trade or commerce or
manufactures, and any attempted inter-
ference with them on their part is far
more likely to prove mischievous than
beneficial The duties OF city govern
ments are clearly defined by statute.
Very wisely the business of promoting
trade has not been assigned to them, and
when candidate for municipal office
gives as one reason for electing him that
he will promote trade, it is safe to con-
clude either that he has no correct COM
prehension of the duties and limitations
of his office or that he is talking bun
combe.
The only good reasons for preferring
one man over another for municipal Of
flee are his superiority of character, his
superiority of judgment, his superiority
of knowledge of the duties of the
office which is to be filed,
and the superiority in intelligence, char
acter and Judgment of the persons who
are likely to be influential with him.
Now if Mr. Ingraham or his
friends for him can show supe-
riority over Mr.. George ". True in the
above respects, and if he can show su-
periority on the part of the men who sur
round him now and will surround him if
elected over the men of who do now
and will surround Mr.. True
if elected, then he can show
good reason why he should be preferred
But he shows nothing of the kind, and
moreover he practically admits that he
cannot inasmucll as he attempts to
switch the attention of the public off
upon questions which have no bearing
on the pending election and which can