Asheville daily citizen., 1893-04-20
THURSDAY. APRIL 20, 1898.
a SUGGESTHON.

The political situation in Asheville
with regard to the municipal election.
now fast approaching, is about this
primary has been called in the regular
way-the way Democrats have been
wont to respect-and aldermen have been
nominated by the several wards. The
nomination of mayor by the primary is
to occur Saturday of this week. In the
meantime large percentage of the men
OF ASheyille whom all respect, the
most of them Democrats, have expressed
a distrust of the primary and in mass
meeting last night nominated a ticket
composed mainly of Democrats, but with
Republican representation. An execu-
tive committee of some nineteen gentle
men was also named by the mass meet
ing to manage the campaign for the So
called citizens ticket.
There is no doubt of the earnestness
and the unsefshness of the gentlemen
who have nominated this ticket. They
believe it will do more for Asheville if
elected than any ticket that may be the
result of the primaries They believe,
and they have reason to believe. that we
need and must have radical change
from the administration now just COM
ing to an inglorious end
There is undoubtedly an absolute ne
cesssity for reform. THE CIrI-
ZEN has too long pointed that out to
attempt to deny it now if it wished to.
In tact it may be said that the comments s
OF THE CITIZEN for the last two years
lead logically and inevitably to precisely
such a movement eliminated last
night in the nomination OF the ticket
put forth. Grant 80 much, and we submit
that a suggestion from the same source.
namely The CITIZEN. be taken to
have some value and also be certain to
be considered to proceed from a feeling
of friendlincss to both sides in the pres
eat contest.
Both tickets cannot win We have al
ready stated it to be our judgment that
the contest should have been taken into
the primary and there decided. There
was room at just that point for hon
est difference of opinion, and the mass
meeting took the opposite view. The
result is that the Democrats of Ashcville
are divided; it is not that they going
to be, but that they already We
doubt if good can come of such division;
nor do we see that such division is neces-
sary.
With which contestant lies the best
chance Of victor Y at present The citi-
zens' ticket has large number of sup
earnest and determined not to abide by
the result of the primary. The advo-
Gates OF the primary have got-what ?
They have got the party organization
and the party workers.; the who
carry elections in AShcville. Let the
men who were most enthusiastic t the
meeting last night consider whether vic
tory oftenest goes with hall enthusiasm
or with the party worker on the street
What ought to be done? The Demo
cratic executive committee ought to
withdra the primary in the interests
of he Democratic party; in the interests
of harmony the party will need later il
it does not need it now;in the interests o1
Ashevile for which we are all working
in this contest. 1t ought to withdra W
the primary in the interests of the Demo
cratic party, because there is rea
necessity of dividing che members of thai
party. 1t ought to withdraw the pri
mary in the interests OF harmony, be
cause. harmony. is Il good thing to per
petuate and keep alive and add to; 1T Is
handy, Moreover, in State elections. Ii
ought to withdraw the primary in the
interests of AshevilIe. because to with
draw it means the naming of one ticket
that will surely be elected and which
will meet all the necessities of the case
In other words. the political situation
has become unfortunately tangled ano
must be Strengthened while there is tim<
to do SO and while there is still a chanct
to unite all citizens for the general good
Let have ne>, deal all around
Withdraw the primary; withdraw al
tickets. Let the committee appointcC
last night by the mass meeting consult
with the Democratic executive committee
and make up ticket to be submitted tc
the citizens in some hall large enough to
be really representative OF every interest
class and trade in the city Let us have
one ticket that all can vote for.
We plead for harmony, for a prosper
Gus Asheville and success.