Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-07-12

~esN"~Nt5t
which we print to-day, is rather a new
departure in this municipality, though
it ia customary IA many other cities for
the chief magistrate to thus commune
cate to the Council and to the citizens,
at the beginning of new fiscal year,
his views of what has been commend
able OF censurable in the administration
of the affairs of the city during the pre-
ceding twelve months and his recon.
meDdations of what is advisable, accord
ing to his judgment, observation and ex.
perience, for the coming year. The
precedent, in itself, is eminently proper
and practical and we cheerfully accord
Mayor Shortlidge due credit for q
wholesome innovation.
But setting this example is about all
that we can find to say in favor of the
mayors production. The message itself
is written from an ultra partisan stand
point, is marred by inconsistencies and
exaggerations, and is peryaded all
through by megacephalism which re.
calls an experience of Rudyard Kipling
in San Francisco. 1t was in front of a
store where workmen were placing in
position mammoth hat, some five feet
across the crown, to serve as sign. In
quiring for whose head this huge hat
was built, the novelist was informed
that it was designed to represent the
size that Rudyard Kipling thought he
wore.
The message opens with an inexcusa-
Bile exaggeration in the statement that
one-half of the capital and one half Of the
working population of the city are idle.
1t would certainly be appalling if this
were even approximately true, and, as
il is, SO reckless an assertion in an Off
cial paper is bound to convey wrong
and misleading impression, possibly
prejudicial to the business and indus
trial interests OF our city, in other com
munities. Even in the darkest days
of the paralyzing panic of 1887, when
the unemployed were nightly hesicging
the City Hall meetings to press upon
Council such action as would enable
them to WELD the pick and shovel on
the projected excavations for the then
prospective Cool Spring reservoir, we
do not imagine that the situation APP
preached the extravagant estimate the
mayor has given. When we read Of
Springer heir, in some distant State,
credulous enough to believe himself en-
titled to share in a 100000, 900 claim
against a $35,000,000 city, We can we'll
indulge in smile over his gullibility,
but it will be another matter when out
siders point to the unprecedented in
'dnstrial and commercial prostration of
our city and cite the utterance of the
eity's mayor as authority.
Apart from this Introductory, the mes
sage is chiefly devoted to jeremiade on
the subject of the city commissions. The
mayor laments that the commissions
have been built up on the ruins of local
self-goyernment, and that "the power
thus wrongfully taken from the citizens
OF Wilmington has been pcrsistently
and VIGOROUSLY abused in every instance
where appointment to office has accom-
panied the change of system" though
conceding that there were ostensiblc
reasons which led many good men in
this city " to press upon the Legislature
the creation of the Water and Street
commissions Yet he admits that the
commissions have done excellent work
and that under them Wilmington has
made true progress"
1t is sufficient to say in reply that the
wisdom of the legislation by which the
people of Wilmington, through tho
Legislature, elected to place the con-
troll over and management of various
departments of the city government IN
= the hands of these commissions, has
been amply justified by the results
thereby accomplished. BY so doing
they have secured to these departments
a stability and continuity unattainable
under the old Council committee sys-
tenn, with its liability to annual up
heavals and changes, which every
one knows was as unsatisfactory in
W il, workings as the commissions have
in proved satisfactory and successful. As
tito the Police Commission, it made a
~ bad start, it is true, and in the reorgani.
,r zation that the original makeup Of this
le body made imperatively necessary, the
n mayor of the city was, we think wrong.
fully excluded from membership, but
! we do not find in the message before u:
anything calculated to convert others tc
our way Of thinking on this point But
the reasons that underlie the placing Of
the police force under the management
of body theoretically able and legally
required to make police service and
preferment the reward of merit and moi
the football of municipal politics need
no defence at our hands.
The mayors suggestion that ian i'm.
proYement upon the present system OF
divided and independent accounts
would be conversion OF all the reYe.
MUGS Of the Street aud Sewer ANA oil
The Water Commissions into the city
treasury, while to your honorable body
(the CounciD should be given the power
Of appropriating annually the moneys
required for the management of these
two departments" is unfortunately
timed, with the example, in so recen
memory, of the Councils misappropria,
ton Of the $4,000 Of street and sewer
money unluckily left within the physi.
cal, though not within the legal reach
of that body. Most of our people vii
be duly thankful that no more depart