The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-02-26

Obliged - correct or errors IN governnent
in constitutional way
Nov al good citizens Of all parties are
agreed that municipal reform - neces-
sary: they are agreed that upright and
compe.ens men are necessary to admins
Ter the machinery Of government: they
are agreed that the machinery Itself needs
reczsfing. The election of upright and
competent engineers IL Is possible 70
seaisvs .; once: the rseassing OF the
machinery Of administration 50 that sn
able and upright mayor can exercise the
power Of appointment without nullifics-
ton BY . wrsngiIng municipal Legislature
cannot Be at once accomplished. SIS
fair 10 say, then, that ge believe that the
best we can do today IL 70 elect en- upright
and competent administration. So far we
believe the honest men Of all parties.
Populist. Democratic, Prohibitionist. Re-
publican and Citizens, are agreed.
Now how shall! this be accomplished We
cannot see how IL can be accomplished By
voting the Popuiist ticket There il not
the slightest reason for believing that an
honest man who votes the Populist ticket
will do other than throw away bis vote or
fire In the air. There Is no sense in run
ming Prohibitionist ticket. for prohibi-
ton Is not principle: II il only method
or means TO desirable end tina. has been
tried and found wanting. and stands to-
day totally discredited in the states that
have tried il, like Maine. Vermont, Iowa
and Kansas. DR.. Weed was right when he
told his party the other night that munich
pal reform was certainly more practical
and overpovering present issue than
sounding the slogan of prohibition. There
remain. therefore, only three parties to bs
considered s. practical organizations for
municipal reform-the Democratic party,
the Republican party and the Citizens
party.
A Citizens League as an organization
composed Of men of all parties who desire
TO force tue nomination of a good ticket 10
one thing; Citizens party that without
waiting for the nominations of either the
Democratic or Republican parties places q
crazy-quilt ticket in the field 1t quite an
other thing. The Republican party be-
lieves in municipal reform within its own
lines, and has attested its sincerity by the
excellent quality of the nominations it
made on Saturday last. If the Democratic
party makes equally as good nominations
then Ii is certain that we shall have party
responsibility for the administration Of
city affairs. 1t will be party admins
tration, and because il is party admins
trstion 1t IL under the strongest induce
ment to be an excellent bus iness admin
istration. for failure to give Seat.
tie good municipal government
would make or break either
of the political parties throughout the
state. A Citizens ticket 10 only necessary
when neither political party will rise to
the level Of the situation and nominate
clean ticket. That situation does not
exist; there is no excuse for any Repub-
lican leaving his party when his party
dominates clean ticket, and perforce the
Citizens ticket must fail, or If ii succeeds
IL is under no party stress to enforce
sound administration.
A Citizens party serves generally to d.
vide the municipal reform sentiment of
the community; II Is assiduously cult
waited by the enemies Of good government
for that very purpose; they hope to divide
the reform vote and thus defeat the desire
of the community.