Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-05


city They could not spare the money
that they would have to spend WON
workers" SO. too, with the Fire GIN
mssloners. II Is enough 10 ask that
citizen will give his services upon these
boards without imposing upon MN 'ne
labor Of seeking election by personal
canvass OF the voters OF the city
BEFORE the organization OF the Fire
Board the duties now discharged py II
were discharged by Council con'h'''ce
That we have a better department now
than we rad then cannot be saihsa'u'
What is moro. II is more ecohomicdsIS
conducted now than 1t was theh' NJ
sooner had the board come into owce IMAM
II hogan 10 make purchases OF engines
horses fed etc. at much lower prices
than had been paid by the committee IL
vas able to DO all this because u hau
IN, mower TO conduct the business or 'he
department on business principles s'rlc'-
~ Men with pulls" found that the
pulls" wouldn't work on the board YET
hero Is proposition 10 reward the boird 5
raithfulress by abolishing ii. 1t has done
its duty 100 we'll 'i+S - '|''~'''
shed by removal! How absurd!
No more dangerous propositions were
eyer advanced for the consideration OF our
voters. Never has il been alleged thd'
either one OF these boards has been DE-
hDauent. or unfai,hful. or unsuccessful
IN the performance Of its duties. Never
has Il been said that any other city has
a better system or better commissioners
Strange that under such circumstances
mr. people will consent even to listen 10
proposition for change.
We beg our voters not 10 be led astray
ON Tuesday next. IL will be weil-nlSh
inopossille TO counteract the mischief that
will be done If our voters declare In favor
Of these amendments. In that event we
shall find that all Of our delegates Will
feel I'm honor bound to support ihem' ana
The country members Of the Legislature
wUI not be easily persuaded 10 vote
counter 10 the wishes Of our city dele
rat.s on matters of purely local concern
Clearly the work In hand for our voters
20 do is 10 go to the polls ana scrutihiZe
with the utmost care every single one OF
the proposed amendments. Scarcely less
important than those amendments refer
ing to the two boards is that one REFER
ring to the City Engineer. The duties Of
this officer are delicate and difficult, and
they cannot be performed as they should
be If at every step that he takes he Is
forced to consider whether he is going
TO make or lose vote. II would be a
public calamity to make the office OF En-
cineer a political Office. Not a city in this
country that we Know of elects its Engi-
neer by the direct vote Of the people.
And by the way. though we pray that
The day may never come when a Demo
cratic nomination is not equivalent to an
ii elton, we cannot be sure that that mis-
fortune will never befail us. Then We
should have the Jackeon-Ward blacks
coming up to the polls to decide for US
which Of the candidates before the people
would make the best City Engineer. Are
our people to invite any such fate as
this? Heaven forbid Certainly not. unless
they throw aside that sound judgment
which has carried them triumphantly over
so many perils and given them name
far and wide for sober sense and wise
conservatism.
Tuesday next Will tell the tale.