The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-02-05

fc~A-o
takes here. Sometimes they are
directly due to the failure of the mass of
the people to participate in the selections,
thus allowing a few, who may and often
do have private and personal interest
which does not run along the same line
rs the public interest, to decide who the
candidates shall be. The ma
jority OF tho mistakes perhaps
have this explanation. But there
are some that are due to wrong es-
Inmates of men. The first can be avoided
by general attendance at the caucuses.
The second by selecting, whenever possi-
BILE, men who have proved their fitness for
the position to be filed by actual trial.
When corporation wants man to
manage its affairs it looks for one who
has already demonstrated his ability and
fitness, and if it finds him it gives him
the preference over the untried man.
There is no reason why we should not
apply the same rule as far forth as posi-
BILE to out municipal affairs Indeed
there is every reason why we should. We
are after man now to be the head OF our
municipal government, to administer the
affairs of the whole people for the COM
ing year. Everybody says we want for
that office a man of good character,
man of ability, a man Of breadth, a man
who has something at stake and to whom
it makes difference whether our affairs
are well or i'll managed, man who Is
progressive, man who believes in the
future of Portland, who is public spirit
ed, who has foresight to see what is need
ed for the future growth and prosperity of
the city and the energy and the skill and
the time to carry out what he conceives
to be necessary for the attainment of
these things. 1t lies in our power to
nominate man who has demonstrated
that he has all these qualifications. We
need not take a step in the dark, unless
we wish to. The Hon. James p
Baxter, during the three years which
he has occupied the Mayors chair has
proved himself far more than ordinarily
competent chief magistrate He brought
to the office aptitude for, and experience
in. business affairs which the oity has got
the benefit of without money and with
out price, His mind has constantly
been on the alert to discover and adopt
better business methods in the manage
ment of our city affairs The street de-
of politics and at every election stencil
in the nostrils of all respectable men, has
been taken out OF the slough and estab-
lished on a business basis. Merit
has been made the condition of
the selection of the employees of this
department., and political pulls'' have
ceased to be availing. To our school
course, almost entirely through his
efforts, manual training, which is PROV
ing of SO much benefit to the rising gen.
Grafton, has be ell added. Our fire de-
nartment has bsen brought to high
state of efficiency, and the long neele&ed
water front has now adequate protection.
A high school building, one of the finest
in the country, and the pride of every
citizen of Portland, has been built But
the Mayor has not been content with
meeting Portland's present needs Pro-
NoO%A
identifying the city and making it one
of the most attractive municipalities on
the Atlantic sea board have occupied the
Mayors mind and have already taken
tangible form. We are all familiar with
his scheme for. improving the shores of
Back Bay and making the quarter of the
city adjacent to that water, both on the
Portland and the Deering side, far more
attractive and far more valuable to its
owners than it is today At the same
time while Nj. Baxter is public spirited
and progressive, while his mind
is filed with plans to promo to
the future welfare of Portland
he is conservative enough to avoid
extravaganza and recklessness. His
large property interests would render
him so, if he were not so by nature. He
combines progressivness with prudence.
His belief in the future Of the city and
his complete Identification with its in
terests are shown by his private invest
ments here which are great and
have done perhaps more than those of
any other individual living to build up
and beautify the town.
Having man of this stamp in the
Mayors chair, man of tried ability, of
experience, of wide business knowledge,
of great public spirit, does not every oon-
sideration of good policy demand that we
keep him there? We cannot see how
| anything hut an affirmative answer is
possible except on the assumption that
! we prefer uncertain to certain things
prefer all untried man to one who has
| beeu tried and not found wanting.
eTArE TOpICc ne INTEpEcr