The Portland daily press., 1896-02-28

WOru lor itny onep OF anyGn1ng, pue "a
ways have fault to find with ey eryth1ng
a public official does, and who always
find selfish purpose in every kind act;
or generous deed, and declare all such
are done for some personal ends. It's
just the same In state and city affairs
with many Of us. We choose in caucus
the man who we believe will serve us in
a satisfactory manner. We pat them on
the back and make them believe that
they are just the ones for the position.
We hurrah, and yell ourselves hoarse,
paint hideous portraits of them on our
campaign banners, and then, as if this
was not enough, we elect them and thon
what? We stand off and watch for the
first move and then the trouble begins
Now | would like to ask every fair mind
ed, honest resident of this good city OF
Deering, who will let his better judgment
stand for moro than political preference,
just stop and consider the great improve
ments that have followed the adopting of
city charter, and answer if it has not
been complete success. Just recall the
old town system Cor lack of system)
with its town meetings at Brighton Cor
her, the weary tramp through sloughs
that would haved filled old John Bunyan
with dismay, then think of the wranglas,
struggles and cheap talk second only in
confusion to a modern poultry show.
And think Of the old market graden style
OF engineering on our roads when the
rocks were all put into stone walls and
the loan into the roads, Also remem-
ber when every back yard was access
pool hnd every. we'll containing about
half and half, of water and typhoid bac-
terra and the side walk Was in the mid
die of the road. Now the truth is, We
have made very rapid advance in the
last four years. More than in a quarter
of century before. and what has done it
was the shaking off the shackles of that
old style town government, and waking
up to the fact that we are capable Of be-
ing a oity like other places Of equal popu-
lation.
Now I want to say right here that
have no private axe to grind, neither AM
| working in the interest of any partiou-
lar person. But l believe we should use
the same judgment in public matters
that we do in private business, and when
We find man specially fitted for the
place we have got him in, that we
should keep him. But let us keep our
eyes on him just the same, experience is
worth something in every place. Some
folks think that this don't apply to city
affairs. | want to say In Justice to the
men we have had in office. since we have
been a city, that believe they have done
the best they could, and as man should
lie known by his works, / think we
must say they have done splendidly for
us and with credit to themselves. The
improved conditions at every hand, stand
In evidence for them, and taxes are as
low as under the old town methods,
when all we got for our taxes was the air
we breathed.
Now as neighbors, citizens and friends,
let us consider if it is not our duty to let
our officers know that we regard their
labors in our behalf as having been per-
formed to our satisfaction, and extend
to our present mayor another year as the
head of our city. We have city treasur-
er that can't be beat, and city auditor
of undoubted ability, and the only ad-
verse criticism I have heard Of Street
Commissioner Walker. is that he did not
use his place as a political machine, but
hired good men, even if they were Demo-
Gratis, and of our oity treasurer that he
collected the taxes instead of letting them
remain unpaid. Now that we can judge
by the results, let us be fair and reason
able, and keep these men in, and let us
stop this dangerous scramble for the
offices without the least regard to fitness
for the position. I was very glad TO see
an increase in the appropriations for the
Police department.. They certainly need
and deserve it, for in no place on earth,
does policeman have so many square
acres Of beat as in Dec ing, and, as If
not satisfied with that we have lately tax
en- in large part of Westbrook and have
it on exhibition at the Deering
CITY hall.
Now let's be satisfied and give our can
didates our hearty support.
i. II. THOMPSON.
February ~, 1885,