Evening journal., 1897-03-29
MONDAY. MARCH 20, 1897.
A CLEAR CASE OF MossBAcK.

Every city and town has its conserva-
tive element, and it is q benefit. But
there is an ultra-conseryative element
in every community which is harmful.
Several of our towns down the state are
suffering from such ultra conservatism,
and it is time that the progressive citi-
zens ridded themselves Of the bad in
huences Of men who are opposed TO
every forward step in the matter of mu-
nicipal development and prosperity.
Just now the town O., Laurel is agi-
tated over the matter Of water-worls
If there is a place on Gods green foot
stool which needs an abundant supply
of water for public purposes and we'll
equipped volunteer fire department II
is the pretty little metropolis of ,hat
id little corner of Sussex" which
ex-senator Higgins described so pa
theticaily four years ago. 1t is frame
town. The only building in Il which Is
not built Of wood is the railroad sta
tion, and II is isolated. Most Of the
dwelllng-houses are beautiful modern
cottages, many of them costing thou
sands of dollars, and yet The only avail
able means of fighting conhagration is
by pump and bucket. II fire were to
get headway in the town it would he
wiped out, just as Dslmar and other
Peninsula towns, which were too con-
servative, were wiped cut A water
plant would not only afford security to
life and property, but it would also re-
duce the insurance premiums, so that
the people of the town would be doubly
benefited. Further than that, an ade-
quate fire-fghting equipment would in
duce persons to locate thcre who would
otherwise be deferred from doing so be-
cause they are aversc to risking their
fortunes and paying excessive insurance
premiums. But the i've
element in the town Ia fighting the
project. 1t would rather burn up than
take a step in the right direction. i he
bill now at Dover submits the question
to the people OF the town, but the ultra
conserN atives would prevent The peo-
pie from voting upon the question be-
cause they know that fully three.
fourths of the people are in favor oi
putting in the plant. IL would bC
shameful for the General Assembly tc
disregard the expressed wish of the
large majority and pay heed to the wish
of the small minority.
Two years ago the people Of Seat .rd
wanted a similar opportunity 10 oX-
press their will upon the question oi
water-works. but they were defeated by
two or three men who knew more about
legislative lobbying than municipal pre-
gress.
But by far the clearest case of moss
back comes from Lewes. In the Della
ware Pilot is a letter Of protest against
the putting in Of electric lights ant
sewers. We give the following extrac
from it as a fair sample of what stands
between the towns os our state and tina
progress and prosperity which natur
ally belongs to them
viii you please give an old timer
chance to say a word in your valuabl
paper about these new ideas some peo
pie would have us believe? Electrl
lights and sewerage and dear knoN
what all What DO we want thes
things for? Those people say the
want TO have the streets better lighte
at night just as If they were not goo
enough lighted nov. Perhaps thes
people had better stay at home a
nights if the good oil coal oil lamp
amt good enough for them Coal o
lamps have been good enough for
good many years, and why should the
not be good enough now? What d
they want more light tor2 Amt on
streets paved just as good as can be
Amt our sidewalks as even as floor
Then to put these new tangled lights
the houses, why Mr.. Editor, peop
won be able to sleep nights when the
can't have the sweet smelling incen
of our good old coal oil lamps. VIII
do we want to have sewers run ov
the town for?Just because some peop
have huilt fine houses with their mo-
ern conveniences' they want to NAL
us put in sewers for their convenienC
This may be thu pea Of a mossba'
or merely a sarcastic fling at the mos
backs, but it is a fairly good outline
the mossback ideas which prevail al
prevent public Improvements in ma
of our towns.