The Portland daily press., 1898-03-01
THE MAYORALTY.

There ara only two candidates for Mayor
who have any chance of SUCCESS. The
next chief magistrate is to be the Hon.
Charles II. Randall or the Hon. Darius
Fl. Ingraham. Citizens must vote for
one or the other or vote in the air. This
being 50 it becomes necessary for voters
to choose between them, and to choose
Wisely, it is essential for them 10 con-
slider the character of the parties whose
candidates they are, and their own records
Fortunately both have occupied the
Mayors chair SO that it is not necessary
to guess what kind Of Mayor either of
them Will make. We know what kind
of u Mayor each of them has made. Mr.
Ingraham became Mayor through the
help of Republican voters who for vari-
GUS reasons wanted, or thought they
wanted, o change. He had both boards of
the city council in political sympathy
with him, so that he was not hampered
by a hostile Board Of Aldermen or hos
tile Common Council. He was unfet-
tered except SO far as his own party fet-
tered him. His administration is so
recent and its details are SO fresh in the
public mind that it is unnecessary to con-
slider its acts in detail. 1t was controlled,
as every Democratic administration is
likely to be, by the worst elements Of
the party. 1t catered to them almost ex-
clusively-not perhaps because Mr.. In
graham wanted to, but because he did not
have the strength and determination to
resist them. The kind of men it brought
to the front was clearly shown by the
Matching of the plot to continue him in
office. by means of ballot box stuffing and
false counting. At the close of his adj
ministration Ingrahamism had become
synonym for inefficient government,
and the people repudicated 1t at
the polls. 1t win be said in
defence of Mr.. Ingraham, that he was not
participator in the corrupt practices at
the ballot box at the close of his term by
which it was attempted to continue him
| in the Mayors chair, and that is true.
| 1t is true, nevertheless, that he cannot
| wash his hands Of all responsibility for
that black page in the oity's history. A
word from him would have Dipped in the
bud the preparation for the miscount
in ward one, and determined refusal on
his part to accept the Mayoralty VIXEN the
evidence of corruption first made Its
appearance would have completely dis
comstted the rascals that comm we'd at the
fraudulent count. He was guilty of
weakness, and weakness in chief magis-
trate frequently works as much mischief
as downright corruption. All these facts
are kept carefully concealed by his sup
porters now. The Ward one episode is
| ignored, and an attempt is made to Offset
ell his short comings by pointing out
| that the tax rate of his administrat ion
| was a trife lower than it has been since.
| The slight reduction of tax rate means
simply that there happened to be no call
for large extraordinary expenditures
during his administration. It was simply
a piece of good luck, for which he deserves
not particle of credit. 1t was not due
to his prudence or. economy or skilful
fnanciering
Now five years later the citizens OF
Portland are asked to. ignore the record OF
Mr. Ingraham's administration and to
elect him again to the chief magistracy
in preference to "a man who has served
thescity faithfully and diligently, against
whom no charges Of any sort are made,
who has SO skiilfully managed the finan-
oes as to keep the tax rate down to a low
figure in the face Of very large extraordi'
nary expenditures which could not be
avoided, who has guarded carefully all
the city's rights, who is closely identified
with the business interests of the city and
who has behind him the Republican party
which has always taken the lead In al
movements for the upbuilding of the city
and. the extension of its prosperity and in
| fuenoe.
The answer which the people Will give
to this cool request on the seventh OF
March will be very decided and en-
phatic no.