The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-03-28
THEY MUST Do It
Opponents of Ross Forced to
Use Mud and Abuse.
HAVE NO OTHER ANSWERS
What They Do Not Even At
tempt to Reply To-

The people are coming to a realization,
-.s the election approaches, that to turn
the city over to a government of impulse
and cratic experiments would be the
gravest mistake.
Wichita is q big corporation and its gov
ernment needs business experience, and
untiring care and watchfulness.
That it has had for the last two years,
and when the citizens seek to continue it
they are met by political yell containing
abuse, ridicue and denunciation. There
are 5000 people in Wichita, all vitally in
terested in anything which may add to
the prosperity of the city, which may in
crease the price of their real estate the
strength of their trade or the size Of their
wage. And these are all intermingled.
Realty values, business and wage will ad-
vance together. They viii not advance
singly.
A child can see this, but the opposition
to Mayor Ross pretends not to see it.
The New York, Chicago and Kansas City
papers, under black headlines, are print
ing long interviews with Mayor Ross OPP
ponent in which, under glittering gener-
,alities, without a single practical plan, he
sets forth what ne will do.
But that does not offset what Mayor
Ross has done. SO the only way the op-
position is meeting it is by mud and ridi-
Guile
In answer to the splendid achievement
whereby Mayor Ross saved nearly 5000
on lights, they throw mud.
In answer to the assertion that he has
gained s12,S0 in forfeits to the city. they
throw mud. They say that the 50, 900 for
l1eit OF the bond company was through a
certmed check, which was protested. A
certified check is as good as cash the
word over, and the money has been cred
tied over to the city, subject to appro-
priating ordinance by the council. But they
seek to show otherwise, and throw mud.
In answer to the fact that $1,000 has been
saved on refunding bonds, they throw
mud.
In answer to the fact that one hundred
and twenty thousand dollars in debt has
been wiped out, they throw mud.
In answer to the fact that Wichita
streets are cleaner than they ever were,
that twenty miles Of permanent sidewalks
have been built, that parks have been
established, giving Wichita a greater
chance for Chautauqua assemblies and
other open air state meetings; that Little
river has been changed from a series of
stagnant pools to the best boating lake in
the west and a fine ice field in winter,
reducing the price Of ice; the fact that
Wichita has been made more metropoli-
tan, more attractive to outsiders; the fact
that Wichita has gained close on to 4, 900
inhabitants; in answer to these facts, the
opposition throws mud
In answer to the fact that ownership of
the north dam has been settled in favor
of the city and a saving of s., 200 a year on
this item made, with the advantage in
flushing the sewers; in answer to these
facts. they throw mud.
But mud convinces no one who thinks
Sor himself. as the opposition viii learn
Mayor Ross has made a splendid mayor
The very men who now, for political rea-
sons, are fighting him, have said so re-
peatedly in the past.
But a campaign having arrived, II
seems necessity to some to begin to be-
smirch and belittle and ridicule That
sort Of a campaign may mislead a few
people, but it Will not win.
Meanwhile the mud throwing. extrava-
CANT on the street toned down as near as
possible to innuendos, hints and dema-
gogic plays or prejudice in print, con-
tinues.
But you find nowhere one line against
the honesty Of Mayor Ross. against his
capability, and nowhere do you hear the
chsrge-even on the street corner of du-
plicity. He has been square. He has
been capable. He has been honest I'm
der him the city has improved and pros
pered. The demands of a political cam
paign make it necessary that he be abused
Hike horsethief. and the opposition is do
ine it