Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-05-22
AN ERROR REcTIFIED.

BY A unanimous vote this morning
the City Commissioners rescinded
their ill-advised action of last Satur-
day in granting the Central Union
= Telephone company the right to con-
duit it wires.
This manly determination of the
Board to rectify mistake is praise
worthy and will certainly receive the
approval of the citizens.
The act would have been even
more commendable, however, had
the Board omitted its feeble attempt
at justification of the action of last
Saturday by the claim that it re-
solved to grant the Central Union
company the concession named at
the request of some of the ''most
active members of the Citizens
Committee.
This statement was certainly mis-
leading. 1t has been part of the
plan of the local telephone monopoly
to have the people believe that the
Citizens Committee is divided
against itself, and that is not COM
petent to represent either the wishes
or the interests of the telephone
users.
For instance, one week ago the
paid organ of the telephone monop-
oily published an interview with an
Akron attorney, who recently visited
the Commissioners in behalf of the
Central Union company, in which
the attorney declared that he had
resigned from the Citizens Commit
tee because of its ''unfairness;" that
he did not favor competition and
believed the local company's monop-
oily should be continued.
The facts are that the attorney
named was never a member of the
Citizens Committee, could not,
therefore, resign from the Com
mittee, and that his visit to the Com
missioners was as the attorney for
the Central Union company.
1t is all very well for the paid
agents of the local telephone monop-
oily to attempt by sneers and misre-
presentation to prejudice the people
against the Citizens Committee, or
to grossly impugn the motives of the
reputable members of that COM
mittee in their worthy struggle for
better conditions in behalf of the
city's telephone users, but the Board
of City Commissioners should not be
engaged in such small business.
The action of the Commissioners
today was well taken, but it should
not have been couched in terms that
make it little else than an affront to
the honorable citizens at whose re-
quest the action of last Satur-
day was rescinded. The Com
missioners should learn to yield
Ito public sentiment less reluctantly.
They should learn to grant to the
people what is only the peoples
rights, without resentment.
land you can bet that there will
never be another set of City Com
missioners appointed" says Senator
Alexander. 1.-The law will be wiped
out at the next SESSION of the Legis-
lature and the ground creased on
which they stand"
When no less parsonage than the
creator of the absolute monarchy to
which Akron people have submitted
under protest for the last six years,
threatens to annihilate the dynasty
maintained by George the Foxey,
there are trOublous times ahead. The
throne of Akron's four kings is tot
tering. There will be rejoicing among
the people when it falls.
COMMISSIONER CRISP'S selfish
attempt to GUST Mr.. J. J. Mahoney
from his position as paving inspector
because that official is candidate
for the Republican City Commits
sioner appointment, was defeated,
as it deserved, by the votes of Messrs.
Paige and McGarry, this morning
Mr.. Crisp has not improved his own
chances for the appointment by his
narrow-minded opposition to Mr..
Mahoney.
For the first year that Akron's City
Commissioner system was in effect,
Akron's general expenses increased