Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-08-29

general thieving, which | presume we
nave learned from being 10 such close
contact with our neighbora nm there in
Pennsy lvaIiiu, where thoae things have
been going on for so many years and
which have gone unpublished, demands
investigation, 1t leads uH to believe
that perhaps come Of the PEOPLE who
have gotten into office here think that
they can continue In that way aud
bring about the same state Of affairs.
ut is with pleasure that | see so
many citizens present this evening,
starting as this movement did from n
very small effort. | came down here
to listen and lind out how this organi.
zstion OF citizens intended to carry on
this work. IL they are going to do i
in the right wny | would gladly give
my support. IL | thought they were
going to start ont In tho manner which
l thought would end In fiasoo. do
not want to Ee concerned in it.
II have not given it very deep study,
but this matter hos gone roaming
through my mind and | have some
definite ideas Of what an organization
of this kind should do. First this
organization must be eliminated from
politics. Tho Democratic League de-
serves tho thanks of the community for
having so promptly and voluntarily
offered its rooms for the use of the
citizens in order to hold such meet
ing. But in thanking them for that, /
think that the meetings in the future
should be held in some rooms
altogether disassociated from any
political organization.
Now let me impress upon you the
first thina In my mind. You are going
10 need monoy. How will you raise
this money? 1t is question for the
executive committee, which shuuld te
appointed by this organization, to
devise means for that purpose. In
addition to that, what are the obiects
this organization will attain? Let US
refer briefly to our municipal affairs.
We nre governed by commissions. COM
missions, the citizens will remember.
are the result OF legislation. following
tho same sort Ct retty corruption We
had in our Council at that time.
Government by commissions is IN
democratic, and the commissions have
outliyed their usefulness. We have
various departments. independent OF
each other, which are nagping at each
other, throwing obstacles, like little
schoolboys in each others way. We
are having the Water Department
raising money hero and spending it as
they will. | think the Water Com
mission has been ably managed, and |
think We have gotten full return for
what we haye given. have nothing
tosay about the Park Commission. but
think our Street and Sewer Depart
ment has detericrated from the time it
was organized. The representatives of
the people elected into Council are
absolutely shorn OF all power Now
that brings me 10 one conclusion,
which is individually in my mind, no
far as our city government il concerned.
We must put into the hands Of the
people the right to say who shall govern
them, and that means what few very
unse,iish citizens of this community
have been struggling for and agitating
for the past six or eight years. That
is, we must have "a now city charter.
Now 10 government, whether IL be
municipal, State or national can DO
made good by mere law. 1t makes no
difference, no law or charter was ever
conceived ny human brains- which will
make q government good unless the
agents carry into execution. What
want TO impress upon You 10 this: in
such City Charter, we must have,
this is my individual opinion, the
election of mayor, who shall be the
real head of the city government, and
who shall have In tho form OF cabi-
net, or these heads of departments.
nlsn above reproach and who are
businesslike. which will make the
mayor absolutely responsible for good
government Of the CITY, You will say
We will have the same trouble We have
had in the past Web, IL you citizens
sit down, we may, but il you hre active
aud glert we will have better govern.
mont. This is where your permanent
citizens organization does it's work.
Every man has an interest, even though
heAis not u property owner. We pay
taxes even il we do not own house.
A man has to pay tax IL he Ia u tenant
or boarder, for the landlord raises
the reut aud it fails upon tue teuant in
some proposition. Therefore, if you will
put up good men for office you will
know what sort of government you will
get.
81 have just returned from a short
vacation trip to Buffalo and visited
Cleveland, o. They have mayor there
who may have some ideas with which
we do not all agree, but he has one
purpose out there, and he is doing all
in his power for the benefit of the city
OF Cleveland. The mayor is Tom John
son, and he Ii Kidding out corruption
He is giving all to the citizens that
they are entitled 10. There they have
an organization which started modestly
and worked in small way for years,
hut il had the aid OF the son OF ex-
President Garfield and men of that
class. People said Garfield wanted
some office, but, he and his associates
went right ahead. Notwithstanding
their criticism, and endeavored to
secure good candidates. At first they
made little impression, hut now, 10 the
course OF six or eight years, they have
the absolute confidence of that COM
munlty and now control 12,000 votes
and bold the balance Of power, and an
result they make the political parties
gut up good men for office.
Municipal elections are for the
election of agents who should conduct
our government just as they would
conduct their own business or COURSE,
political parties will continue to exist,
but we want those parties to put up
good men and spend the money en-
trusted to them the same as their own
Ia their own business. Now you cannot
do anything 50 far az such au oigani-
zation is concerned with our city
| affairs. until the Legislature meets and
that is nearly two years hence, but
good preliminary work can be done.
Coming to county affairs; | will
make few remarks about that matter.
My idea has gone this far: That citi-