Arizona republican., 1903-02-19
The Business rlan in City Politics.

Although the disinclination of men of affairs to accept municipal office is one of the chief difficulties in the way of lifting American town govern ment above the plane of corrupt ward ? politics. the reasons why the average business man refuses to be a candidate for mayor or councilman are obvious When a citizen of standing is request ed to head city ticket he knows that not only is he asked to undertake an rnrenunerative and thankless re- sponsibility. but must, if he accepts, run the gauntlet of a campaign Of per sonal abuse and thereafter, if electet:, must expect to be covered with all the mud at the command of political heel CTS every time his official acts fail to square with the demands Of selfish in terests.
 For example note the treatment to which Mayor Talbot of Phoenix is just now subjected. MT. Talbot, much against his will, was prevailed upon two years ago to stand as a candidate for mayor His candidacy was insisted upon, because he was not only a rep rcsentative business man, but in ofii- oial position had already demonstrated that he was well balanced, had good executive ability, and was progress sive citizen of unquesticnable inteS- rity. He was elected. and has been . model mayor. so far as the very limited powers enabled him to be a mayor. Citizens in general are thoroughly sat isGed with his administration. But he has not been a good mayor for graft CTS, and in protecting the public in teTests he has been forced to sec his own business suffer-tllis, in fact, being the experience Of every business man who serves as an upright public officer.
 A week or two ago, Mayor Talbot saw fit to support q movement fer legislation affecting the registration Of voters in Phoenix. For his action in the premises he was cCarscIy beratcd by one Of the city papers. A day or two ago, that paper and other pub!i- cations submitted bids for the city printing. Some of the bids being at starvation figures, the paper alluded to was awarded the contract by the vote of the mayor, notwithstanding g the abuse to which he had been treated previously by the same publi- cation. Thereupon, another paper, de- +oI F; J and islander the mayor and hold him up as a traitor to the public interests. And so it goes. Next week, perhaps, another struggling organ, finding Mayor Talbot unready to serve it's selfish interests, will deluge him with the refined criticism for which some of the Phoenix newspapers are noto- ricus.
 Puny and intellectual as all such attacks are when made against a faithful servant they are effective in dcterring the everyday business man from mixing in municipal politics. And that is one of the great reasons why most of our cities and towns are in the iiAAie.H oi piOISSSiOIlol IOIlllNIdIlS- otIlN why the city treasury usually is at tho mercy of heelers and grafter3.
 In these columns yesterday We hac something to say in reference to tn, control of cities by corrupt bosses. an, pointed out the practical i:npossibli;, of dislodging bossism and securing protection for taxpayers SO long a: municipal campaigns are conducte, upon strictly partisan lines. But an! movement for non-partisan city gov ernment always encounters the diff culty here discussed-business an, professional men, however public spir ited, hesitate to subject themselves t, the stings and bites of every insec produced by the pool of filthy politics And this hesitation can be overcorn only by a resolute determination of al good citizens to stand by their official and uphold them in the performance of duty.
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 The Immig ration Commissioner.