The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-02-06
THE VOTERS LEAGUE.

Is the Municipal Voters league of
Minneapolis going to be an independ-
ent force in the politics of this city,
or is it going to be Il band of pro-
motors for the silk stocking element
OF the Republican party? If the for
NOR, it will be powerful factor for
better municipal government, but If
the latter, it will result in aiding men
into the city council who cannot get
there under present conditions. If the
league is to succeed. those who are re-
sponsible for its actions must learn
that politics cannot be run on a Sun
day school plan. They must learn, if
they do not already know it, that the
average voter has no use for a pro-
fessional reformer The professional
reformer is Il citizen with II am
holier than thou" look. Such men
never appeal to the ordinary man.
And, indeed, such men in positions of
public trust are usually rank failures.
An inefficient official is as dangerous
as dishonest one. What we want in
the city council are shrewd, capable
men of affairs. But deliver us from
incapable reformers. An honest block
head in the city council is worse than
Il shrewd thief in that position. Peo-
pie watch the latter and are ever on
their guard; the former they trust,
while he becomes the easy plant tool
of those who have schemes to put
through. A good alderman should
have two attributes, brains and COM
mon honesty. 1t is not necessary, it
is not even desirable that he should
have great social standing. The run
ming of the affairs of a great city such
as Minneapolis has become, is a bust
ness proposition and needs the atten-
ton of hard-headed business men. So
cial favorites are seldom men of ex-
perience in every day affairs. If the
Municipal Voters league is organized
to do good, earnest work in the inter-
est Of having honest capable men NOM
mated by the different parties, we are
i'll favor of it by all means. If it is
organized to promote the interests of
those citizens who on election days
usually consider it beneath their dig
nifty to mix in the rough and tumble
of ward politics, we are opposed to it,
because such an organization would
result in a lower standard of alder
manic candidates than we now have.
1t would so result because it would
discredit from the start all worthy ef-
fort to elect good men. If the league
is to succeed, it must work without
reference to politics, and it must work
in such way that partisan politics
cannot thwart it's efforts. Manifestly
the place to work is at the primaries.
There are Republican wards in this
city where no Democrat however hon
est and capable could be elected even
against very undesirable Republican
candidate. The reverse is in
measure true. What we would like to
know is whether the new organization
is organized for real hard active and
conscientious work, or is it merely
mutual admiration society of drawing
room reformers? Is it differed by
capable practical men ready and will
ing to fight the battles for honesty IN
municipal affairs, or by men whose
lack Of experience and timidity will
cause them to run at the first skir-
mish? Time will tell Until that time
comes ordinary people will be rather
chary about passing Judgment.