The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1904-09-07

49, ~ ~ "AA
find, upon investigation, a chance kl
helpfulness. In nearly every town,
county, and city government, the
expenses are rapidly increasing. AL
though, for considerable portions o.
the increase. corresponding benefits
are being received, the tendency t.
wastefulness and extravaganza is moi
only marked, but it already threatens
our municipalities, in the not far
distant future, with a burden that
will be borne with exceeding difficulty.
This is due largely to the fact tina,
men OF education, supplemented by
professional and business training,
r unwilling to contribute, as did
their fathers in the past, some pOr-
ton of their time and ability toward
the duties of local government.
Too Mony Men Now Seek Legislative Offices
With Unfortunate Results
The result naturally is that too
many men with but little ut stake, and
without any ambition to be useful to
the community in which they live,
seek for and obtain local executive
Offices, as we'll as those of a legisla-
tive character, with most unfortunate
results. This is to be seen on every
hand, and as a rule it is not the fault
of the local party leaders, who are
too often unjustly censured and held
responsible for such conditions.
AS a general thing, they would have
it otherwise if they could, and to that
end often make strenuous efforts tG
persuade able men to accept such
Offices, knowing full we'll that such
acceptance would be beneficial to the
and become a source of
strength to the party with which they
are allied: but of late years their
efforts have been too often unavailing.
l think, to a failure of appre-
of the fact that every Ameri-
can owes to the government which
protects him, and of which he is
proud, such aid in addition to
that of mere voting as his other
duties will permit. In England a
different view is held of the duty of
men of affairs in respect to
administration of the systems of
local pOlity. with a necessarily bene-
result in municipal government.
Instead of initiating their example,
Or following in the footsteps Of our
own fOrefathers, our tendency is to
our local responsibilities until
The time arrives when abuses are no
t%olerable, when usually the
aid of legislation is sought. This, of
ate. has generally taken the direction
Of depriving common councils of
cities of some of the power that
formerly belonged to them, and vest
ing it in the mayor and his appoint
ees, thereby ~confessing that in NUM-
cipal affairs, at least, representative
government has not in practice
entirely satisfactory. In a
majority of cases, certainly, this
would not have happened had the
educated, professional, and business
men taken such an interest in the
administration of municipal affairs
rs u governmental system neces-
;arily requires of all citizens. 1t is
lifticult to account for the neglect and
apparent Indifference when We stop
Ong enough to realize that the greater
of direct taxation is levied for
he purpose of defraying local
governmental expenses.
Now, having pointed out the public
ield in which there is a great OPP
'Ortunity for usefulness, 1 ask
whether there can be any doubt of
duty as educated men to occupy
t in SO far a. those private interests
hat inexorably demand your atten-
ion will permit? 1t is just as much
he duty of a patriot to contribute of
lis effort, so far as practicable, to-
Yard improving governmental con-
litions in "a government of the
'eople, by the people, and for the
'eople," as it is his duty to bear
rms in defense of his country against
n enemy in time Of war. l do not
mean by that of course, that the
itizen should sacrifice his vital
BUSINESS interests and the claim of
us family upon him for the public,
ave in great emergencies, or that he