Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-03-03
/ MARKED DEMOCRATIC VICTORY,

at the polls IN TucSuay city election,
and they have right to rejoice over their
triumph. They not only reelected Mayor
Burke by the substantial majority over
| all of 40 and Il plurality of sos over Brown
the republican candidate, but they also
gained two aldermen, elccting GERMAN
over Alderman Trick in the second ward.
and Willard over Alderman Richardson in
the fifth ward, and reelected Alderman
Courtney in the third ward, thus making
! the board of aldermen tic between the
Two political parties
| The democrats will now assume respon-
| sibiity for the city government, however,
since the mayor will give them "A ma jorty
of one in the city council and place them
| in control of those departments whose
| heads are chosen by the council or by
| commissioners elected by the council The
! full extent OF the democratic victory will
appear from Il short survey of the spoils
| of office
The city council, which will he demo-
cratic, will elect directly a city clerk, city
treasurer, city attorney, city constable,
engineer and surveyor, chief engineer Of
the fire department, grand juror, over
seer of the poor and various other Offices
| OF minor importance. The council will
also elect street commissioner to succeed
Frank S. Lanou, which will make the
street commission democratic and enable
| that body to elect u new superintendent
of streets to succeed Herald Stevens The
council will elect "A new water commits
| soner to succeed J. w. Goodell, giving
them two democratic commissioners which
will make it possible for them to elect
new superintendent of the water works TO
succeed Frank II. Crandall. The council
will elect cemetery commissioner to sue
| coed w. J. Van Patten. republican, a po-
| lice commissioner to succeed James T.
| Bolgcr democrat, and make other sclcc-
| tons Of trustees AMI commissioners. The
| council will also elect a license commits
sioner to succeed John II. Black but in
as much us he is a democrat the political
complexion of the board will not he
| changed
1t can thus be seen that after the or
ganzation of the city government in April
| the city government will be pretty thor
| oughly in democratic hands, for the FIRST
| time since the defeat of the Hon. Seneca
F.! ITaselton for recollection as mayor bJ' the
| Hon. w j. Van Pattcn in 1891 1t will be
| the duty of all good citizens. republicans
as well as democrats to give the new gov
eminent loyal support in every right move
it may undertake; for while we may differ
| in our opinions regarding men and meas
urcs, VIC all have a direct interest in any
progress and development of our beloved
city.
1t would be interesting, wcrc space avail
able to analyze the widely differing causes
which contributed to what may be char
= acterized as a political revolution in our
city government; for that is what it Will
mean. if our democratic friends insist on
, reapng as they have sown. Political pos,
mortems arc not always pleasant to an OK
Lilaratins degree but they arc useful and
/ have their place.
1t is to be noted that the influences which
brought about democratic victory were
2 not of a personal character. confined to
. airy enc clIlcc; bat were widespread enter
: ing into the situation in every ward as
+ atty itself While the democratic candi-
= dates for aldermen in the first, second
, fourth and fifth wards ran ahead Of the
head Of their ticket and the democratic
A candidate for alderman in the third ware
I ran behind Mayor Burke, the fact remains
that the democrats made heavy gains il
n every ward in the city, showing that il
g was essentially Il democratic year. TC
n say this is not to belittle the handsom.
: tribute paid to Mayor Burke in one of tn.
q largest majorities in the history of tn,
city,
: The question which naturally suggest.
, itself in this connection is as to what in
:. fluences combined to produce this tida
q wave. These embrace dissatisfaction Will
II the management Of different department
II growing out Of the long continuance il
office of the same men; a conviction tina
a change in this respect would be beneti
cial; appeals to labor interests; successful
efforts to identify in tho minds of man,
voters the certainty of the establishment
Of a public dock and municipal lightin;
plant with the victory of the democrats
n ticket throughout the city in spite of tn
r. fact that bills providing for both thes
n measures were pushed through the repuD
T. lican Legislature largely through rcpubli
. can influences.
~ Many people believed that, even if thu
IN taxpayers were convinced of the desr
y ability of these two public utilities, i
o was not advisable to push them through
IS this year in spite of the critical stat,
of our municipal finances. The demo
y Gratis have waged their campaign large
, ly on these issues, ana inasmuch as tn
IS necessary legislative empowering act
10 have been passed there will be moth
IL ing to prevent our new city govern
N ment from proceeding with those pub
IS lie works. So far as the lighting plan
'e is concerned, we continue to hold as w
said in our statement of disagreement
" with Candidate Brown that the Dues
ton whether it viii be profitable 70
the taxpayers has not been settled de
finiteiy enough to justify the expert
ment, but a majority of the people hay
voted otherwise and it is FOR the demo
cratic administration to obey the popu
lar mandate, for ours is governmcn
~ of the majority.
II TTNnNnEDNNA DncTED