The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-17
NOW FOR GOOD CITY GOVERN
MENT

4 NOn IOh 0OOD III II Wv ElA4N :
MENT.
| Yesterday afternoon the Democratic
City Executive Committee held meet
/ ing and called the primaries to nomi-
! nate city officers on Thursday, April
| will be made in a legalized primary
| by the Australian ballot. That system
| has worked admirably in Charlotte,
has prevented repeating and has pre-
vented any coercion of the voter
| Every man votes a secret ballot and
nobody can know how he votes. More
than that: there is registration be-
fore the primary and the election is
attended, with all the legal provisions
and penalties of the regular election
AS a matter of fact in a city like
Raleigh where nearly all the voters
belong to the Democratic party and it
is a matter of political religion to
it is more important to have a legal
lied primary than to regulate the cleo
ton by law, for the primary is virtu-
ally the election
The committee. after calling the
primary for the twentieth of April
decided that, in case no candidate
received a majority of all the votes
cast in that election. another primary
should be called on Tuesday, April
25th, in which only the two highest
candidates could be voted for A
committee was appointed to digest the
new primary law so that it may be
made plain to the people.
Now that the primary has beer
called with plenty of time to work,
we may expect that the municipal
campaign will begin in real earnest
1t is a campaign in which every citi-
zen of Raleigh ought to take the
deepest interest-not to elect some
friend to office or to get in officials
who are favorable to the water COM
pany or for any other special inter-
est-but to elect patriotic and public
spirited men, who will have no interest
to- subserve except the good of the
whole city. The new charter makes
important changes in the city admin
istration and it's workings should be-
gin a new era in our city government
For years it has beenk attended with
friction and dissensions, some of them
unworthy the capital city of the State
and there has not been such an en-
forcement of the law as the best ele-
mr. Of oft
right to demand. There is but one
way to give good city government. and
that is to elect men of high character
and public spirit. who have no ann
bition but the public good. There are
such men in Raleigh. They can be
induced to become candidates. but
they will not button-hole men and beg
their votes and make the lives of
their neighbors a burden. Has not the
time come when the Office should seek
the men-from Alderman to Mayor?
The man for Mayor of Raleigh
ought to be its first citizen in ability.
in character, in unselfish public SER
vice. The eight men for Aldermen
ought to be of the same stamp. This
year for the first time Raleigh is to
hvea a Police Justice-a new office
1t is in the nature of an experiment.
and will justify its creation if man
of nerve and courage and judgment |
is chosen to fill that important posi-
ton. Raleigh sadly needs a vigorous
enforcement of the laws against
gambling bawdy houses. stealing ana
other crimes that too largely go I'M
punished in this city. Police Jus
tice who knows his duty and has the |
courage to perform it would be a |
blessing to the city. For the first
of Audit and Finance. 1t will be
worse than worthless unless it is COM |
posed of three of the most honest and |
capable men in the city. They are TO
be selected by the Board Of Aldermen
and that is another reason why only |
honest and disinterested men should |
be chosen as aldermen.
Men of Raleigh! Let us quit voting |
for men because they are Clever |
men," because they are kin to us or
our wives; because they belong to our |
church or lodge or society: or because
we like them Raleigh will never |
have the right sort of city government |
until it elects honest men upon issues |
that affect public administration The |
hour has struck for Raleigh to do that |
thing, and we believe that the voters
in Raleigh are ready to quit personal |
and factional politics. and restore
here good government and an era of |
harmony
So mote it be!
The primaries in Raleigh have been !
called for the twentieth of April That |
gives plenty of time for the solid men