Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-03-07

from the book Of Judges is enc Of per.
ennial freshness and significance. It
exactly fits the civic conditions OF our
American life. We are living under
the system of government that Is at
the same time the best and the most
difficult to handle, one needing the
most watchful care on the part OF the
people lest 1t be perverted to iniquit.
Gus ends. It is q form Of government
that lays trem endous responsibilities
on the shoulders Of its citizens. I'm
der this form OF government the rights
of citizens are safeguarded or sacri-
feed according as 1t falls into the
hands Of good or wicked men. So
every two years our city government
goes forth In search of q king. She
goes to the great manufacturer and
says to him: Come, thou and be our
king, use your great organizing abil.
ity in the capacity Of forming good
government and thereby blessing and
protecting the people" But like the
olive tree he replies: "Why should
leave my fairness, neglect my business,
possibly lose time and money in the
matter? / am too busy to give my
time to politics" Then the city goes
to the successful merchant and says
to him: Come thou and reign over
u.s." But the merchant like the fig.
tree replies: "Why should leave the
sweetness OF my trade, why should l
imperil my business, why should sac
rifice my customers for the strife of
politics? I have no time or strength
to spend on political campaign"
Then the city turns to the profes.
sional man and says to him: "Come
thou and reign over us" But the
professional man, like the vine, re.
plies: "Why should l leave the good
WINE Of my clients, my patients, my pu.
pills, my editorial work to reign over
you? I have something higher to en-
dirty pool Of politics" Then steps up
the bramble from the dirty crowd OF
pothouse politicians and says: eff in
truth We will anoint me king, then
come and put your trust in my
| shadow"
Climbs to Power.
Thus through the indifference and
pre-occupation of the capable and hon
est man the bramble king climbs to
power and kindles the malicious fire
that devours the cedars of Lebanon.
| We must then find the man who has
patriotism. Have we become sc
stepped in sordid gain that this holy
fire has died on our affairs? 1t may
1 call for sacrifice on the part Of the
right man, but let US think of those
stirring days of 81. Were there moi
found then men ready not only to sac
rifice business, but ready to leave wife
children, home and even sacrifice life
itself for the sake of duty
While the cause is not Sc
urgent, still there is need o.
something Of this spirit on the par
of some representative man who car
command the condolences Of the PEG
pie and can lead forth campaign unto
victory. But this patriotism must bt
more than effervescent enthusiasm, l
must be coupled with competence.
i do not mean that the man who chal
i lenges the SURFACES Of our peoplt
must be rich man, nor even a grea
man, but he must be man with capa
bilities of great work.
! 1t is no trifling matter to guide tn
j destinies Of thriving city for tw
wears and it ought not to be entrusted
to incapacity. / would add to compe
tence the necessity of character. TIL
mayor of a great city is a representa-
tive man, he ought to be one to whom
we might point with confidence an
refer to with respect. He is our reI
resentative. We place him at the from
to speak and act for ourselves. Let
be man who has some respectabillt
to him, not one for whom we mus
apologize before the community, an
blush before other cities. Then he mus
, have convictions. We do not want
, fellow that has only cotton string 10
backbone. Like the Duke of Wei
} ington, he should be a man ITO tru
occasions true, who stood four squar
to every wind that blew There ar
I delicate and complex matters to b
passed, upon. matters requiring clea
thinking.
. No Morally Befogeed Man.
We do not want man who is mo-
ally befogged and does not know RICH
when he sees it. We want man VIII
; has clear cut ideas on the fundamen
ais of righteousness. We want ma
o. sterling honesty whose hand has n
itch for ill-gotten gain, and who wi
. spurn to use his power for personal al
! grandizement. Then he must be ma
who has the courage Of his conviction
We want man who will place h
, straight back to the granite wall
J. duty and challenge the enemy wit
f the words Of the Highlander: Con
J one, come all, this rock shall fly fro.
r its firm basis soon as L." We mistaf
i if we think a namby-pamby fellow wi
t be able to Withstand the pressure th'
s will be put on the mayor who sets OF
f to do his duty in Ottumwa. He wi
n find there are gamblers to the rigl
]. of him, brothers to the left of hi1
Y saloons in front of him, volleying al
c laundering and if he puts this enen
n to flight and turns to rout this army
y aliens, he must be man of more thu
+ ordinary pluck. But we have just sue
men and it is the hope of many goo
& citizens that such a one can be pr