La Junta tribune., 1905-04-01
1857 q Ieu 1tAss EAevS AooUT
CIV GlEcvsos sSSvGS-


features Of the present city cam
paign, not directly connected with
the question Of municipal ownership.
which il seems desirable TO discuss
For one thing il is desirable that
the people have q clear concept. not
only Of the exact issues Of the cam
paisn. but of the relationships and
attitudes Of the various candidates.
Many men who play politics seem
to think il necessary TO work secret
ly. to form private combinations and
TO keep every movement hidden
from the rank and file Of the voters.
whose only duty is TO east the bal
lots. This idea is At variance with
the spirit of popular government.
The ideal democracy is that in
which every citizen is perfectly in
formed concerning the questions
submitted for his decision and the
attitude of the candidates who seek
his suffrage.
To apply these propositions to the
present city campaign: The issues
became defined early in the cam
paign. There could not be much
division upon the issues of better
municipal bookkeeping. and reduc-
ing outstanding warrant indebted
ness. The one issue upon which
there could be real division was that
Of municipal ownership of an elec-
tric light plant. This ought nAtur-
ally to have resulted in two tickets.
one IN favor Of. and one against the
proposed erection Of an electric
plant.
Secret Vaccinations. personal am
bitions and the spirit Of revenge
have operated to place three tickets
in q field where there was leRiti-
mately room for but two.
The writer in common with many
others who possess an abiding and
unselfish desire for the welfare Of
the city. entertained the hope that
the saloon question in every form
would be eliminated from the cam
pAign. There was absolutely moth
ing in the situation warranting any
saloon man in taking more than the
natural interest Of q citizen in this
election. No anti-saloon ticket was
or has been placed in the field. No
interest Of the saloon men WAS in
any way jeopardized.
Notwithstanding this condition of
things. the saloon men Of the city
put the first ticket in the field head
ed by Mayor Corbin. At this point
il is pertinent to suggest what every
resident of municipality ought to
know, that upon the attitude Of the
mayor toward the various questions
that arise in municipal government.
depends the character Of the admin
istration. In the mayor resides the
executive power Of the city. He
can enforce the ordinances Of the
city against the opposition Of every
other officer. II he is lax and
Indifferent. the laws are not en-
forced: IL he is firm. they are.
Il cannot be denied that the men
who own the saloons have as much
right to put a ticket in the field as
have the furniture or grocery men.
Aside from the suggestion that
common sense ought to have sug-
gested = different course. interest
centers. not in the fact that they
nominated q ticket. but in the
REASON WHY they did it.
Mr.. c. W. Wonderly. who as
sumes and doubles is authorized to
speak for the saloon proprietors.
asserts that the election Of J. B.
Pearce and the writer is inimical to
their interests. and that they will
not stand for our election. The
necsnary corollary to this PROPOSE
ton is the nomination Of the Cor
bin ticket. Is this the real reason
for the existence Of that ticket?
II is now matter of common
knowledge that the La Junta
Electric Company is in this cam
paign with both money and men to
defeat the municipal light plant and I
the men who stand for that issue.
II w1s in the fight early.
Above in this article something
was MD about secret work and pri- /
vate combinations. It cannot be
expected that the La Junta Electric