The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1906-03-23
LET'S BE FAIR.


n period of differences of opinion such
as Norfolk is now experiencing re-
garding several questions of public i'm
portance, II Is personal feeling and
bitterness Regardless of our person
al feelings on matters of various sorts,
let us still maintain fairness to our
fellowmen, granting their rights to
opinions of their own, and respecting
the merit of those opinions. Let us
keep ourselves lifted above personal.
tiles and above words and accusations
which will leave permanent stings
upon our neighbors who chance to dis
agree with us.
These matters which Norfolk Is now
considering, the sewerage system
bonds and the depot proposition in
particular, are matters of principle
and not of personality.
And every citizen of this city, re.
gardless of his property interests, re.
gardless Of his learning, regardless of
his business position, has a right to
think as he will concerning the two
subjects that are now uppermost in
the minds of this community.
And the very fact that there are
two widely different and definitely op-
posite views on each Of these proposi-
tions, is proof enough that there are
points of logical argument that can be
brought into use on either side of
either question.
Because one man says it is too much
of a burden for the city to vote more
bonds, Is no reason why he should be
attacked by those wanting the bonds,
In personal manner. He is entitled
to that opinion. And, on the other
hand. just because man believes that
Norfolk ought to have sewerage and
that 1t would be sad mistake to vote
down the bonds, which are of such
vital importance. and which mean so
much for the future cleanliness and
health and reputation of Norfolk-just
because he believes that, is no reason
why he should be maligned by those
who differ with him, and called names
that tend to point him out as one who
wants to run the towns affairs.
And just as ii is in the sewer prob
lem, SO 1t is in the depot proposition.
man living in the neighborhood of
the railroad tracks where the depot is
planned to be built, has a right to his
belief that the closing up of Philip
avenue would damage his property and
would be an injustice to the people of
that part of the city, as well as to the
school children of the section. He has
a right to his own. opinions regarding
the matter, and no one has a right to
doubt the sincerity of his belief. No
one has right to call him a crank
because he wants to keep that street
open for his children to walk on, and
no one has right to say that he is
against the proposition just because 1t
that would be no reason at all.
And on the contrary, just because
Norfolk citizen Is in favor of ac-
cepting the offer of the Northwestern
railroad to build a $4,000 station, on
the ground that the street is closed,
gives the demonstrators no license to
question the motives of that citizen
in his belief. The fact that a man
wants that depot, either because he
thinks his property will be benefited
or because he thinks the city at large
will be sufficiently benefited to give
the street in return, gives no person
the right to say that that man is
bought by the railroads." or that he
wants to stand we'll with the railroads,
or that he is against the interests Of
the city for his own personal gain
Because citizen of Norfolk favors
hor does not favor a public proposition,
offers no foundation for his slander
and Indignation from the lips of those
who oppose his opinions.
AS an example in the proposition,
someone has said on the street that
The News and a prominent business
man are in favor of the depot PROPOSE
tion because they have been bought
by the Northwestern railroad" The
person who said this, of course, merely
lies and is too much of coward to
openly stand by the assertion. Who
ever it was that made this statement
took it for granted, evidently, that all
of the 500 business men of Norfolk
who signed the petition asking that
the council vacate Philip avenue, were
paid for their signatures and that their