The Pensacola journal., 1907-05-03
The Result and
Its Significant Lesson.

i u lSIll1lSdlll LCSSOl1s
AS everyone who knew anything on
public sentiment expected, Mayor
Bliss was renominated at yesterdays s
primary election and will serve the
city for another two years as chief
executive.
The mayors victory was not. so
much the result of any special popu-
larity on his part as it was the abso-
lutte failure Of the opposing candidate
to present a single issue on which
anyone could appeal for his support
Mayor Bliss, in his hap-hazzard, va
ciHating, weather-vane way, did have
some issues. The opposing candidate
had absolutely none. Mayor Bliss
could present some reasons why he
should be reelected. His opponent
could not, and did not, present single
reason why he should be elected.
Mayor Bliss's name had been identi-
fed, more or less, as a supporter of
certain progressive reforms in munic-
ipaI government. His opponents
name had, never been prominently
identified with. any of these reforms
and neither he nor his friends could
identify it with any issue on which
an. appeal for votes could be made.
Bliss was an active candidate. His
opponent was a passive candidate,
whose friends were fighting, not so
much to put him in as to get Bliss
out.
The mayors campaign managers
were recruited from the ranks OF
what are known as the common
people. His opponents campaign
MANAGEMENT was made up from that
class of very estimable gentlemen
who are insanely imbued with the
idea that what they think, the balance
of the world must also think, but who
never really come in contact with the
men who do the voting on election
day. Bliss drove his own band
wagon. His opponent was merely
passenger in a band wagon in which
others held the reins.
And over and above all this, the
dissatisfaction which the old city
council had stirred up, operated TO the
mayors advantage; while the public
saddled the council itself onto Ingra-
hams shoulders, and with a burden
like that no man could win.
More than that, the slander and
calumny, Y1tuperation and unre.
strained abuse, which had been heaped
upon Mayor Bliss by the evening
paper did more to excite sympathy in
his favor and drive votes from his op-
ponent than all the legitimate cam
paign argument could neUtralize in a
thousand years.
Walker Ingraham is a clean, honest,
pubEc-spirited citizen and he goes
down in defeat without a stain ON
his character and with the knowledge
that ne made a, clean, manly fight for
j the position. Under the circumstances
he made a good run, but the circum-
tstances were against him.
The result of this campaign should
prove a lesson to everyone who may
hereafter aspire to office in this city.
Other things being equal, it is the
man with. an issue, or with several of
them, that the people vote for They
care little about the man himself;
what they do care for is what the
man represents. And people must
know what he represents and be
satisfied in their own minds, as TO
what he represents before he can be
elected to any important oiIice, big or
httle.
The Journals part in the campaign
has been logical and consistent from
the first. 1t advocated a clean
sweep" of both mayor and council
without knowing who the candidates
Tor either would be because it be-
oeved new deal to be in the interest
ef the common good and the progress
and prosperity of the Deep Water
0ty. The Journal saw that such a
course on its part would make il IN
popular, for the time being at least,
with both Iacticns-Just is, in Tact,
this editorial !;scls viii dC-lut The
sJournal has never set its sails for
sYopular tayo~ when il had public