The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-10-07
4 GRAKE RESPONSIBILITY.


 The announcement is made that the 1.-two political chairmen have had a conference and have agreed to con- duct the election to-day in a spirit of Inon-partisan submission to the letter and spirit of the election laws. Neith- CT one will resort to smart or ques- tionable practices to get the better of the other; neither win countenance en- terprises which make straight for un- fair results. In other words, the cleo | ton Is to proceed under a gentleman's agreement.
 l No one is better qualified than Chairman Macdonald of the Republi- can committee to lay out a program for the conduct of political managers. He was member and a useful mem- Der of the corrupt practices law and by his intimate knowledge of political practices gave the commission val uable counsel. He subscribed enthusi- astically to all of the provisions rec commended, including those which the committee on the judiciary eliminated, that limiting the amount of money a fcandidate can contribute to the party fund and that materially remedyine the conveyance evil There is no reason to believe that either MT. Macdonald or MT, Fitzgerald prefers methods which are in themselves objectionable and therefore 1t is easy to believe that they will to-day observe all of the rules of the game and give the city cleaner election than it has ever had. Let us devoutly hope so. The periodi- cal encouragement of the political trader and ward bum is enc of the greatest sources of injury government can sustain, and 1t Is q fine sign of the times that the legislature and practical politicians are ready to lend a helping hand for It's cure.
 Now that the two chairmen have lagreed upon the rules of the struggle the next step is to be taken by the vot- CTS of the city. It is distinctly discred- itable for citizen to dodge his respon- sibility as voter. It is not to the point that the candidates may not measure up to what he considers the fright standard of individual capacity. They are always jusr what public sentlment makes them, and in this in- stance have proved themselves to be gentlemen of self-restraint and digni- | ty. Nor is 1t to the point that surface conditions may favor one party at the sacrifice of the other and that on that account 1t Is useless to visit the polls
 It is the duty of voter to visit the polls and cast his ballot according to the views he has formed. The failure to do so in any considerable numbers amounts virtually to a license granted Ithe winner and his friends to carry on the government as they wish and not necessarily as the public good dictates.
 A small vote at local election war , Irants inferior government; a large , Ivote invariably means the highest pos Isible standard of efficiency.
 The weaknesses which periodically a attack free government can always f be traced to inaction on the part oi P the voter Both Secretary Taft and 6 Secretary Root made that feature of their able lectures in the Dodge course a at Yale upon good citizenship. Gov a ernment is as sensitive to the enthusi.
 asm and consistent work of it's ser.
 wants as business undertaking is. IT
 either case let it be known that the p proprietors are indifferent to the vel U fare of their plants and poor results f will be sure to follow. It will be thu .- best possible thing for the city of New
 Haven If the polls show tonight tha
 a heavy vote was polled. We want
 city beautiful and we want cit,
 plentiful and we favor a city of great 1T CT area and dignity, but each of thes S desirable things should follow the es h tablishment of the iiveliest interest il e the city we have. To the readers O e The Journal and Courier we say: Vot Is early as the supreme duty of the day n Having voted let business follow.