The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-05
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
The Council Situation.
a Editor off The Age-Herald

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 The perversity and stupidity of the ma jority who do not admit, without ques- ton. the correctness of the position Of the minority members of the Board of Aldermen on city affairs, is something amazingi It is natural to assume that in the minority is lodged the bulk ot intelligence and patriotism residing in the Board Their conduct fully indicates the fact Therefore, why should not the ma jority do the proper and decent thing and tender their resignations and turn matters over to the statesmen comprising the minority?
 Seriously, though, while not by any means approving all that has been done and is being done by our city fathers, am not in favor of indiscriminately jumping on'' men because they are aldermen-just now, in a way, under the ban-some of them wish they were not. And, recent Investigations, charges and counter charges, in themselves, should not be used either for the purpose of damaging the good names of the worthy members or for the political purpose of having the city resort to a commission government. Aldermen are supposed to hold their offices as a matter of dfstinc- ton and honor and without compensation. The great majority of them do this and give to the public service valuable talents. If the periodic sensational charges are to continue indefinitely we may arrive at the point where a man will be looked upon with suspicion who even thinks of running for office. There are members of the Board who do not belong there. When a public offical is shown to be corrupt, particularly in a legislative body, that body damns itself and becomes smirched in the eyes of the people when it avoids action and fails to oust such official. It is a reflection and stain upon each mem Der of the council to sit with known grafters. For more than year charges of a most serious nature have been lodged against one of the prominent members of the Board. The Board has seemed to shut it's eyes to the facts. How can it hope to have the confidence and respect of the people when such state of affairs is tamely acquiesced in? Honest men are at a loss to understand the matter and the toleration of the Board and the fail ure of this man to demand and have an | investigation. His resignation should be insisted upon. Other members are re- ported as guilty of misconduct-a nice word. Those remaining are guilty of misconduct in not rldding the Board of members tainted, to say the least, with moral turpitude. The majority of that Board cannot escape the fact that such conduct on it's part is an invitation and suggestion for criticism of it's individual members, and respect for their personal regulations should urge an effort on their part to purge the public service of such characters; an honest effort unmixed with petty politics.
 The Commission plan of city govern nent may be a good one; one thing about it. it will give us more politics and we are running rather slack, just at the moment on that line-for birmingham. Birmingham is growing and we have many ambitious politicians, and 1t were cruel to interfere with agitation. We have some local politicians to whom agi- tation is "the breath of life,"; so let the walking delegates continue to walk and stir things up. Something good may finally result from it. J. V. ALLEN. Birmingham, Dec. f. 1908.