St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1908-01-24
WHO AT FAULT?

the city of St. Johns we have made
every endeavor to advance the best
interests of the city. We have re-
Trained from criticising the actions
of the council or other public off
GERS as far as possible, for we be-
lieve that every citizen should up
hold these officers to the utmost OF
their ability as long as they are
working in good faith and doing
their best for the public welfare.
We have repeatedly called atten-
tion to the good things which have
been accomplished by this council
and there are many of them. We
expect to continue this policy 50
long as we are connected with this
publication. We are here to make
this our permanent home. We
want the best there Is commercially
physically, socially, morally for the
town in which we have our home.
We shall bend our best efforts to
accomplish this.
While we do not believe in for
ever finding fault with the city
council because they do not do just
what we wish they would, and
give them credit for being consci-
entious in their actions in general
when a petition is presented by
hundreds of citizens requesting the
council TO take steps to regulate
some doubtful or vicious places of
amusement, when the evil effects
of these places are apparent in the
ruin of a number of Our boys and
girls, and when an ordinance drawn
to cover the points in the petition
is presented by motion to this coun-
Gil and they refuse TO take action
OH the same, thus permitting the
evils TO go OH without abatement,
we believe IL is time TO say some
thing and we would consider our.
selves equally reprehensible with
these councilmen IL we kept still
In last weeks issuc we mentioned
these cases in two items but we did
not mention the council in any way.
II could be inferred that we had
the council in mind II seems our
worthy mayor so considered II.
The fact is, we did not. but had
the people generally IN mind when
the articles were written. The
fact that our good mayor took oc.
casion To roast the writer in the
council chamber Tuesday evening
for publishing these articles indi-
Gates that the shoe pinched, aud
nov that he has publicly called
Our attention to this matter, we can
do nothing less than give our own
private view of the question and
let Il go for what Il is worth.
The council Is elected by the
people TO make aud enforce laws
for the government OF the people
The ptiful excuse offered by his
honor that lac could not go out as a |
Sherlock ,Iolmes is not germane TO
the proposition. for no one would
Tor moment expect either him or
his aldermen To do SO. II is. how
ever, their province TO provide the
ways and means To enforce the law,
aud To make such laws as the peo-
pie demand When they refuse to
lo this they are evidently subject
TO censure. They are just so far
for the ruin OF these
boys and girls who might have
been prevented from going into
Evil ways had proper restraints
been placed about them by the city
council, nor can the city council
shift the responsibility upon the
parents of those children when
hey have failed or refused To- afford
such protection as these parents
nave asked tor. We therefore hold
his council responsible tor these
conditions aud unless they redeem
themselves by passing such restrict
We laws rs are asked by the people
sc do not believe they are entitled
o the support OF the people they
epresent, This is our honest
quare view OF the matter. We
lave a very high regard for the
ity mayor aud the council in gen
raj, We believe them to be men
II integrity aud honor, but they ,
lave made very grievous mistake
lere and deserve the censure OF
very right thinking citizen.
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