The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-09-03
Voiceof thePeopIe
Editor of THE TIMES.

Dear Sir
Grating in East Chicago city coun-
ell is still booming. and we are sorry
to say the only thing that is booming
here at present.
First, it was tweedledee experiment.
ing with Westrumite upon our streets
to the cost of $4,392.22; then it was
twedledum, buying furniture for our
new city hall, at a cost of $4,000. 90;
now it is tweedIedumdee, buying three
second-class horses at $4,000, with idle
horses in the city barns doing nothing
These are slang phrases, but like the
slang phrase skidadd1e fifty years ago.
tweedledumdee will find its way into
Webster's dictionary if it is used to
designate certain thing.
Our mayor says he cannot stop graft
ing, he has nothing to say. or nothing
to do in the premises. 1t is in our
opinion a very humiliating acknowl-
edgement for a mayor Of the city to
make. it is cowardice. 1t is effeminate,
it will not suffice in our present diff
fully. He must stop 1t. and stop it i'm
mediately. Or be held responsible by
the citizens generally. and by the Citi-
zens' Improvement association particu-
/
some disagreeable questions in court, as
party of the conspiracy that is now
plundering the city treasury and rob-
bling the people.
The legislature not to blame. When
the state Legislature enacted the law
governing cities of the fifth class, and
fixed the counsels compensation at
$4,000 per year each. it never intended
that they should handle the practical
part of the work at all outside of their
counsel chamber. And it did provide
ways and means for them to have the
work done.
| CounseIers of fifth class cities are
| the only officers that the legislature
was afraid to trust, and consequently
| limited them ito $4,000 per year, and
made it a criminal offence If they took
more money for their services during
the year. The very thing the legis-
lature intended to stop is the thing
| that our city council is practicing now;
| buying everything themselves, without
advertising for bids, hence the graft
and rake-off The Legislature did not
| think it possible that cities of $4,000 to
| $4,000 population would select young
/ inexperienced men, saloon-keepers,
| painters and paper hangers to repre-
sent them. and do their public business,
and spend hundreds of thousands of
| dollars. Such men are right in their
| sphere, but their sphere is not in leg
| islative halls, only so far as decora-
tions and furnishing of refreshments is
concerned. The Legislature did not
think it possible that the people would
| elect a majority of their counselers
from that class of their citizens. The
| legislature when enacting laws, ex-
pect that the people will select and
elect sensible, honorable, honest, moral
and capable men to represent them, and
handle their money as the law provides
doing at all times that which Is best
for the people without being com
PEELED to do it by force of law.
The Legislature asks the city coun.
ell to meet twice every month-twen-
ty-four times a year-and pass on bills
due, hear the reports read by the city
clerk, hear what the city treasurer has
to say in his report, that he must sub.
NIT monthly. show the amount of mon
| ey collected, and from whom, the
amount paid out, to whom and balance
on hand in each department.
The mayor is city Judge. See If hi
is making his proper returns to the
city treasurer. The city has about on,
day of eight hours per day work tt
perform, in the council chamber eacl
month, and they can take four hours
of that day as a recess, and still d.
their work The council ought to b,
sober, intelligent. moral men; hence tn
name CITY Fathers" The creates
. trouble is our city officers, always TT,
| to do too much. 1t is not in what the,
do not do. but in what they do, tn
harm lies.
THE CITIZENS IMPROVEMENT AS
2 ISOLATION.