Norwich bulletin., 1909-10-09

aumlnlstratlon. He has placed the af- fairs of the city on a business sysA tenn, introduced business methods to supplant old. slipshod ways that had grown to be a custom that was un- businesslike, or if not woshrdlueeo businesslike, if not worse. No man ever held the office of mayor who had so much opposition to overcome, caus- ed in the main by political Jealousies. due in part to the mayors independ- ence and his refusal to accept the dic- tation of politicians as to the general conduct of city affairs and insistence that city matters be conducted on a political party basis. MT. Armstrong was a mayor of the city in fact as well as in name. and some of the leaders of the party, unaccustomed to such a condition. yielded the political axe until it needed resharpening. but the mayor continued on in his own shrewd. businesslike way. and the re- suit is record of which he should be proud.
 As time goes on the people will real ize more and more of the work done by the retiring mayor for the public good. He may have his faults, who has not? But Mayor Armstrong was an honest. painstaking, able. jealous and. considerate mayor, and will rate well among the best the city ever had. !, An administration as honest as that of Mayor Armstrong will be satisfy- ing to the people.
 With the exchange of a republican for a democratic mayor the political complexion of the new court of com mon council will be the same as the one that preceded. which was repub- lican two to one. This fact lessens in- terest in the opening meeting when the offices within the gift of the coun- ell are distributed to the same old peo- pie fin the same old way. So far as known there is not an office but would be an acceptable gift to many who are not booked for the plums, but the ins seem to have a hold of strong that they cannot be easily dislodged. espe- cially when the party they train with holds the reins of city government. So there is not likely to 'be very much strife along these lines.
 At this writing none has developed except for the appointment of city physician. now held by Dr. c. s. Allen, who succeeded Dr. w. r. Cronin dur ing the Armstrong administration. pr. Cronin wants reapointment as v1ndi- cation as well as the emoiuments, and Dr. Abiel w. Nelson. the dean of lo- cal physicians, would not object to ac- ceptance of the position. He Is of opin- ion that if the offioe is to be a political
 
 has been consistent republican long before the other candidates were born and ever since, and has yet to receive any political recognition from the court of common council.
 There is talk that Health Officer Black Is to walk the plank. on the ground that he has in the perform ance of his duty. faithfully and impar- tially, incurred the enmity of a cer- tain class of voters. who cast their votes last Monday with the under standing that if they voted for certain persons that pr. Black would be rellev- ed from his duties as health officer. It is said that these voters performed their part of the contract, and they ex- pect the party of the second part to live up to the agreement. One of the commendable things about the Arm strong administration was the appoint ment of pr. Black as health afiicer. It is understood that Dr. Tenkle h not averse to becoming health officer.
 So far as went the vote for mayor party lines were very slack in Mon day's election, and would indicate the coming of the time when politics will be pushed aside in city and town elec- tions and that the mon be elected as to their fitness to manage municipal affairs. There is not much doubt but such a practice would be adopted in New London, but for the fact that it might discrupt party organization and preferment in state and national cleo tions, when principles rather than men are considered the party issues.
 Tn the Monday election men promi- nent in the republican party. men who could have almost any nomination de- sired were they inclined to hold office, were out fin the open working for the election of the democratic nominee, and there is no doubt as to the result of the work of these men, who were not in the game for pay or any polit- ical favors. but to show that they pre- ferrcd Bryan F. Mahan for mayor to Lucius D. Whiton. Had Charles H. Klinok bsan the candidate, these same men would probably have worked Just as hard for his election as they did for Mir. Mahan. With them 1t was rather than party, or perhaps there was some underlying personal reason for their political activity.
 There was another noticeable feat ure in the election to see democrats who had always opposed Mir. Mahan working as openly against Mir. Whiton. and, of course, for MT. Mahan. There seemed to be get-together spirit on the part of the democrats and the anti. Mahanites seemed to be under cover and not large enough in numbers to defeat the democratic candidate fin a single ward in the city, even with the help of the republicans. So the antis might as well step over into the other party or doff their hats to the biggest Roman of them all-Mayor Bryan F. Mahan.
 There was persistent talk before tho election to the effect that Richard p. Freeman, Jr., for years an anti-Ma- han democrat, and who recently went