The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-01-03
Build the visduct.
~LET OTHERS DO III

THAT small element now opposing
commission form Of government ex-I
pose their ideas Of town building by
the statement, "let us see how the.
Others get along. That Is a plan
calculated 10 allow d municipality to-
stand still while progressive commu.
mites 10 forward. II is policy thai
refuses ID lead. II Is, in short, the
poiic1 OF a trailer. 1t allows no
initiative II In the yawpr Of one
whp is afraid OF bis own intelligence
and too biased TO believe others may
nave good ideas capable Of being in
telijgentk directed for the common
weai.
Guthrie hss ouigrown the alder
mamie form Of government. la fact
HE aIdcrnlanic form of goyeinmenl
has been u failure for SO long the
mind ol man does mol allow him 70
extend back To the period when II
was IloS monument at the throne
room uf bad Judgment The ady0
cacy Of commission government for
Guthrie comes from no one party, Is
the plan of no particular class OF
people. The talk that any party Is
well organized and therefore should
not be disturbed through fear of los
ing some partisan advantage is only
a cheap attempt to place the parti-
san above the citizen, and should be
rebuked most emphatically. Advance.
ment Of Guthrie and making the city
secure as s1he capital of the state sure
ly can hurt no honest partisan II
there is an organization which fears
lDss of power because of the growth
Of Guthrie, surely the honest votei
will not be long In doubt as to how
he saouId cast his ballot. Exploiting
the fact that an appnintee of one de-
claring he wants to make a record
had withdrawn his name from a petit
tion for commission government will
NOT lead one to believe there Is TO be
no further effort to advance the petit
tion and push the plan to a successful
end
Citizenship should stand for more
than the meie success of political or
ganization. II should carry with 1t
the purposes which give dignity,
power and character to all the ele-
ments of life. II Guthrie must await
years Of trial In other Oklahoma cit
les prior 10 taking the important step
that allows OF progress and gives ia
all citizens a fai. and Just governed
community, why not advertise to tbs
world that We are willing to see many
hig commercial centers but have
agreed to let others create them?
Can il be that any large number
Of people will allow prejudice to sway
them into making a holdback city ol
Guthrie7 Pa-tisanisln is bad for mu'
nicipal growth That WAS exemplified
by great improvements made In those
thriving cities where ii has been dis
pensed with What basic principle
oi either Democratic or Republican
faith can be advanced or retarded BY
the honest act Of a municipal cffic
er OF Guthrie?
Paffisanism Is neither poor Of OF
against a mans citizenship virtues
But partisan who is so far estray al
10 imagine The proper administration
ot municipal affairs will add TO OF
take from The staining of his party
"a - tftHtt StthtHS w luloitdu ViiiSio VI
incapable Of knowing the virtue Of
government hy Inle OF am undivided
people. Under commission govern
lnent the officers chosen are aslignec
certain duties and failure to give
those duties attention brings rholt al
election OF some one who will do il
All vote on officers. Imaginary ware
lines moi being permitted Duty as
signed, the official must be respon
sibIe for the accomplishment Of tasks
II is not a hard system to understand
and responsibility rests on one fo'
90 of his department There can b
reither partisanism or favcritism. ]
IL case Of modernizing lnuncipa
aathority. II means cessation OF graf
and SUCCESS for the average person
j hurts no Just cause or person
Others are mol supposed to interfere
with The making of a great city.