The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-02-25

This Is the Situation:
What Will YOU Do
About 1t?

= A~VSAS 40
Good government is up to the people in Tacoma.
The new charter offers them way to rule, but the
politicians are busy.
Developments in the municipal campaign show
that nothing but aroused and vgilant citizenship
will prevent the old political regime from DOM
mating
The commission plan presents great opportuni
ties to the people, but they must take hold of it, It
will not work itself.
Suspicion first aroused on the part of the pub
lie when it was discovered that mysterious COM
mittee, behind closed DOORS was framing up slate
for city officials; it grew when specially invited
convention, dominated by pipe directors, met
and in the same old political way maneuvered pro-
gram to get the they wanted for mayor In
this convention friends of A. v. Fawcett protested
against the evident frame-up as violation of the
spirit OF the charter
The protest seconded by the people, but now it
appears that Fawcett himself at this very time was
Iplayng the old political game trying to buy the Of
flee for himself in violation of the charter and every
principle OF decency, by purchasing support in such
papers as would sell.
The article printed in The Times yesterday shows
in part what Fawcett has been doing in this respect
Friends of Fawcett say he is a business man. AS a
matter of business would any pay 81 inch for
space in little weekles with practically no subscrip
ton list, and with no apparent prestige9 The case
is such clear one OF attempting to buy outright the
favor of certain interests that comment is hardly
necessary.
This is the same old political game that has been
worked for years and which the people tried to get
away from Politicians have always considered pub
lie office private snap and ready to buy the
job and get even afterward.
The new charter tried to head this off. It intend
led that public office should mean public service It
expressly prohibited lavish expenditure to get Office
but now, before the ink on the charter is dry
candidate comes up with the same old game trying
to purchase his way to political favor.
Many who admired Fawcett s stand on certain cor
poration questions when he was mayor before, have
been almost at the point of closing their eyes to some
personal moral features of the campaign and giving
him support, but the revelations of his utter failure
to catch the step of the movement for political
honor and integrity threatens to wreck the structure
Iof support he was building.
SO outrageous has the action of politicians become
of late years in bribing certain classes of socaed
newspapers that the legislature in framing the pri-
mary law tried to close the door to this sort of thing
This law stated specifically Just how newspaper
should print political ad, and further provided
that every political ad should bear the heading paid
Advertisement to protect the people from decep-
ton.
But the old gang does not seem to realize that the
world moves. The McCormicks the Fawcetts and
others of the same ilk appear to think they are a
law unto themselves, that the will of the people ex
pressed IN statutes and in charters counts for naught
when there is chance for them to advance their
personal causes by violation of the same. As re-
suit we see the deceitful writeups printed to
fool and to misead voters, and paid for at so much
per inch or line by the candidate.
The Times, usual thing, doesn't care rap
about the morals or the policy of other papers,
big or little. This newspaper is contented to hew
to the line and to let the other fellow do as he
pleases The Times does not blame the bribe
taker so much as the bribe giver. If there were
no crooked politicians in the community there
would be no crooked political sheets. The one
is the cause the other the result.
The Times has no to grind in this campaign
1t has no friends to reward or enemies to punish
That is not part of the Times policy.
This paper does, however, want to see honesty and
economy enthroned in the municipality and progress
rather than reaction in local well as state and ma
tona politics. and it purposes to keep the voters in
formed as near as possible, as to the attitude and
actions OF the men who are asking for the suffrage
of the citizens
This paper showed up the Tacoma hotel conver-
on and the control of by the Little Falls Fire Clay
company, because it tbeleves the people have right
to know facts. If they want to elect the vice pres
dent of corporation that is trying to sell it's pro-
IAk x& ASk Il -