Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1910-10-14
STATE LEAGUE OF
MUNICIPALITIES Meets
Prominent Stauntonians Take
Important Part--Mr. Barton
Myers Address, Touching
on Conditions in End Dis
trict, Given in Part---Mee'
Next Year at Cape Charles

Charlottesville, Oct. Z. The fifth an
nual convention OF the League OF Vir-
inia Municipalities met at 80 O'Clock
last evening in the court house and
was welcomed by Mayor E.G. Haden
AMI Mr.. Charles G. Maphis, state
school examiner. Mayor H. II. Wayt
of Staunton, responded to the welcome
in few we'll chosen words He was
followed by ExMsyoF John s. Patton
who made the opening address.
DR.. Charles W. Kent OF the Univer-
sity discussed the topic, mistakes OF
American Cities, mot by finding fault
with their achievement or the lack Of
reform spirit, but by calling attention
to certain shortcomings.
MI. Charles E. Ashburner, general
manager of the city OF Stanton, ad :
dressed the convention on "The Citi.
zen's Duty in Municipal Government
His words were as follows:
Mr.. AsHRuRNER's ADDRESS
1t was suggested that sub nit a paper
to this convention upOl some phase
of municipal government, and it ii
with pleasure that add my mite to
the good work Of improving govern.
mental conditions which affect each
one of us.
It is very noticeable that the average
u American citizen takes little or no in
terest in the government OF his city
!, This is indeed peculiar when one lre
! calls the many different ways we arr
, affected by the legislation Of our rep
q resentatives from the cradle to tin
q grave. The infant, newly born,
affected by the health ordinances, sucl
as the control OF the milk supply, ant
in many other ways; the child by TIN
= educational laws; youth by the mora
!. atmosphere of the city and the adul
by all of the ordinances of the Cit
Code, and by some Of those unwritten
Is it not astounding that we Amer
cans, so keen to select the best presi
dent and board Of directors for an
company in which we hold even a smal
amount of stock, always watching
not only their election, but the full
filment of their obligations after cleo
: ton, find ourselves criminally negli
:, gent in our duties when it comes t
: electing the chief executive an
i council of our cities.
The quality Of the government
any city is determined by its people
: They, the people, are responsible
: they receive no dividends, that is
if they have high taxes and poor SCI
= vice and it is to the people that credi
must be given if the opposite Of thes
conditions prevails.
A good ,liv,, hustling, home lovin
0 people will not stand for bad govern
. ment, and as the large majority OF al
o Americans are honest and home low
+ ing it only remains to awaken then
d and to make them take the livelies
INTEREST III 6uoAI hOAAO 0ASAAo w oAe'AA1
Q form a negligent and shiftless admin
# istration into business proposition
1 do not mean to say, or even init
J. mate, that the majority Of America
! cities are not governed honestly. so ia
l. as the majority Of the officials al
= concerned, but do mean that ther
are many legislative bodies of me
hi who have the happy faculty of looi
1t ing out for number one and hooi
Il winking their co-leglslators, and
Is guard against these men gaining pow
IL or, is the duty Of every American cit
2. ZEN. The citizens duty 10 not hal
ID one; it merely consists Of informiu