The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-04-08

WHAT WILL THE ANSWER RE2r|
So isg as known there is at present
no petition out for The commission
form Of government. That there win
be one is. as certain as the stars will
shine again When there is no poll.
teal obiees 10 be gained and no one
Can object 10 the plan as being per.
sonal attack, why not get down to
facts and be fair 10 people Of this city
who must pay the taxes and meet
sASs''oT So one ever @aA s,Ectl
lneeting Of any citE'6E iigO00 inhabit-
ants but could feel there is some
fhng radically wrong. Ii Is not a
matter of men-it Is matter of
strict business and progress. All
know that an alderman, elected from
ii ward where there is more or less
L cal interest at stake and who draws
the pay OF a day laborer not TO ex-
coed once per week, can not give
much Of his time to his position.
that he can not stay informed on all
tic various questions which will CON
front him from session TO session
Without neglect of his own business
or 20 the great detriment Of the city
at large.
Commission form Of government is
q modem system. II means that men
cleeted io'office must fulfill their df.
ties affa, 40 excuse is taken for their
failure so 70 do. 1t gives adequate
return forribe work done and expects
results Guthrie, the capital city, and
lust on the biggest growth in its en-
ire history. must get into the game
uf city building now In progress IN
this state. As municipality it must
stand to the fore. There is no ex-
cuse for falteying; present methods
viii not do; past excuses are of no
avail. The city can not recede: 1t
mist not. Il has to 60 forward and
10 place 1t where it has a right TO
be requires business judgment sound
action and prudent guidance.
NO doubt many who have opposed
or advocated commission form of
GOV ernment allowed the prejudices
of past years to get into such advo-
Cacy, 10 the detriment of all of us
Tut the system and the results we
are TO obtain therefrom are para
mount and transcend the importance
of any one individual . or syndicate
OF individuals Partisanism is i'm
possible lnder proper commission
form of government--were it other
wise the dominant party can always
eject its men. Most naturally the
dominant party, ifSit seek so to do,
viii have to elect good men, and that
is matter no good citizen will OBJ
Ject to-
The plain statement that there Is
no city Of 10000 inhabitants within
the United States under aldermanic
form of government that is well gov
erned or can be, has been so repeat
edly proven no one seeks to deny it.
II is impossible. Why then, If some
political cabal wishes to rule, Is that
outfit afraid to present its case or
candidates. TO the whole people? Do
such men mean to admit that elm
il alton Of ward lines destroys their
efficiency? Do those who hollow
loud and long about public work be-
Ing stopped because Of the change
mean to plead guilty of being in lea
quo with disreputable contracts?
In ten years Guthrie has paid s700-
600 toll to bad jobs and incompetent
officials; las passed from the sec
ond city OF the state further down
the line; from prosperity to the hui
initiating point of seeing a city at
torney confess judgment on 81 ac-
count, the judgment paying the at
tcrney aforesaid s25. Previously this
cid not cost so much because other
cities were In the same boat. Now
II is different. viii we change or
viii we ride along on the same in
So cure current and eat Of the huslSs
when all might wallow In prosperit s!
The people alone can change this
VIII they? VIII the political buc-
cancers listen to the call Of right and
necessity, or will they ride Guthrie
| tC her DOOM
L