The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-03-21
what he believes to be right and for
the hest ;nterest of the cityp

Can man be a good citizen and re-
main at home on election day. refrain
| from casting his ballot for the man
or measure he believes to be right?
do not care who you are nor how
often you pray for clean city nor
how much money you may have nor
how busy you may be if you will +
show it by doing in an unselfish way t
all you can to have a clean business
city government.
A good citizen will not knowingly I
shirk his duty. Too many of US I
shirk back from political service be- 7
cause, at times it is disagreeable I
Others are immersed in business; so
completely absorbed in their own in |
terests that they turned over the |
government of the city to incompetent
officials. Many of the so-called good
citizens use their city as CONNER
, cial convenience. They make it
rule to put into the city as little as
possible and get all out of it possible. /
! These men treat the city as though
q it were a COW. They milk their own
! little pail full and sneak off to the
house to drink it, not caring snap
, what becomes of the COW. So is the
! man who enjoys the privileges, pro.
lection and liberties of a city govern
ment and will refuse to make sac
a rifice by means of which his city may
= be made better.
e Right here have touched the
: tender spot Here is the secret why
:, our cities, many of them, are cess
. pools of iniquity--W our good,
: respectable citizens have been busy
!; piling up their fortunes or trying to
!; do So an army of ward politicians.
:. political bosses, grafters, have been
- busy trying to accomplish the same
:. thing except they have been doing it
:, in different way. Both parties after
- the same object-the dollar
- Mr. Bryce, one of our fairest critics
- says that the government of our
- cities is the one conspicuous failure of
- the United States Another, Mr.. Al
:. bert Shaw, has said that our cities
- are the worst governed cities in
~ christendom.
- May | ask quietly why it is that
~. ~ saloon to about every S75 of the
~ population and still hard UP for
=. money? Dirty, dusty streets. No
~ money to keep even one clean street?
- 1t is just little suspicious. Some
:, thing must be rotten this side of Den
~ mark.
~ Taxpayers of Keokuk, what do you
ipJ- oh Arc wi
:. ~ continue in the same old rut or
~ seize the presents opportunity and
clean house?
od | think the time has come to dc
er, some genuine cleaning. Not by the
TO- new process-the vacuum cleaner
lu- leaving everything on the floor lindis
ns turbed, but in the old fashioned way
al Take out the furniture, take up the
est carpets and rugs, secure good scrub
brooms, soap and sand and do a gen
uine job.
Citizens of Keokuk the time il
for ripe for just such cleaning.
The most of us believe in our city
Believe that 1t has great FUTURE
. is already city on a hill that cal
not be hid Soon its light is to ligh
a up the whole Mississippi valley iron
to be the dynamo. Hundreds of mile
in every direction wires will b
stretched along which light and powe
will run to light homes and store
and turn the wheels of cars and fat
"a tories.
Capitalists will come with million
to invest and to make our city thei
" home. The population will double i
a few wears. New factories and shop
will be erected. This is our vision
ITO This is but an outline of the future {
our city
To bring about this, much will d.
eat pend upon us as citizens. Much wi
lich depend upon our city government.
less What kin dof men have we in o
'Wn fee? Are they capable, clean, bus
, inc ness-like and unselhsh? Right nov
,d Tia is our opportunity. Soon we are
yep. have the commission plan of COVER
md ment The best form of city Cover
Jher ment to date But no form will ri
N | itself The kind good or bad, will d
'ulu pend on the kind of men we elect f
mo office.
My On tomorrow at the pores you w
lie, + say just the kind of men you war
lths Just the kind of government you war
1t is up to you and to me to say VIII
W kind of men we want Whining al
ahle fault-fnding will not make cle'
AN. city. but voting Will.
oils, Every christian man who renal
away from the poles on election d
EMU ought not to complain if compete
rove men are not elected to office. Chr
70, Ode tian men, if YOU love God and M
and home, wake up and tomorrow
dis busy all day, using your influence
ould giving your time to the electing
oubt good, clean men for office
am have heard you pray for the W
'iieii fare of our city-Do not put the wht
IL. lob on the Lord, but go out and
To ms n