Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1911-01-24

written Specially for The Bulletin)
The first city election in Haverhill
under the new charter was held in
December, 1908. In order that in each
annual elections to follow two alder
men might be chosen for two year
terms of Office, in the first election two
aldermen were chosen for one year
and two aldermen for two s-ears. In
1909, then, but two aldermen were to
be elected. Both men whose term of
Office then expired We're candidates
and were elected by a majority that
was a compliment to their own person
al service and to the administration as
a whole. III 1910 a mayor and two
aldermen were to be elected All three
men whose terms Of office expired were
candidates for reelection. In opposi-
ton to the mayor as candidate was
an alderman who had been reelected
in 1909, and who had served but half
of his second term. He presented his
resignation as an alderman to take
effect January 2. 1911. when the new
municipal year would begin. He was
fluent platform speaker and he
spoke In all sections of the city and
many times, attacking severely the
administration of which he had been
part but with the dominant part of
which he differed, on the grounds of
a misleading financial statement, a
violation of the spirit of the publicity
clause of the charter, a breaking of
faith with the public in the matter of
the public ownership of the gas and
electric lighting plants. and some 9TH
err minor matters. The two aldermen
who sought reelection were opposed,
the one by an ex-mayor who was the
city's executive for the five years from
1904 to 1908, the other by an ex-alder
man of the former mode of govern
ment. Both these opposing candidates
were fluent and spirited speakers, and
both spoke Moons and evenings in the
public squares. and halls, attacking
with great earnestness the administra
ton. The candidates who were in Of
flee adopted the policy of silence.
Personally no one of them was II
ready platform speaker, and no one
spoke for them. They rested upon
their public record. The result was
vote of $3.50 against 1853 for his OPP
ponent; the ex-mayor won the cleo
ton as alderman, and the other alder
man was reelected. The alderman
who had resigned his office to become
candidate for mayor, then, acting
under exelent legal advice. claimed
that as his resignation did not become
operative until January z, he had the
right to withdraw it at any time be-
fore that date This he did, and re-
NAMED an alderman of the municipal
council.
The result of the election, although
it returned the mayor and one alder
man and defeated the reelection of
the other alderman,-a very able, hon
est and worthy off1cia1,-coufd not be
construed as an endorsement of the
administration nor could 1t be charged
to any weakness of the charter. In
deed, in so far as it was a rebuhe the
ground for such rebuke was the belief
that the administration had not OBJ
served the spirit of the charter. This
belief should have been dispelled. The
policy of silence was a mistaken one
The attacks of the opponents should
have been met by full, frank and often
repeated explanations, made SO clear
that the ordinary voter might under
stand that the administration had had
in mind the observance of the charter
and the interests of its citizens. Dig
nifty is an excellent thing, but it is not
a complete defence when political at
taclls are made. The public is sensi-
tive. and it is also, responsive. It
leans syrnpatiietically to that official
who seems to take 1t into his conf
dence, and who explains not only his
acts but the motives and reasons for
such acts, and it is inclined to resent
the failure or the indisposition to give
such confidence.
Twelve years ago the gas commits
sion of Massa chusetts ordered the
Haverhill Gas Light company to fur
nish gas in the city of Haverhill at
80 cents per 1000 feet the rate then
being 81 per 1000 feet. The Gas Light
company by legal distractions had
prevented this rate becoming effective,
and the city Of. Haverhill had been
unable to compel such reduction. 1t is
possible, however. for a municipality
to establish municipal gas plan.,
either by purchase or by installation,
If, after recommendation by two sue
cessfve city governments, the matter
is submitted to popular vote and in
dorsed by such vote. The municipal
council of IIarverl1ill passed in 1909
votes submitting to the citizens the
questions of the municipal ownership
of the gas plant and the electric light
plant. That such questions should be
submitted it YVES necessary that the
municipal council of 1910 should af-
firm by vote the action of the nuniei-
pal council Of 1909. Now the munich
pal council used this proposed action
as means to obtain concessions
from the Gas Light company, and
when such concessions were satisfae-
tory to the administration the meas
ures for submitting the matter Of nu-
nicipal ownership of the gas plant to
the people were withdrawn. AS q
business proposition it is undoubtedly
more to the financial advantage of the
citizens to have a private corporation
furnish gas under the concessions OBJ
tanned than to have tla CITY f11rniysll