The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-04-17
People by their Ballots, Unhampered and with
no Favorites to Play, Spoke in
No Uncertain Terms.
MA GNITUDE OF VICTORY SURPRISED
FRIENDS OF COMMISSION GOVT
is CONSIDERED LARGT, WHEN 1T WAS CUES
TIoN DEcIDED-sTRENcTH
OF OPPOSITION WANTED SINCE BEGINNING OF MOVEMENT.

Hattiesburg keeps in the line of
progress.
By vote of 4S7 to Ia the move
ment to restore the citys affairs to
ward politicians was repudiated at
the polls yesterday. 1t was stinging
rebuke to the coterie who would make
a political football of HatUesburgs
business interests.
The city stands forth today bigger
and better Hattiesburg for having |
come through the crisis, and the
splendid victory for commission gov
ernment here will disarm the politi-
clans in other communities where
they have been using as an argument
against good government distorted
statements that this city was tired of
the experiment and clamoring for the
old order of things. The victory for
municipal government run on business
principles will encourage the friends
of good government throughout the
country and make the fight for repre-
sentative government easier of attain
ment.
The victory was even greater than
the friends of commission government
expected and showed conclusively that
the fatherless movement to overthrow
successful government was resented
by a large majority of the voters. 1t
showed further that the wage-earners,
laboring men and small taxpayers
know what is best for them and that
they could not be led astray by ap-
peals to class prejudice and the bun
combe arguments that commission
government is not representative.
Ring and ward politics was given
its death blow by the avalanche of
votes, voicing the indignation of the
voters against the attempts to again
get hold of the reins of city govern
ment. The protest was so strong and
the victory so complete that it may be
safely taken that the day is far distant
when another movement will be inau-
gurated to change the form of munich
pay government, and when that day
does come it will be to try something
that is an improvement on Commission
Government and not to take a back
ward step.
Many of those citizens who voted to
abandon commission government did
so conscientiously and because they
did not have a true understanding of
conditions, or were misled by argu-
ments that no longer appeal to the ma
jority. From the ranks of that part of
the opposition will come some of the
strongest friends of commission gov.
ernment when the system has had
time to demonstrate its great superb
ority over all other forms of municipal
government. There are others who
will never be satisfied, for government
without politics loses all its attractive
ness for them.
The friends of commission govern
ment never felt uneasy as to the out
come of the special election provided
the voters could be sufficiently aroused
to eXericse their ballots, and the re
: suit shows that the confidence in tn,
: people was not misplaced. Activ,
work to bring out the vote was 10
begun until few days ago and tn
: big vote cast in favor of a contiKdanc
e of good government shows the resul
/ of that work. Acquainting the voter
it with the real facts about the city's a
3 fairs also had splendid effect, as tn
e toppositicn started off stronger than
s. finished--the vote against commissio
id government falling far short of tn
lt number of original signers of the p
n tition asking for the election. Mar
Of the signers Of that petition eth