The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-25
RESPONSIBILITY on THE pEoPL f.


Administrative Board hangs on the character OF
she men who shall he namtd BY the Peopie u
SIN these novel city Offices We have 'rfed 70
reIpt out that tae Beard itself constitutes great
experiment /, should. in oil, conscience be given
A fair trial To place it in the hands oil men
whose business is politics IL to, tn tn" very
beginning nuilisy ITS usefulness az business
pYopositian That this is the danger when
rsreatene Richmond in its serious effort TIC come
4ts- tstr.t1nn.,to business basis
no obs .vant person can deny.
There ere candidates fer the Administrative
r,osrd ho could not administer small business
Worse. GONE Of the inen-ot small ability ard large
ambition in thu latter respect count with reason
sn theit host TREY men who know the
game They ara men who for one or the other
r,ason have sfscial spheres Of influence which
rhsr think Will put them across" To them 1t
matters no, at a that II elected, they will com"
10 the performance Of rsw and highly technical
a,,,ss absolutely without experience. The jobs
the thiae And tka any sef-~ilIed American
who takes the notion. they after the Job
rust bore IN where the sober sense OF Richmond
has great opportunity to assert Itself. All OF
az know tbs FACILITY with which the smiling cam
hssate GER corral our votes because We have not
the surrice courage. ia speak. 10 spit In
mans face when he asks q favor Every man
of reasonably n,atur, years who reads this edi-
toria can recall instances in which he has gone
20 the polls In the determination to stand by a
shoughtloss promise. and voted against his con-
victfous In this matter. which invorves the ques-
tion whether or not Richmond shall have bust
ness adainistraton. the important thing In the
mrs, instance is 10 pledge Yourself to nobody;
and the important thing in the next instance is
70 vote for NOBODY whom, non partisan re-
Election ynu do not consider capable Of running
three million dollar year business The test
Of this vote is largely rest OF the imasinaton.
Yon are employing general manager of
highly specialized highly organized business OF
great dimensions Whom would you employ
An inexperienced novitste III executive manage
Yeatc Echo answers Not" Yet when 1t comes
10 the matter of employing men to run great
civic business. there Thousand reasons
offered why the individual with the hearty hand
shake the affabie smile. the special fraternai
Animation. should lie given by the community
position with which 10 level headed business man
would think OF entrusting him
The Whole problem of this Administrative
Board romes DOWN TO tho question Of whether the
neorle os Richmond going TO persuade them
selves thar they are doing something. the while
the, are doing nothing. or whether they purpose
:s a serious questior. calling for sacrifice or
rnore thar one sort The other day we saw
a man solie, political vote for his brother.
When ,he man solicited expressed his honest CON
victior wlthou, possible offense. the solicitor
turned c,, has heel In abrupt departure. To get
good Administrative Board the people Of Rich
rnond have got 10 face the possibilities Of enmi-
ties from thasn who look ON office as thing TO
he cajoled out Of The public. rather than as some
thing which by sake Of ability they have the
right 70 demand ,~9.s. ,--.,e.e
&c The virgfnian was against the proposed plan
o. convention 10 supersede the primary for the
election Of these officers. We make solemn
n appeal to every voter to put aside personal con-
siderations. to vote in the interest of the city
to forget politics as 1t is known to the extent Of
setting himself against Its known opponents. II
II 4 business matter. This Is supposed TO be a
business and Industrial city. No longer exists the
Gction Of the partnership OF business and pro
q fessionai politics. Whenever that Issue has beer
fairly drawn. honest business has made the popu
lar and winning appeal. Professional politics
has gone by the board. II II has survived 1t ha,
Il been because honest business went to sleep. This
4 hope OF q business administration In Richmond
cOnsists IN the determination OF business--mean
u Inn the business which all Of have m city
4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS itself in the first. place
s and standing hy IL colors In the second
. MARKING BACK 10 Old CoNDTTI oNs.
II y evident that the amendment to the Con.
s(safion which provides for popular elections OF
b Enlt<a States Senators viii have to await the
T1sult ~ this Fan elections before II be sub.
nIft41 70 The people. The opposition OF the
usness Organizations