The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-03-24

TODAY'S DUTY

Good government calls for the separation of politics and
city administration. The duty of good citizenship today
is to vote at the primaries for a city administration which
will mean the application of business principles to the con-
duct of the affairs of the municipality.
The Muscular is earnest in its advocacy of the can
didacy of William H. Houston because we believe that
the election of Mr.. Houston will be for the best interests
of the city. His record as commissioner is we'll known.
There is nothing to be said against it. AS head of the de-
partment of public safety, Mr.. Houston has given the city
an administration of efficiency and economy which should
commend him to every citizen who honestly desires to see
MssOula well governed.
The police department costs the city of Missoula $4,000
a year. The books at the city hall show that, thus far this
year, there have been paid in the police court fines
amounting to $1,000.
Thus, with some time yet to e1apse before the end of the
fiscal year, the police department has more than paid for
itself. And the city was never as we'll polced as it is now.
There is a reason for this. Bill Houston knows his bust
ness. He is one of the best officers in the northwest.
His men have confidence in him. And the public has GER
tainly had sufficient demonstration of his worth to share
that confidence.
There is opposition to Mr.. Houston's candidacy. During
the past fortnight there have been some bitter attacks
made upon him. No man can faithfully perform public
duties and not make some enemies. Especially is this true
of the man who directs a police department.
But the chief opposition to the Houston candidacy has
not come from the classes which are naturally opposed to
the enforcement Of the law. 1t is from dsgruntled poll
tcans and soreheads that most of the bitter talk has
emanated. The opposition to Houston has its source in
the desire of machine politicians to carry politics into the
city administration. These men have no thought as to the
welfare of the city; they merely wish to get out of office
the man who has refused to let politics influence the
handling of the citys business.
The Missoula Sentinel, spokesman for this gang, has as
serted that Houston is incompetent and inefficient. The
committee of ten, Saturday, made the Sentinel back up on
that score. The committee showed that Mr.. Houston S
administration has been efficient and economical. 1t
proved the utter falsity of the Sentinels assertions.
So it is with all the attacks that have been made upon
the administration and upon Mr.. Houston as a member of
the administration. Whether they come from men who
have been dismissed from the city service for incom-
potency, from other men who have been disappointed in
not getting positions in the city employ, from men who
want to build up a city political machine-it makes no diff
ference where they come from, these attacks have been
and are absolutely false.
Houston has made a splendid record. Every citizen who
desires to see a business dministration-efficien and eco
to the city to vote for Houston in today's
primary election. The Houston vote should be so large
as to rebuke emphatically the Hessian attempt to misrepre-
sent and abuse a good officer and good citizen.