Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1913-04-04
LET Us HAVE LIGHT.


LET Us HAVE LIGHT.
The World refnained, prior to Tues
days election, from asking too many
questions of the men who were candi.
dates for places on the city commits
sion, lest the idea get abroad that it
was seeking to find fault with or 10
embarass such candidates. Now that
the election is over and the winners are
known, it has no such qualms. 1t feels
that in common with other business H.
terests and will all citizens, it has the
right to know Just what the new COM
mission has in mind to advance the in
terests of Devils Lake.
Before election, Mr.. johnson, Mr..
Mann, ct ais, announced themselves as
candidates ON the broa dplatform Of #
Aciency, economy and law enforcement.
That was a platform good enough to
got into office ON and we hope that it
will be good enough to stand on now
that the commission 10 safely in ofiee.
But deficiency, economy and law
enforcement" are Offering generai-
ties. There is nothing specific about
any one Of the three terms, which
used without sincerity OF an. intelli.
gent idea Of what they mean are as
"sounding brsss and tinkling cymbal.'
We have always been Of the opia-
ion that this has been u most Efficient
" governed city, but II it Il in Is bad
case q the men who have Just been
elected to Office say: and have repeat
eddy said that It Il, and Il the men who
have been at the head Of affairs for
some time: are as great lascals and
gra4ters as the. 'ournal has declared
them to be, then we want to remind
the new offcihs that this is.no time
for "wind- jamming'' and empty prom.
ises.
There are neformers and reformers.
The first kind are those mon who bat.
tie for what they honestly believe TO
BE right because It Is night; and be.
cause they honestly desire to help their
fellow men and the city, state OF ua-
ton in which, they live. IT.
kind are those who yell "stop thief"
"1ascal," CRATER" ETC., until they
have aroused the popular discomfort,
succeeded in electing themselves to
Office and who then ''lie down on the
job" and are eventually discharged
BY the people for ineficiency, extrava-
gance and disregard Of the law"
And The World confeeses to Ger
tain amount Of curiosity as to just
which kind Of reformers the city has
elected to Office.
Every man selected as commission
er is successful business or profess
sional man, Each Of them is Of prov
en- private; honor. Each Of them has
declared fog deficiency, economy and
law enforcement. /" What will the har-
vest bei,a:oan
The journal, with almost preternat.
hral gravity, informs us that "the
affairs Of the city are In q most de-
plorable condition. IF this is true
here is fine chance for the new com
miss'oners to get busy at once, and If
they are SO inclined they might toll
the public just why and how they pro-
pose to remedy such condition and then
60 and do It. That is efficiency.
We have been told repeatedly that
our present city officials are extrava-
gent and even something worse. Here
Is an excellent chance for. the new
commission to SHOW up" its predeces
sors and at the same time exemplify
that much abused word, economy.
And then there is that other glitter
ing phrase, "law enforcement, These
two words have been worked overtime
in the late city campaign. Law en-
forcement, in North Dakota, is gener-
ally taken to mean enforcement Of the
prohibition law. The enforcement Of
! this law is right up to the new COM
7 mission. They are well equipped for
the work, one Of the commissioners be-
h ing member Of the Law Enforcement
League. Whether they viii pinch the
little offenders and let the big ones 60.
or whether they will blur and stall
and do nothing, remains to be seen.
B Lew enforcement means a great deal,