The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-06-29
THE ALDERMEN ON TRIAL


 thorizing the director of public works to make a contract for S16OOOO worth of pavements.
 It is to be assumed, at least until events prove the contrary, that the aldermen have no interest in this contract, excepting a public in- terests and that they desire to keep their oaths of office They, having sworn to obey the laws, will be faced with the duty, of fighting their mistake, by resembling their illegal action.
 With respect to laying new pavements the aldermen have the power to name the streets in which the pavement shall be laid and the power to order the work done.
 The charter gives the power to specify the kind of pavement that shall be used, and the duty to contract for laying it to the paving eom- mission
 The aldermen may be excpsable for their. Eblunder of the past. They relied upon the ad- vice of the mayor, and some of their own mem bers, whose eagerness to lay particular type lof pavement is even now unexplained But the city attorney has declared the law. He probably took the position that he did with reluctance. It would only be natural that he should wish to give an opinion pleasing to the mayor who appointed him.
 If there had been in his mind doubt about the law he would have given the benefit of the doubt tosthe mayor
 With this opinion in front of them the all Idermen know what the law is, and know that their attempt to supervise and control the ex- penditure of this large sum of public money is entirely improper
 They have no excuse for doing anything but their duty Their business is to name the streets and order the work done. The rest is for the paving commission.
 It is hinted. however, that the aldermen, or some of them, do not intend to take this plain and legal course, which is demanded alike by public opinion and the law.
 In this case questions will be asked. The Evoters will desire to know why aldermen are so anxious to handle this money and lay this particular pavement that they are willing to ride roughshod over the law. | These questions will be very pointed ques- lions, aimed at the honor of the body to which \ they belong.
 It may appear that the future of the board | of aldermen as a part of the government of Bridgeport is involved. in this vote.
 It is no secret that a great many persons have lost confidence in the aldermen and that these persons propose government by conmis- sion Some of the friends of commission gov ernnlent are entirely selfish some of them are learnest and sincere advocates of it. But most f of all those who favor commission government do so because they believe that any kind of gov 4 ernment would be better than the kind that has been recently coming from mayors and alder men in Bridgeport
 x It is no secret that thousands of citizens, lscrutinizing the actions of recent common lcouncils with respect to expenditures of pulp lie money are not satisfied with the motives that have appeared to predonninate, and are not satisfied now, with the motives that seem to I predominate in the frantic attempts to lay a Iparticular kind of pavement outside of the us- ual authority, and, as the city attorney says outside the law
 Men usually court public opinion. This is aIespecially true of men who hold or seek office sIVVlen such men are found defying public opin- lion, in a gross manner it will always be assum- ed that there is a reason, and it will generally be assumed that the reason is not public, nor a creditable, nor even an honorable reason.
 We sincerely hope that the aldermen may lvote as they ought to. If they do not, the wrong that will flow from their action must chiefly rest upon them. It is not likely that what they do or do not do will much change the result, SC far as the public is concerned
 It must be that in this community there are citizens who will demand that the public money Ibe expended as a sacred trust, and who will challenge in the proper tribunals any action bS the aldermen that will not bear the test of law and conscience.
 If the aldermen do their full duty to the Ipublic, they will not be satisfied with rescind ling their action They will investigate the mo tives that prompted the expenditure of $16O,OO( without competition or bidding. Avators starting the need not depict their estates by paying advance for hotel commentators on the other side
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