The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-10-03

planning instinct. l would on no ac-
count underestimate its value Yet
the final test of every system is found
in the answer TO the celebrated
Frenchman's question: will it
marchI' If our good citizens who
are now giving time and attention to
the making OF plans for the govern
ment of this great city Will keep
clearly In mind that an intelligent, IN
formed and upright citizenship Is e5-
sential. and that without this all plans
VIII go awry, and IL. In view of this
consideration, they will make their
organization first of all educational
seeking steadily and patiently to bring
me electorate If the city into inteili-
gent and earnest sympathy with their
own community and with it's great in
terests. they will do an enduring work
or immense, If not of Unreasonable,
value. Bad plans and bad men to ex-
ecute them. is the most deplora ble
state into which an organized com
munity can fall. Good plans with
bad men Is shade better. but still
'deplorable. Unsatisfactory plans with
good men may make life tolerable,
Good plans with good men will fur
nish, of course, the best conditions
only let 1t be borne in mind that
without strong, virtuous, far-seeing
men to administer our affairs our best
laid plans will gang-agley
Not Ready Made Affair
z. with some tfmidity / venture a
further remark. The organic law of
a great and growthful community like
ours is not a ready-made affair. which
can be on the moment handed down.
We began far back in the past as d
comparatively small community with
a relatively simple life. Our fathers
Gta tar ~ &aIxz
ciples and limitations which at the
time seemed TO be all that were neces-
sary Then as the community grew.
as IT interests became more various
ITS activities more complex. this state
fnent was enlarged or amended to
meet each new necessity that emery
ed.
The analogy Is not a perfect one
but the situation somewhat resem bles
that of the growth Of a home AT first
the house Is built TO meet the needs of
husband and wife, with possibly some
provision for one or two others who
may come to claim its shelter But
the family grows. the boys and girls
come In due course, and then they
grow into young manhood and woman
mood. Presently readjustments must
he made. new rooms must he added
and the house takes on different
aspect. And SO the inner life. too. of
the home. the habits of those who
dwell there, their activities, their
necessities, their aspirations-all these
bring continual changes, Now there
are two methods of meeting these
growing demands One we NAV call
revolutionary. We may raze the old
structure with all its memories and
associations and build upon It's site a
stateiier. roomier and more salts
factory mansion. Or we may meet
each new necessity as II arises and
make each addition responsive to the
new demand.
Revolutionary Proposal.
! What Is proposed now seems to be
/ largely revolutionary. / am not In
Weighing against 1t on this ground
am not intlmating that this is not
the best method possible to use in
I the conditions I am simply pointing
out that 1t is revolutionary 1t pro-
{ poses to toss into the discard many
results of the long experience of the
community as those results have found
permanent expression in the organic
law OF the city. Perhaps they ought
to go to the junk heap. I hold no
brief for the defense l do not claim
to be competent to discuss intelligent
ly the Issue or issues involved But I
do know that the new proposals con-
template nothing short of the utter
rejection of these gathered results as
junsuited to our present needs and I'M
worthy Of our respect and support.
1t Is immodest In one. fully conscious
of his own limitations. to raise the
question whether n better method
possibly would not be to discover one
by one existing defects and to seek
patiently to remedy them one by one
IVA n.
further. let me call attention to a cur
rent notion which has In 1t, as l think
large measure of truth and yet
which. II pressed too far, IL likely &c
work incalculable mischief One OF
the shrewdest and most successful
business men of my acquaintance gave
concrete expression to this doctrine
on which / am about to comment, the
other day by saving in my presence:
II cannot see why we cannot conduct
the affairs Of the city of Richmond as
l conduct my business?"
That goes to the heart Of the mat
ter Because the city of Richmond
for example, has tremendous bust.
ness interests which are of immense
moment to the comfort and material
happiness of its citizens and because
too often these business interests are
mot administered promptly and eff.
inCiently our people grow impatient
and clamor for an administration that
shall be fashioned wholly on the order
of some great business enterprise
They make the common mistake Of
pressing an analogy. which is true IL
part, beyond its proper limits. and sc
come out upon what seems to be 8
false and mischievous conclusion.
The city has tremendous business
interests, These interests do concern
the comfort and happiness Of it's peo-
Eple. They ought to be conducted il
the most efficient manner possible
There are many and important re-
spects In which the affairs OF the city
SO closely resemble the affairs Of q
great business enterprise as to b.
practically identical with them.
Involves Grave Issues.
This IS true. but 1t Is by no mean.
nil Of the truth. The city government
touches and Influences. and in a meas.
ure controls interests of the either
: which can IN no Just consideration OF
them be classed as business or ma.
| lterial, The health, the morals the
. political liberties. the .nnumerablt
spiritual concerns--using the tern
spiritual In contradistinction to the
| merely material interests--are al