The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-09-24
PUBLIC OPINION

1 To the Editor of the Farmer:
 Can it be that we are to have no more speeches from the throne of the Republican party in Bridgeport? In an address to the plain common peo- l pie, politely known as the voters of the city, MT. John T. King recently tried to defend Mayor Wilson's meth ods and policies, and promised that
 more such addresses would be issued. But now the mayor issues a long de- fence of himself. He tells us how much he favors Commission govern ment, though the wicked MT. Bolande
 prevents his views from being made known to the public in the Bo1ande- McNeiI newspapers; how desirable
 Warrentie paving really is, and how he saved the city from riot and blood shed by suppressing labor meetings on private property.
 To the voter well informed about political ayffairs~it will matter little whether MT. King orS MT. Wilson does the talking in defence of the Repub- lican city administration. MT. King I is offiee-holder anxious for higher honors. For appearances sake Mayor EWilson ought to defend his own course ] so far as it is defensible, and yet what \ he says will not have the authority or the royal flavor, with staunch mem bers of the Republican machine, that
 MT. Kings explanations and argu-
 ments might have
 The mayors argument in favor of l the Warrenite contracts virtually amount to asking the taxpayer: What l do you care whether Warrenite is an expensive pavement or whether there Twas competition in the letting of these contracts, if you get the streets inn tproved under me as mayor? His de- lfense of his course in suppressing la Ibor speeches on private porperty is not quite so frank as his reported ex-s lplanation at the time. that he believed ithere had ben enough discussion of the labor situation in Bridgeport. He l says now that his despotic use of the police was justified by the fac that since he broke up a meeting there has l been no loss of life and no destruc- 1 tion of property through labor troub- Hes in Bridgeport. This sort of arr 1 gument might be used to excuse any 4 policy or act,s however illegal, unjust I or brutal. MT. Wilson could argue as lconsistentIy that before he became mayor the population of the city was
 smaller than it is now; therefore, the city has grown because he has been mayor.
 I In effect, the mayors arguments Irevolve around the presumption that E any course that produces results which
 he believes to be good is proper for
 him as mayor. This is a dangerous presumption and MT. King would do well to point out it's dangers to MT. Wilson, for MT. King knows the fa1- lacy of the doctrine that the end jus tifies the means. A mayor or any
 other public officer should not at ltempt to produce even the best re- I suits by illegal measures-the ideal
 of the benevolent despot is not the Iidea1 of Americans. We need a mayor who will l<eepAwen within the law in
 who strains the law to let paving con- tracts to monopo1ists or to curry 7fa- Ivor with employers who dislike agi-
 tation of labor questions
 While the Republican party in , Bridgeport is so much under the dom- ination of MT. King and the office
 holders created by him, it cannot give Bridgeport the right kind of mayor.
 The opportunity to make a change is at hand. Let the democrats nominate , the right candidate and he will win
 against any Republican that MT King ' may nominate.
 And, by the way. why didn't Mayor
 Wilson say something in his address about MT. Kings garbage contract
 and about the number of horses in'the
 city employ bearing the J. T. K. ini- { tia1s on their harness? Is he afraid MT. Bolande wouldn't publish in his
 many favored newspa pers what he might write on this sub ject? I'll bet he } would. even in the '<on1y Republican
 Newspaper in Bridgeport" and Ii
 would be mighty interesting reading : for even Republicans.
 , PETER HUMMEL.
 (Resident of Bridgeport 42 years | 1r-xrr]rr~xr