South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-06-21
LINCOLN HIGHWAY. WEST, AND
G.. o. II, POLITICS.

making a political issue out of the az
fair that the committee has under con-
siderstion-except to make "a political
issue out OF it's just "a trifIe beyond
our comprehension. When the gentle
men met at the oliver hotel last Fri
day TO go over the alleged defects in
the building of the highway west Of
the city, and 10 consider the posi-
bilities. indeed. probabilities. of bad
job because Of inefflciently tested ce-
ment. poor mixing. and maybe. ILL
constructed foundation, e. cetera. we
regarded it confidentially as request
ed. and took those present at their
unexpTessed, but apparently intended
word. that the interest shown lay
more in getting a proper road than in
who was to constitute the next brace
OF county commissioners or the next
county surveyor.
We assumed this Notwithstanding
that the gentleman who presided over
the meeting. and later named the
committee. was a republican. and not
withstanding that a majority Of the
others present we're republicans. We
felt even more confirmed in the ap-
parent -partisanship of the move
ment when the committee was named
by this republican chairman, and, we
found quite as many democrats on it
as republicans. and even an occasional
bull mooser We still believe that it
would have been just as we'll for the
undertaking had confidence been
maintained and the committee been
left to go about its work in an ordi-
~ way without the advance sounding
Of trumpets. But seemingly it was
not TO be so. The trumpeter had 10 go
on ahead. The county commissioners
whom the committee met today have
had their title read clear-tO political
perdition,- not only that, but the
committee had been given TO under
stand pretty nearly what 20 say, and
how 10 say it, and how long to
stand on one foot and then on the
other in the midst Of their embarrass-
ment.
However. we anticipate that pretty
much everybody wants a good road
y
county commissioners and, perhaps
the county surveyor. We anticipate
that the average democrat is just as
anxious for it as the average repubu-
can. In our opinion il is more of a
question. particularly with the average
citizen, OF getting the possibilities and
probabilities of the road before the
commissioners. than it is a question
Of political affiliations: and, if not,
then we're off from it. If the issue is
political one, and those raising it are
doing SO for political effect, as our
Main ST contemporary is apparently,
though perhaps UncOnsciously, trying
20 make it appear we would about
as soon trust one set of politicians as
another. and as between republicans
and democrats it ought not be hard
for anyone TO guess where we are the
more likely to stand.
1t is not political question At
least, il ought not TO be. Political at
tack is the only thing in the world
that is likely 10 make il so. What the
commissioners stood in need of was
Surveyor Mcclellan, If any, was his
personal stubbornness, or cussedness,
rather than with his partisanship. Had
he lacked the techniCal-the expert
qualifications for superintendence of
the Lincoln highway job, but declined
TO concede it and admit OF the sub
stitute that we understand the com
nittee thinks should be made. it wasn't
because ne is a democrat. but because
he is Henderson McClellen. and he
would be the same If he were a repub-
ncan. a bull mooser. or even prohi-
bitionist or socialist. Republicans
have elected surveyors in this county
that have known no more than sur
veyor McClelleu knows. and who have
shown no more sense in the perform
ance OF their duties. We are glad
that the surveyor. m view of the
strong sentiment against his having
charge of this road building, due 10
the great expenditure OF money i'm
VOWED. decided TO get out from UNI
der i'll though evidently. up TO the
present. at least, ne had felt much
different about IT,
Properly the commissioners have
regarded the committee as citizens and
not as emissaries OF our evening con-
temporary. The noise from over on
Main st. was merely another case Of
billicose republtcanism the product of
a political ingenuity SO completely en-
veloped IN s. @. p. assinuty that IL
voices it even when II sleeps and
SHORES The question up is an inn
portant one. too important 10 be Diff
fused with political or partisan preju-
dice. unnecessarily distilled.
THE AMERICAN DOLLAR.