New Britain herald., 1916-02-16
THE COMMON COUNCIL.

ld are scrutinizing the horizon in ar
 fort to secure good candidates tc
 present their respective parties. IT M cir zeal to select men who will draw
 rge votes they are apt to overlook
 e fact that these men, if elected
 Il be required to give their best
 forts, to the welfare of the city and
 fore they decide whom they shall
 pose for their tickets they should
 op and ask themselves whether the
 initiates of'their choice are capable
 q deserving of public stewardship. #8 Tn the past, unfortunately, party
 kanagerss selected candidates be-
 use of their nationalities and the
 has suffered This method of se-
 eting candidates is reflected in the Y esent common council, an arm of
 e municipal government whose inn 2 rtance is frequently ignored. It Is 8& exaggeration to say that there are Ken insthe common council who could
 succeed in private business 1dSh oA cep111Iys dSb1iiCiis Suu-
 tion, or, common sense. How, then, &n they expect to be successful as #N manager of such an enormous x sinessaas conducting the city of New l -itain?
 # Nationality should not be quail #ation of fitness for office. Unfor-
 nately, it is so considered. That is
 tactical politics. But when practical ! litics interferes with the welfare # the city those who practice prac-
 ,a1 politics should not be permitted # ffered in the past from practical
 Iitics and will probably continue to 8ffer in the future because those in
 wer are loath to step aside even 8ough their doing so would benefit SNe community in which they earn # eir daily bread.
 ## Those who are acquainted with the 8 csent common council realize that seree are men holding office there who Sae totally unfit, either by nature or
 ility, to form part of the city gov
 nment They were nominated be- @ use of their nationality, not because I'M any particular fitness for office. 8 ,nsequently, the common council is Battered with deadwood, men who
 ver leave their seats to debate on
 y subject and who vote as they &&e their leaders voting. They sell Sl m visit the city hall except for
 Meetings of the council or committees. hey show no active interest in New &&ritain and probably do not under
 hnd what it is all about. Never < e1ess, it is within their power to X end hundreds of thousands of dol rs Leaving aside politics, are these Re properrmen for the common coun-
 
 < Who is to blame? Not the people, 4 scause they must vote for those who
 se nominated. Not the men who are [ &ected, because they are only human # ad it is human nature to love power x Id public recognition. There are Dry few men, who, if nominated, &ouId decline the honor. because they
 sten to the honeyed words of the : Politicians who tell them they will be & acfed, Than 1t must be that the &,1ificians themselves are to blame |ad that comes very near laying the &nger on the seat of the trouble. &hese politicians are answerable and aey should be held to "strict ac- Duntability'' by the people. Their @ ares should be rejected and if they Iare allowed to do any offering at all, < aaey should be forced to offer men of hen brainy men, who can and will # SC their minds for the benefit of New z& ritain.
 8 Because poor timber has been elect
 nto disrepute The public has little x #onfdence in it and the press, be- sause of it's familiarity with the men z yI1o hold office in the council has less @onhdence in it. Membership in the H@ody appeals to very few men of @tanding for obvious reasons.
 A This is not intended as an arraign- 88nent of all the members of the coun- Fl or of any particular nationality zAhere are good aldermen and good
 onncilmen, but they are few and far b beEween and could be counted on the Ringers of one hand. And there are
 thers who are merely wasting their # wn time and that of the public. The #oeopIe can remedy the situation this 8pring when a number of vacancies