The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-04
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

A city as new as Birmingham is bound to have some rough spots, but 1t is up to all of us to smooth them out as fast as possible.
 The old saying that Rome was not built In a day" is a comforting one to those of us who want to help forward the growth of Birmingham. can un- derstand that at times we get impatient. progress, look back 20 years. 10 years, yes, five years, and you can easily seq that many improvements have been made.
 While commission government has not gotten us all the things we had hoped for and while 1t has not brought about the team play that would have made it popular, still on the whole there are many who believe that with the proper commissioners, it can be made to solve many of our pressing governmental, SO cial and financial difficulties.
 
 Now. it takes more ability to govern U BTOWIHR ClLy lIh6 olIl1llu6 idAi biAoA As does one of the older and more settled cities, for each day new questions are arising that take both courage and ca pacity to handle. It takes merit of the highest order to be the head of city like the one in which we live and do business.
 Too many people seem to think, or by their acts lead us to conclude, that II does not make very much difference who is put at the city hall, that some how we can muddle through But is this all that we hope for Birmingham? Never was a leader more needed than at the present Tho hour calls for strong man, it Is true, but 1t also calls TOT man who Is willing to hear both sides or a question and who is not Identified with any special interests It calls for a fair man.
 It Is going to take a lot of money to run the city. It is going 10 take wise planning to prepare g oudget | that can be raised to meet the de- mands. Taxpayers have the right to demand of the candidates that they set forth their ideas on the financial problems before they take office. l have never known anyone who en- ! 1oyed tax paying. I believe, however if oould be made less burdensome if those responsible in imposing and raising them would show the rank and file how, why and where their money goes, and that none of it is wasted.
 while was bold to say that I hoped | the campaign would not be a dull one and that the candidates would put l "pep" into their speeches and give names, dates and facts, I did not mean to suggest that issues should be smoth- cred in personalities. I wanted the fireworks shot off to get the people te come out and hear the candidates ano sufficiently interested to face the facts as set forth by them and act upon them in an intelligent way.
 hope the campaign will not de generate into a vaudeville perform ance where people gather merely te hear the batter of personalities" bit of toshing may cause a laugh, but cut out the rough stuff. say this be l cause my friends are good -naturedly guying me and asking me If things have got warm enough to suit me? | I meant to try and warm up the fee1 of those who were gumshoeing, but didn't mean for them to set the towr city hall.
 am beginning to have my sympa
 thies aroused for Arlie Barber, whc
 complains bitterly that none of tht
 candidates or the newspapers vii jump on. him. Couldn't an arrangemen
 be made with George to let up ol ) Jim for a while and pay some atten
 ton to. Arlte? And then 1t might b.
 well for the friends of Jim to get hin
 to quit talking about George and de
 vote sometime to Arlle.
 No one believes that there Is reall. , any bad blood between George Ward Dr. Barrett and Arlie Barber bu . many think too many innocent by islanders are being roasted. Now, ther fs my cherubic friend, pr. Dickinson who is boldly being accused of being T. A. There is Scudder Rya11, who say , he isn't an issue. I merely cite thes } two for they can stand publicity, bu
 there are others who do not like 1t.
 We'll it is a part of the politica
 game to throw mud and kick up sant and we Americans are so accustome to 1t that the sand doesn'tp blind us o
 the mud stick to our feet very Ions
 am glad that after election day fe,
 cherish malice. The hullaballoo will las . another week and then whoever get
 the job let's stand by him and hel 5 him make good. This is what al 3 going to do.
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