Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-08-09

APPEAL TO

being carried on in behalf Of COM
mission government is to pick out
somebody for the goat" and train
all the guns on him. Create n
scandal, get the public Mortified,
ruin a few reputations-muck-rak-
ing. that's what the people like and
It Is only in that way that success
can be achieved in a political cam
paign. The last thing to do, we are
told. Is to appeal to Peo-
pie. that is the great majority of
them, simply viii not stop to rea-
son-but II somebody IL being
ssoaked," whether with justice Or
no it make no difference, the peo-
pie will sit up and take notice and
win rally around to see the fun-let
the victim sweat
There is a great deal in the past
political history to uphold this con-
tention. Just at present we do not
know what the Republican party
would do If 1t did not have Pres
ident Wilson to train its guns on. 1t
was eve thus. The savages picked
out their victim and the braves
gathered around and danced as he
was tortured at the stake.
But in this commission govern
ment campaign in Perth Amboy the
EVENING NEWS does not propose
to do any undertaking. There Is
to be no victim frying on the grid
die every day for the ediication Of
those who ind satisfaction in '-ch
things. In srjte Of the warning, the
EVENING NEWS is going to ap-
peal to the reason of the voters of
this city. That is what we are do
ing every day on the first page OF
this newspaper. We want the peo-
pie to realize for themselves that
commission government will be
beneficial to Perth Amboy.
There are plenty of things to find
fault with as far as the city govern
ment is concerned. 1t might be
possible, by inference and insinua-
ton, il not by actual facts. to stir
up a scandal-one for each day that
the campaign is or. But there is no
inclination to do that. In the first
place, much of the trouble with the
present city government, we believe.
IL due to the antiquated form and
the complicated system under which
we are working and the present city
ofscials cannot change that. Only
the people by their votes at the
special election on August IT, when
they are to decide whether or not
to adopt commission government,
can give Perth Amboy an up-to-
date method for the conduct of pub
lie affairs.
Responsibility is so divided under
our present form Of government
that no matter who 10 Jumped on"
he can always shift the blame te
someone else. People who have
tried to make complaints or who
have desired to get something done
that ofhcials were o inclined to
de-. know how hard it is at present
10 pin any one down. Give US COM
mission government and then it will.
be worth while to 'kick." With a
commission in charge there can be
no hedging or ducking and a kick"
on the part of any taxpayer can be
directed to exactly the right place
and there can be no escape.
II the people of Perth Amboy
cannot be appealed to through an
honest presentation of facts with
og. the customary victim. then there
Is little use trying to improve con-
diflons anyhow. Commission gov
eminent will concentrate and simp-
lify the handling OF municipal af-
fairs 50 that Perth Amboy can be
made a healthier. happier and bet
~ place to live and work in. 1t
= - s7es rssean. snd that sl0Fs'