The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-12-04
RULE OR RUIN.

day which calls for men, broad-mind-
ed and strong enough to stand for pub
lie veal against private gain; men who,
in the face Of public opinion, can stand
for that which is right, against the
pettiness Of personal animosities and
In spite Of private hatreds.
Within the past week there has
been injected into Pensacola one of the
most vicious and subtly dangerous
poisons which has ever menaced this
community-an injection which may
yet SO pollute the life blood of this
community as eventually to kill much
that is good and to give sustenance to
that which is evil The Journal re-
fers to the injection Of national poll
tics into business association.
For many years the people Of PEN
lsacola have been seeking opportunity
for expansion. Pensacola, for SO long
held down until its inertia became ira
ditional and ii was reputed to rest
under curse, long since has shaken.
land stands today at the gateway Of
success OF many kinds, with roads
leading into many avenues of COM
Emeree and industrial activity.
AT this time OF opportunity. at the
hour when this city is just catching
step with the progress OF other cities:
at this time when we are seeking new
capital and urging new enterprises,
are mans political beffefs to be held
against him, and is he to be made the
subject Of outrageous inuendo and the
target for poisoned arrows Of infany
because he happens to be q gepublican2
II the fact that man has made his
home In a community for many years
and has made a good, forward looking
citizen-has done his part well, COM
mercially. publicly and in his private
life. has helped in building up the
community In its various civic actiyi-
ties, has given of his time, effort ard
money, in many. ways and through
many channels is not protected from
assault, how may this city ever hope
to grow, and what right have its citi-
zens to reach out to those of either
communities and ask their coopera-
Ition in building up this municipality
The injection of national politics
into the community life at this time
viii certainly not tend to help this
community in any way. If Pensacola
Is not big enough and broad enough
TO admit mans worth, irrespective Of
whether he is a republican or a DEM
ocrat then the best thing for this
community to do, here and now, is to
look no farther for any expansion, but
to be content to remain always q one
street and one-horse town.
What Pensacola needs today is new
blood and more money. When we
seek for new men to come into this
community to share our lot and to
build this city to the proportions that
lit should reach, are we going to first
TASK them their political affiliations, or
are we going to keep this back of us,
to use as a club, at any time they are
so unwise as to take some public step
that may displease q few ring poll
ticiansg
The Journal has always stood for
democracy, and has fought many hard
battles in national politics, but those
/ battles have been fought in the open
and fought when national campaign
was in order and to that will be con-
fined
II a man cannot make his home in
Pensacola, to which he has given the
very best that he had to give, and look
to 1t at least for fair treatment, it is
/ safe to say that he win go elsewhere
to make his home.
Certainly, Pensacola cannot hope to
go forward and become a real center
Of development unless men who come
to this community to make their home
may at least feel assured Of being al
lowed to live and let live, without
whatever private or personal beliefs
or predictions that may be theirs
becoming an issue in the community
life.
1t may be said that there Is no such
danger. That the attack that was
made the other day was the attack Of
one man, under cover. But there is
danger, and that The Journal knows.
| for before that attack was made. in a
conversation with prominent leader
IN ring politics much the same at
tack was made on one of these PEN
sacola business men.
What the people of Pensacola need
Is to drop such petty differences and
work for the up-building Of this COM
fmunity in every honest and legitimate
way burying personal animosities and
private spites. and measuring a man
by what he is and does, not by his
political faith which IS his inalienable
right, as citizen Of this republic.
Can it be that there is a clique in
Pensacola that believes that it must
rule, and in order to consummate that
end are willing to bring ruin upon
the entire community?