New Britain herald., 1930-07-03
THE ARI OF POLITICS

IUlHS lulHIS OH q pOLlL4CdA Dc-olS el- tirely he could play the game well as anybody: that he didn't wish to permit politics to he the yardstick Of civic conduct, but if driven to it he would measure of situations, problems and issues with such a yardstlch. or words 10 that gen. cral effect.
 There Is no doubt that any mayor under a charter giving such broad general powers to a mayor as does the charter of New EAitain. could swing the political yardstick in manner that might attract attention even further than the bounds of the city.
 Frankly, however, that isn't what a mayor is supposed to do, even when the charter gives him more powers than most other mayors possess. A certain amount Of restraint even under vexing circum- stances. tends to enhance the repu- tation of mayor for fair dealing, makes him a better mayor, and re- bounds to the ultimate advantage Of the city.
 IL is true, as the Mayor has sug- gested, that he was elected by the people and that he has their com- mission to rule to the best of his lights But the people also elected members Of the Common Council and in this dinarchy the Council also ! I3 commissioned to administer to the public veal according to it's lights. The Mayor, in our opinion, cannot l expect the Council to agree upon all his policies. No Mayor ever was quite that fortunate. 4 certain amount of verbal tussling and argu- ment is inevitable in this species of duarchy.
 Politics inevitably creep in on both sides No one ever remem- bers Common Council in this city which entirely overlooked political cxpediency upon occasion; and no Mayor to anyone's recollection ever O thing as politics Mir. Quigley may be be different; and if so, he is to be commended. But such commendd- ton will not come before he has had q chance 10 prove that he IS more disinclincd toward the political viewpoint than others. We may be wrong. but it has been our obser- vation that most officials have known their politics during certain emergencies,
 There is the little point Of politi- cal jobs, which have been bothering our Mayor recently.
 Everyone able to read and ob- l serve has known that political jobs are an integral part of politics; that without them to disburse fewer Of the faithful would be interested in politics to the extent of working for the cherished party Indeed, political parties never attained the full measure Of their success until rhe system of dispensing political jobs became regarded as one of the reasons for politics,
 There are different ways os work ing the system. of course. The "spoils system" means the diffusion Of jobs to the faithful on a large and extravagant scale. This system is on the down grade, The moderr method is more subtle, and by anC large involves fewer jobs and les outlay. But politics and jobs remain bedfelIous.
 There are different ways of goTt about this thing. When MT. Paonesss was Mayor he took occasion to refel 10 the unemployed and was keen ly conscious of the necessity to pro vide more work for laborers. Thi made him strong with q large v~n; population, but Mir. Paonessa de cided not to run for office agair and the strength with the unem ployed hence went for naught.
 Mir. Quigley is just as consciou Of unemployment and the need fo Paonessa. This is his duty. and it i a fine trait to see ones duty ant perform it instead of lodging il Mir. Quigley, too, cannot lose psliti cal strength by helping the unfor ; tunate; no official ever lost poltica strength in that way.
 Political organizations are kep up almost entirely through the DO litical job system The state politica organization, for instance-thal , which there is none more effective distributes thousands of jobs ant dispenses with millions of dollars ! The work would have to be don anyhow, but men and women Hh'