The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-12-06

kFN$NSAA ess could not whip a bowl of cream.
 'Whatl" roared the outraged Bartley, T can't punch, huhP Why, listen, I'll fight that guy FOR NOTHING".
 Such an astounding offer could not fail to be noticed and the late Bill McGeehan of the New York Herald Tribune wrote 8 cole umn on it which remains a class ic. He wound up by demanding that 8 sanity commission be ap- pointed to examine MT. Madden who was evidently the victim of @ form of mania which if un- treated might infect other fight CTS to such 8 degree that they would give up all thought of slugging for pelf and insist on fighting for the fun of the thing. The result, in MT. Mo- Geehan'S estimation, would be that the Manly Art of Modified Murder" developed down the years by the toll and heartache of fight promoters and prize- fighters managers would perish from the earth. It was carrying the "Art for Arts Sake' stuff to intolerable extremes.
 
 No Precedent
 On Tuesday last Thomas J. Spellacy took the oath of office as mayor of Hartford and made his first official statement. The utterance was model of good taste, sincerity and unpreten- tieusness. In 1t MT. Spellacy an- nounced that in view of the cir- cumstances incident to his selec- tion as mayor he was dividing the salary attached to the job among three Hartford hospitals to provide nursing service to in- digent patients who would other wise be deprived of 1t. It was a generous act and one altogether in keeping with the character of the real MT. Spellacy. But if 1t is to set a precedent to be fol- lowed by succeeding mayors of Hartford, to say nothing of the heads of other municipalities in the state, the list of aspirants for the office will reach the vanish- ing point. Serving as the chief executive of any city is a difficult job under the very best condi- tions but to expect anyone to take on the task for sheer love of the commonweal is to spread Bartley Maddenism into a field of activ- ity where it has no place. More ever it Is forcing the dawn of the political millennium too rapidly to be natural.
 Out to Lunch
 If Mayor Spellacy's first official speech expressed an intention which has brought forth nothing but praise even from sources which insist he is only political "spoilsman" his first official act may put him on the griddle of criticism right away. He invited the city council to be his guests at luncheon and discuss munich pal affairs in an atmosphere of friendly cooperation. It is an excellent plan and out of t should come only good for Hart ford. Mayor Spellacy, however, may be prepared to have his courtesy and tact construed as a bit of diabolical cunning. for one will be disappointed if he is not accused of feeding the coutl- cilmen at the luncheon table so that little by little they will be eating out of his hand at the city hall. Much worse things have been said about him in the past and with as little justification. But if 1t should be true that he prefers to appeal to the hearts and heads of his councilmen via their stomaehs it is another indi- cation that MT. Spellacy is de- termined to give his city a sound administration. He knows that in the pursuit of that determine ton he must have the good will and the constant assistance of his associates in the government. He also knows while captious critics may say that the city council is eating out of his hand it is far better for his own peace of mind, for the success of his