Show iTHEMUNIGIPALtAGUE Henry W Lawrence Tenders His Hs Resignation a President REGARDING PARTISANSHIP RJGARDING A DISCUSSION BY D c DUITBAH AND J A HOUGHTON A Strong Sentiment Against the Methods of the Socalled Citizens Committes Questions to Be Asked of the Candidates The Municipal league held a meeting last night in the city and county building build-ing and in addition to their regular business had a short discussion by Mr D C Dunbar and Mr J A Houghton The subject of the discussion was announced an-nounced to be Should Political Partisanship Par-tisanship Be Carried into Municipal Affairs The affirmative was taken by Mr Dunbar and the negative by Mr Houghton LAWRENCE RESIGNS The meeting was called to order by Chairman H W Lawrence who in a few words expressed his regret at having hav-ing to vacate the chair but the constitution con-stitution of the league provides that when a member of the league accepts a nomination for any office he must I vacate his office in the league Mr Lawrence then called upon Vice President Presi-dent J p Caldwell to take the chair I and take up the order of business DUNBAR ON PARTISANSHIP Mr Caldwell then introduced Mr Dunbar who went on to say that partisanship par-tisanship should be carried out in all elections That some organized parties should be made to bear the responsibility responsibil-ity of electing good men The best men should be put up by all parties for when they are elected they make the laws and carry on the affairs of government gov-ernment I said Mr Dunbar partisanship tisanship is to be abandoned in the municipal affairs then why not do awaJ with it in all branches of poll I tics I the institution here is wrong in a municipal capacity it Is equally wrong In others No one continued the speaker has I ever seen one nonpartisan government succeed another These nonpartisan parties are generally made Of eneraly up men I that have made political overdrafts on their friends Th people uphold a party as long as they adhere to their platform plat-form and carry out their pledges after they are elected to office The Republican Repub-lican party had been very strong and won l great many victories because they stuck to their party platform but then they began to disregard their pledges after election and the party I I I weakened The Democrats set up a platform and carried out their prom ices and victory rewarded them The safety in municipal government lies in the finding of good men and women that will stand up and assert their American rights and vote against alt bad men Ve want no abandonment I of party lines but we want men and who will elect the best women wI elet men and women to attend to our municipal I affairs Let the people do their duty I exercise their American privileges in saying who shall represent them a legislators and councilman I MR HOUGHTONS VIEWS Mr J A Houghton was introduced I next to speak on the negative side of I the question aeatd that the only difference in his ideas dad those expressed I ex-pressed by Mr Dunbar was that the conditions as stated by him did not I exist He went on to say that a great many laws had been made and enforced en-forced to the detriment of the people and that the officers that are elected on party lines are pledged to party rather than people The candidates that are put up make Th eirca promises Ito I-to their friends and they In turn go j out among the people and in this way form a ring that governs after election I Mr Houghton stated that there was about 30600 in unpaid licenses on the I books of the city tit the present and this condition of affairs is due to partisanship par-tisanship The friends of the party were allowed to become delinquent on part lines 1 The socalled nonpartisan party which has been put in the field is partisan par-tisan in the extreme he continued A 1 few men got together and nominated a ticket which consisted of men that were of themselves The people would look over the list and doubt the good I intentions of this party They are all men who now control nearly all the public franchises and i is so unAmer Ian that I do not believe the people I of the city will endorse it Had it come from the people as their nominees it would have carried the city with a sweep As it is there will probably be I some of the ticket elected but when it compR to the head of the ticket I dont I believe the people will tolerate it OTHER ADDRESSES Mr Houghton then thanked the meeting for their attention and the question was thrown open to general discussion County Commissioner Hall cpoke briefly endorsing both speakers in part but contending that partisanship partisan-ship should not be done away with Rev Mr McNiece also made a few remarks re-marks on the subject and was followed by Mr Anderson who spoke briefly as follows This socalled nonpartisan I party is in spite of all partisan No matter whether you take away the Democrats or the Republicans and leave only this party in the field they are still paitisan They will be the 1IcCornlct party a some other persons per-sons party just the same They would serve their own Interests but though it may bo a partjvlhat is only a tail it will try to wag the dog The socalled reform party is i like a Scotch terrier i It ff 2 N eh lt i I Is so covered with hair l that you cant tell Its head from its tail and we dont know which way they are going The business of the meeting was taken up and seven names were presented pre-sented and were admitted to membership member-ship in the league The committee on questions reported that they had drafted draft-ed some questions that were to be sent to each candidate in the coming election elec-tion for them to answer The questions ton questons were as to the candidates stand on the subjects of gambling prostitution regulating the closing of saloons sell ing cigarettes to minors enforcement of all laws and ordinances free public libraries free public baths municipal pwnersaip of gas and electric lights franchises etc and to wind up with the question will be propounded as to the carrying out of all contracts awarded by the city This report was adopted and the meeting adjourned |