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Show STRAIGHT TALK H Two members of the police force wero recent- H ly dismissed from the department, the oxplana- H tion being that it was "for the good of the serv- H ice." Possibly it was, but we had hopes that the H head of the department would invoke some new H' rule in this respect that would show a small semb- i lance of fairness to all concerned. H For instance, one of these men was notorious H in his practices and could not command the re H spect of his fellow officers and the public. The H other was clean, competent, and commanded the fH confidence of all those with whom he came in con H' tact. Yet both were relieved of their duties in m a manner that amounted to a summary dismissal, H and the vordict so far as the public is concerned H Avas the same in both instances. M A dismissal from the police department with m out explanation other than the stereotyped "for H the good of the service" at no time reflects credit M upon the dismissed officer, and it usually works B to the contrary. We can conceive of any number of B reasons why a clean and competent officer might H' still deserve dismissal, but in such instances it M would seem only fair that the real reason bo given H to the public. Otherwise the character of such H officers is bound to suffer, and the men are dam- m aged beyond measure. M We suspect that during the process of reorgan- M izing the police department there will be many H dismissals some for insubordination, some for be- H ing perniciously active in politics, some for not H being in sympathy with the prevailing policies of H the department, etc., but in such cases in justice H to the men removed it would seem that the facts H involved should be made public. H H In the revolting case of Mrs. Viola Hood, wife H of Van Lee Hood of iSan Diego, who eloped from H that city to this with Itaymand Dobbs, a colored H chauffeur, a local paper stated that both Dodds H and Irs. Hood admitted to the officers the fact H that their relationship extended over a period of H about a year. In the following paragraph, it was H stated that Mrs. Hood is deeply religious in tern- H perament and told the officers that she has never H been guilty of any of the small vices which the H average person finds it hard to shun. H That makes it nice. Mrs. Hood is like a lot H: of other people wo know of in the world, who free- H' ly criticize others who may drink or smoke or H have some small vices, while they concentrate all B of their efforts along one particular line race B horses, poker or another man or woman, as the B case may be. B If she has no vices and husband has taken his B darling bafck, why make the poor colored man the B goat? People blamed the chauffeur mbre after B i they saw the picture of Mrs. Hood and then they B didn't blame Mrs. Hood so much after they saw B husband's picture. Well, there are you are. B It is a pretty mess all around. If the colored Bjr man is prosecuted he may be freer in jail than he B1' would be out for, if. fancy free, ho will take the Irisk of being stolen again. The news from Washington indicates that we H '( are to have a, revival of "Peck's Bad Boy." Tho newspaper men have found one and he is a bear. In the scramble for petty city jobs some amusing amus-ing incidents are coming to light and some new ideas in fancy finance. In two instances that wo know of, candidates for positions have gone to stronger candidates for tho same position, and offered to withdraw, leaving the fle'd open ti thorn with the understanding that if they got their jobs they would ipay those who had condescended to withdraw $25 a month during the time they were in office. That was a splendid idea, tout one which did not meet with the immediate favor of those approached. That was a nasty crack taken by an evening paper at Charles W. Lawrence, when he was appointed ap-pointed license assessor. It was intimated that the appointment was made on account of relationship rela-tionship and in reciprocation for the appointment of Mr. Scheid by Henry W. Lawrence as city recorder. Charles Lawrence has been chief clerk in the department of streets, a position he has held with credit and his capabilities well qualify him for his new place. Because somebody's grandfather married a great aunt of an uncle of somebody's second cou sin. wo fail to see the point. The people are rapidly growing weary of the cat and dog policy pursued by'the city commissioners, commis-sioners, and It is high time for them to call a halt. On performances to date the five commissioners bear strong resemblance to a bunch of school boys engaged in the game of catch-as-catch-can. Almost a month has passed since the new commissioners com-missioners took office and still the city government govern-ment is only partially organized. Moreover, the end is not yet in sight and every one concerned is exercised over the outlook, including some of the commissioners themselves. This policy of indecision and inaction is unpardonable and it is time for the commission to show some speed. This paper has extreme confidence in the personal per-sonal integrity of each individual commissioner, and credits them all witli good intentions as well. ?' But these men will be measured ultimately by I their deeds and not by their abstract ideas. And their deeds to date consist mostly of a series of capers that are ludicrous in the extreme. Perhaps the fault lies with the form of government, and not with the men who are entrusted with its offices. If that be true, then the people can ill afford to experiment muck longer, and unless great strides are immediately taken in the direction of the general public welfare, we look for the people peo-ple to arise early next year and kick the com-mission com-mission form of government into a cocked -hat. It is about time for some idiot to arise and re- Jfr mark that there won't be water enough next summer. sum-mer. In his memorandum submitted to President Wilson, Secretary of Commerce Hedfield spoke of the "false doctrine of American inability to compete." com-pete." There is no such doctrine, there never has been, and Mr. Redfleld knows it. He has put up a straw adversary in order to make a display of knocking it down. American Ingenuity, American Amer-ican enterprise and American labor have the ability to compete with any nation on earth, on equal terms. They can compete on equal terms, but they won't Now Mr. Redfleld and President Wilson, please take note of the difference. We have the ability but we haven't the inclination. The American laborer can live on the same wages and under the same conditions as the European and the Asiatic, but ho won't. And we are proud of him. Amer- r lean industries can thrive under the same conditions condi-tions as industries in countries of low-paid labor, but they won't. We .are also proud of the captains cap-tains of American industry. There are some American statesmen, who would like to force American labor to accept European and Asiatic standards. They tried to put that over, and as a result we had long 'bread lines ond vast armies of unemployed in 1913-14. You think you Democrats can do that again, Mr. Redfield, ibut you can t. When it comes to a question ques-tion of "inability," you are up against it. You simply can't put it over again. PETER ROBBED TO PAY PAUL We will be sorry to see Dr. Widtsoe leave the Agricultural College to go to the University; sorry alike for the college, the University, the state, and especially for the eminent educator himself. Neither do we find any satisfaction in the explanation explana-tion that he has been called to a higher sphere of educational endeavor, and we say this in all friendship. John A. Widtsoe is something more than an educator he is a genius in the profession of making mak-ing good citizens out of the boys and girls who have the good fortune to come in contact with him. Not only does he emphasize the practical side of education in all its features, but he teaches teach-es the clignity of labor to the students under him and successfully arouses them to the chief responsibility re-sponsibility of citizenship. So that we venture the assertion that a larger percentage of the students stu-dents under Dr. Widtsoe, after receiving their degrees, de-grees, return directly to their homes and become useful citizens in their respective communities, than is the case with many other prominent educators edu-cators in the country. In view of these peculiar qualities of the man, what a rare opportunity he has had and might still have at the Agricultural College. The student stu-dent body of this institution is essentially composed com-posed of farm boys and girls, and what finer and more ennobling lifework than that of broadening their ideas and training their heads and their hands for the very problems which confront their own home communities. This in itself has always seemed to us to be the essence of a real education, educa-tion, and Dr. Widtsoe has mastered the problem. Because of his peculiar fitness for this particular work he is sorely needed just where "ho is. The Agricultural College is dearer to the hearts of more citizens in the state than is the University. Univer-sity. It occupies a more unique and useful position, posi-tion, and is more essential to the upbuilding of the state and the uplift of its people. While the University holds problems peculiar to itself, we do not feel that Dr. Widtsoe will find a wider field of action there. Not that wo doubt his ability to cope with the situation, but because he -will not have the opportunity to bring his particular par-ticular genius into play. This because of the essential difference in the character of the two institutions, and of the students who attend them. The University may be greater in name and in size, but it will never be as great in possibilities for a man of Dr. Widtsoe's talents. Wo believe we voice the sentiments of the best thinking people of the state over when we say that the institution to the north ought not to be led to the sacrificial altar in order that a sister institution wihout just claim may try to reap what the other has lost. And it all is so unnecessary. |