Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 53, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 October 1909 — FIRST WARD GIVEN EVERYTHING [ARTICLE]

FIRST WARD GIVEN EVERYTHING

Almost On the Republican City Ticket, Mayor. Treasurer and the Two Counrilmen-At-Large. The republicans, in their nomination for city officers Wednesday night, practically ignored the second and third wards. In addition the regular councilman the first ward is given the nomination for mayor, treasurer, and the two councilmen-at-large, making all but one—the clerk —of the city ticket proper from that ward. The clerk, Charles Morlan, who was re-nominated, is from the second ward, but that is all the representation given that ward on the city ticket, and the third ward is left out altogether. The “powers” also seem to have adopted the Osier theory, and the councilmanic nominees are all boys, as is also one of . the council-men-at-large. Their ward conventions were held Tuesday night, and George Hopkins, clerk in Larsh’s drug store, was nominated for councilman in the First; Elzie Grow, clerk in the Babcock & Hopkins elevator, in the Second; and Frank Kresler, the bussman, in the Third. At their city convention Wednesday night Geo. F. Meyers was nominated for mayor; Charles Morlan, forg clerk; Ray D. Thompson for treasurer; and C. J. Dean and A. G. Catt for councilmen-at-large. Three candidates for mayor were placed in nomination, Geo. F. Meyers, Walter Porter and J. H. Ellis, the present incumbent- Meyers received 79 votes; Porter, 35; Ellis, 14.

A committee was appointed to draft “recommendations” for the new administration which it is proposed to foist, and which does not take office until Jan. 1, 1910. This committee recommended that the city have an economical administration; that the mayor’s salary be cut from $260 per year to $150; the councilman salary cut from SBO to SSO; and that the city marshal and teamster be combined in one office and one salary. The admission from these "recommendations” that we have not had an economical adminstratlon is obvious, and this sop is intended only for a vote-getter, most people think. At any the “recremmendatlons” are not binding in any way and in two months hence, when the new officers take tjielr seats, it may be possible that they will have been forgotten altogether. What the city needs is a good clear-headed set of officers, men of business ability, who Will look after the interests of the masses rather than the few who have a pull; men who will not milk the finances to a finish and then declare for “economy” just at election time, after city orders have been hawked abo4t the streets to find buyers during four years of mis-administration.