THE Cromwell Argus. WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 1870.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 37, 27 July 1870, Page 4

THE Cromwell Argus. WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 1870.

Now that Mr Smitham is our Mayor elect, and will soon be at the head of the Corporation, with the good-wishes of seventenths of the town for his success, it is well for us, and is only just on our part, fairly to review the past, as well as to look with eager anticipation to the future. During Mr Goodger's term of office, a splendid opportunity was thrown away of shewing himself capable of rule, and of rule for the public good He began by doing himself aa act of injustice that a whole year of success could not obliterate, and much less a year marked by uncertainty and a large amount of unpopularity. Whatever might be the meaning of Mr Goodger’s frequent appeals to the ratepayers, the interpretation that all his opponents, and some of his friends, put upon them was that he held the office with a Imitating hand ; that he came up to every frtSfelic question in doubt; that he wanted a support that ho could not find in the office itself, or in the Council—its legal and natural supporter. He palsied at the beginning what might have boen a year of high achievements. Last year at this time, Mr Goodger’s pros[iects were bright beyond all previous example : he was returned by a majority of thirty over the opposing candidate ; all the district saw him where he was with profound satisfaction; the outgoing Mayor and every member of the Council, with whom it might have been his, duty and dignity to act for the progress of the district, voted him to the Mayoral chair; expectation was on tip-toe. Unfortunately, Mr Goodger, with his own hand, veiled the promise and prospects before him—troubled the municipal year at the outset. While other corporations were growing stronger, Cromwell was growing, weaker. Still, it is only fair to state that the responsibility incurred, for all this, is a divided responsibility. We hold Mr Goodger accountable for what has happened only just so far as a man is acoiWMable for acting at the dictation of another, instead of carrying out ,the selforiginated purposes of his own mind. If airthe overlapping could bo pared away till nothing is left but Mr Goodger himself, his services would count for; * something in time to come. “The oak grows awry where the mistletoe roots itself” Cut that laway, and you have wood for ornament jand use. As far as we have had the management of Mr Goodger in his own propetpersonal self we have not much reason to complain. Where he began to submit himself to foreign dictation—and just in so far as he did this, —his year of office has failed to fulfil the high hopes that set in with his election, and has been attended Vith vexation to himself and pain and loss to others. But Mr Goodger’s failure has not been the failure of proved incompetence, but he has failed in a way and at a time that average capacity only can fail. The Mayoral medal has two sides, and we must look at both before we pronounce it gold or copper, or how much it possesses of each. Mr Goodger retires from office, owing the loss of his election more to the overdone praises of a few shallow-minded friends than to the combined opposition of his many opponents. Mr Smitham will now replace his predecessor ; and, taking his seat with a good majority of the ratepayers of his way of thinking, and, we may hope, a Council that will fairly represent a large portion of the population of this neighborhood, much may be done to overtake the various needful works awaiting their prompt attention. A supply of drinkable water, clean enough for all the com-

mon uses of life, and in such abundance II shall meet all the demands of the inert a ing population, will bo the fipt thing tl of will claim the attention of the new Coi M oil. All other things done will go for i J|| thing while this remains undone. r J 1 ■ ratepayers will submit cheerfully to « higher charge upon their assessment if tli M can be sure that the increased sum acci Jti ing will bo economically devoted to tl || purpose. We may return to this subjj || on some future occasion. In the mea g|| time, let us not lay the foundation of d rw appointment in our own minds, and t minds of others, by expecting too rauc kj| We may fairly hold our new represeutatiy Wo responsible for a right use of all t ,j 0 , powers committed to them; but if J g|| pitch the key too high, and insist upon tl whole Coqjoration tune being played o . to match, Without a hitch or a jar an where, we look for a miracle, and disa pointment when it comes (and come it wil 3 will be due to our extravagant demand F| rather more than to the shortcomings < ,|i our representatives. Mr Smitham has in P®? pledged himself to light our town with ga con to pave both sides of our streets, to lay o a wliisky-tap at our back doors to run nigl «|| and day, or to build an arcade on the u] per flat, but he has given us a limited ii ventory of improvements, and we sba “ ol look to him for these and other curm * >ro matters that may turn up as his year c a ” office rolls on. A modest beginning is besl whatever may be the end thereof. || g== = ==» , I _