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The More Things Change... It is a revered American—perhaps even universal—tradition to complain about the government and the people who run it. It is an almost equally revered tradition that the government provide plenty to complain about. Such is the nature of the relationship between citizens and the government. These cherished traditions were apparently in full flower in 1902 when The Progress printed a front page letter simply titled “Why?” and signed by “A Citizen”. Here are a few of “the citizen’s” observations about turn of the century local government. Why are school trustees elected at township elections if the school and township boundaries don’t coincide? Why are the saloons not closed on election day? Why do the individual members of the town board make contracts outside of regular and special meetings, and why does the President of the town board allow such bills to be paid? Why does the town board allow public property to be turned into a beer garden? Why is the town treasury busted? Why did the light committee not move the light from Holliday’s corner to the place originally agreed upon, instead of in front of a board member’s house, and why did the same committee contract for an extra light out of session? Why did the town board vacate the alley in Holliday Place without the necessary votes? Why did the series of entertainments given for the benefit of the Public School Library not give the public an accounting or pay a license? Why can’t pool licenses be granted by the quarter like saloon licenses? Why doesn’t the Marshal enforce the ordinance covering the throwing of ashes and debris in the streets? And why doesn’t the town board fire their attorney and buy a copy of the statutes and save $46 per year?
So much for the good old days!
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