Imperial Valley Press

THE PEOPLE DECIDE.

This morning we can appreciate better than ever before, just how Mr. Al Smith felt a year ago. As a matter of fact our appreciation was just as keen last night when the votes in the El Centro city election were counted.

The emphatic victory of the Rice-Fawcett ticket leaves no doubt in the mind as to just what are the wishes of the voters of El Centro. In accordance with our pledge made at the start of the campaign, we extend our congratulations to the winners and their supporters and wish them the best of luck. The congratulations and the wish are sincere.

Mr. Zurcher and Mr. Girard made a good, clean-cut campaign, and the vote against them indicates nothing more than that the voters of El Centro preferred others on the city council instead of them.

In some quarters the Press has been criticized for taking sides in the city election. In the past we have been just as severely censured for not taking a definite stand, all of which leads us to paraphrase Lincoln's saying. "You can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all the people all the time."

We might add anyone would be a fool to attempt it.

The Press has no apologies or excuses to offer. What criticism there was came not from the candidates on the opposing ticket but from individuals who had no interest in the election beyond their own vote.

We feel that the advertising columns of the Press played no small part in the defeat of the ticket the paper supported editorially. The advertising columns were open at all times for statements by our opponents. To close them would have been grossly unfair to them and of course mighty poor business.

The vote on the bond issue indicates that the people of this city are not ready as yet for such a project. We still believe the idea is a good one and that such a building would do much to help El Centro. The fact that we are in a minority does not, in our opinion, mean that we should change our idea. The civic auditorium will come ultimately, but the people will have to be educated up to the idea.

We feel no resentment against those who opposed the proposition, recognizing the fact that among them are many who are just as ambitious for the welfare and progress of El Centro as we are. They saw things differently than we did, and there were more of them. We appreciate the work done by those who adopted the auditorium idea and gave much of their time and labor to make it successful.

We are pleased that the campaign and election passed off without any mud slinging and without indulging in personalities. There may be a few bruised spots here and there which is but natural when men differ, but we feel certain that time will heal them.

As far as the Press is concerned, the election is a thing of the past. It's a fine morning and we have no regrets. We will continue to do business at the old stand, trying as much as we can to do our part in helping make El Centro a better place in which to live.