Olympia Votes Out the Old Council — and Inherits a Financial Mess

The election is over. It may be two or three months before the finances of the city can be fixed up in any sort of shape by the new city government elected yesterday, as it does not go into power for a month yet. If the councilmen whose terms expire next month have the best interests of the city at heart, let them — except McBratney — resign, and Mayor Horr do likewise. The council as then constituted (McBratney, Sickels, Ward and Ford) could at once select O'Brien, Talcott, Phipps, McBratney and Springer as the successors, and a new election for the validating of the debt in excess of one and a half per centum of taxable property, and also the funding of the debt, could be called within the required time of thirty days. This would be the best way of immediately straightening out the finances. Will Mayor Horr and his colleagues do it?

The election yesterday was a surprise to some people, principally John Miller Murphy, who was defeated for member of the city council from the First ward by Charles R. Talcott. The defeat of Mr. Murphy is a pretty good indication that the people are heartily sick and tired of the blunders of the present city government. The infusion of new blood into the "town board" will probably get the state capital out of the rut into which it has fallen by imbecility, twisting and trimming. All of the members-elect are under 50 years of age and are considered good citizens. They are business and professional men of known skill and integrity, and should bring to the discharge of their duties intelligence enough to keep alive a progressive spirit for public improvements. The state capital cannot afford to be left in a mud hole without rapid transit from one end to the other much longer, and the Tribune believes that the new city council ought to address itself first, to fixing up the finances of the municipality; second, to completing odds and ends of street improvements already commenced; thirdly, to giving the citizens a decent street car service; and lastly, to the passage of an ordinance requiring the city treasurer to place the funds of the city equally in all the banks of the city and requiring them, through the city treasurer, to give a good and sufficient bond for the safe keeping of the same.