Mayor of Toledo
In 1897 Jones received the Republican nomination for mayor of Toledo. Workers liked his golden rule policy and united behind him, and he won the mayoral election. He strove to improve conditions for the working class of his community. Again based on his belief in the Golden Rule, Jones:
- opened free kindergartens,
- developed a park system,
- established playgrounds for children,
- established free public baths,
- instituted an eight-hour day for city workers,
- took away truncheons from the police,
- refused to enforce blue laws, and
- reformed the city government.
While Jones was not well liked by other businessmen, the average citizen supported him. When his term was over Jones was not renominated by the Republicans. He ran anyway, and, with the support of the people, he won a second term in 1899. Jones died suddenly during his second term as mayor on July 12, 1904. His successor, Brand Whitlock, continued Jones' reform efforts.
Read more about this topic: Samuel M. Jones
Famous quotes containing the word mayor:
“If a large city can, after intense intellectual efforts, choose for its mayor a man who merely will not steal from it, we consider it a triumph of the suffrage.”
—Frank Moore Colby (1865–1925)