The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-08-16

On Mo nday last endeavored briefly to en-
body within the compass of short article, our
views upon the subject of Municipal Reform. We
referred to the near approach of the MAYORS cleo
tion and urged the necessity of choosing for that
responsible office some honest, capable, and cour-
ageous man, who should be selected solely
account of his personal qualifications and without
reference to his political opinions. We conteuded
that the present evils with which afflicted,
and for which every good citizen is socitous Of
applying a remedy, are less political than social
in their nature and are not TO be remedied, there
fore, by any change of political administration
or by the simple substitution of one party for
another in the management of our municipal
affairs. That, we conceive, would be but shifting
the burden from one shoulder to the other, and
only perpetuate, under another name and a differ
ent regime, all the crimes and outrages of which
we at present complain To prove that this would
most certainly be the case it is not necessary to
recur to "reminiscences of the past. Present oc-
currences demonstrate sufficiently the correctness
of our views. We have never, heretofore in any
one instance, stopped to inquire into the politics
of those who engaged in the violation Of the
laws, for the simple reason, that the political
opinions of law-breaker have nothing to do with
the measure of his guilt or the character of his
crime. Yet for the sake of illustrating our present
argument, and showing how futile it would be to
expect any municipal reform of the sort that is
really needed in this community, from the
substitution in power of one political party
for another we will simply call public at
tention to the fact that while the rufians who
were engaged on Thursday morning, in the
attack upon Office, VIGOROUSLY belong to
party, whose confidence and patronage some ofthem
enjoy, our local column of this morning contains
the particulars, so far as we have been able to
gather them, of another outrage committed ON the
afternoon of the day, in different section of
the city, rather outside of the corporation limits
and in the neighboring county of Anne Arundel,
by band of city outlaws of the opposite
party. The evil therefore, we repeat, is not po-
tica but social and the issue it presents is not be-
tween the American and Democratic parties, as
some pretend, but between the Friends of Law
and Order, and the enemies of both-between
Government of Law, and the 'NIonstrous Regi-
ment'' of Mob 1t is not the spoils of Office as
they are termed which now simply at stake
but the Security of Life and Property and all
joyment of either pleasant, or, indeed, possible
In partisan spirit therefore, and altogether I'M
influenced by any political considerations, is our
advocacy of an Independent Nomination for the
MAYoRALTY-of such nomination, rs being made
wholly irrespective of politics. would command
the support and the sufrages of good men of all
parties. We do not now propose to repeat what
we have already said, and what every body be-
lieves, respecting the necessity of such movement,
or the certainty of its success if honestly and pru-
IDENTIFY managed. Our own sentiments upon the
subject, we know to be entertained by thousands
in this community, for they are shared by all re-
spectable and conservative men. All that is
needed 10 give form and consistency TO the
movement is to give it head. Cannot a head be
found? Among all the citizens OF Baltimore, is
there not a man, possessed OF the requisite quaf-
cations of honesty, capacity, and courage, who
will consent, in an emergency like this, to make a
brief sacrifice of his present comfort, for the pur-
pose of comforting great benefit upon society, and
no less honor upon himself? We wait impatienty
upon the action of the taxpayers and property
holders of the city-of those who having the
largest social stake at risk, the most to lose by
continuance of the present state OF things-and
the most to gain by change for the better, are
therefore, the proper persons to take the initiative
in such movement as we suggest. Let Com
mittee of citizens, selfappointed fyou please take
the matter at once in hand for in view of the near
approach of the election twere well it were
done quickly" Let them wait upon whomsoever,
their own Judgment, or the public voice, shall in