The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-09-07


We noticed, briefly on Wednesday, resolution
introduced into the City Council by Mr. Cook, to
afford his Honor the Mayor an opportunity of writ
ing the financial biography Of his administration,
in the shape Of "a statement of the Indebtedness of
''the Corporation, together with its relative posi-
"uon TO the past and the present. The subject
is a copious one, and although the relation of our
present Indebtedness to the future when it is to be
paid, is of good deal more importance, at this
moment, than its connection with the past, when
it was contracted, shall still be very thankful
for even the instalment which Mr.. Cook has been
good enough 10 solicit. His Honor is well known
10 have made the preparation of reports, addresses,
statements and vindcations, quite study Indeed
1t may be said to be almost speciality ofhis. We
shall therefore await with great interest, the re-
salt ofthe present call, not doubling, for a moment
that the application Of the same happy rhetoric and
logic which have so often demonstrated the blessings
of our quon9am police system and the perfec-
lion of our municipal government generally, will
cause our financial deserts once more to blossom
like the rose.
But our present purpose is not merely TO antici-
pate the fiscal jubilee which is TO be proclaimed
We desire to protest, in advance, against its being
sounded over II false issue. The obvious purpose
of those who are interested in opposing the indie
pendent Movement is to create the impression that
il is mere crusade against the party now in
power. They would have the public believe that
lis financial quesonings, and lis complaints o.
municipal extravaganza and mal-administraion
of the public funds and credit are directed exclu-
sivey, against the reigning dynasty. They de-
sire Mr. SWAMI, therefore, to show that his
'relatve position, as regards the public debt, is
better than that of his predecessors; and if he
succeeds in doing SO, after his manner, they pro-
pose to argue that the very foundation of the In
dependent Movement has been taken from under
it. Now, we dare say it is quite true that great
number of the supporters of Mr.. Brown consider
the administration Of Mr.. SWAMI as the reducfi0
All dbsHrdnm Of partisan municipal governments.
We, ourselves, must candidly confess that such
Is our own humble way of thinking 10 regard TO
1t. But yet we look on it only as an illustration
and proof of what all merely partisan nomina-
tons and appointments in their nature tend to,
and, in the end, will always come to; and while,
therefore, we earnestly desire to see the present
administration of the city wholly gotten rid Of in
both lis executive and legislative departments,
because Of lis own dement's, that desire is alto
geIher secondary to the paramount anxiety which
we feel for the suppression of partisan municipal
governments altogether. And this, as we under
stand and advocate it, is the principle on which
the Independent Movement is based-not opposi-
ton to this party or that party-not hostility 10
this man or that mau-ths administration or that
administration-but opposition to all introduction
of politics into municipal affairs--oppositio to
the selection Of Mayors and Councilmen on ac-
count Of their political opinions or professions
whatever these may be, instead of their INTEGRITY
intelligence and fitness. This is the doctrine
announced in the plainest language, in the adj
dress adopted at the Law Buildings, and this is
the ground on which Mr. Brown is placed before
the people. Neither in the address referred to.
nor IN the sentiments expressed at the meeting
which promnlged it, was unfavorable comment
confined to the existing city government, whether
In regard to financial or other abuses. On the
contrary, the discussion embraced the grievances
OF many years. under ''the control of one or
"oher OF the great political parties of the country"
without exclusion or designation of any; and the
municipal conclavc was traced to its legitimate
source through the long existing system of cleo
ton and appointment, by all parties, on exclusive
ly party grounds. No man of sense or candor
pretends 10 say that Mr.. SWANS is the only bad
administration which has ever controlled the
MAYORS olice-though it certainly is the worst
or that all the evils, financial or otherwise,
which the present movement of the people is de-
signed to remedy, began under his auspices OF
grew under the exclusive nursing of himself or his
party. For him to throw, therefore, on his pre-
decessors, portion of the responsibility which
would otherwise attach to himself, only moves
the argument on behalf of reform but step further
back, and shows that partizanship in municipal
affairs was nuisance some years ago, precisely as
1T is worse nuisance now. ltmay perhaps have
the further result of demonstrating that the conse-
quences Of such nuisance, as exhibited in any
particular administration, are not fully developed
until some years after such administration expires
and that the successors of Mr.. SWAMI NAV here.
after have 10 make their Statements of the
troubles, as yet undeveloped, which he will be-
qleath TO them But be this as it may, the most
favorable exhibit he may he able to make for him
self, viii only serve to shift, to greater or less
extent the blame of omhawassments and rriey-
ances, the existence of which cannot be denied.
1t may show that one party or one set of partisans
has done more or less harm than another, but it
cannot do away with the fact that to parties and
partisans of all sorts we owe the unreasonable
evils and difficulties which overshadow our mu-
nicipal affairs
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