The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-12-27
Municipal Corruption and Methods

VI 1kBlotUe
From an article in tho Chicago Tribune
on 1.-THE problem of Municipal govern
ment' as presented by the city Of New
York, we take the following and COM
mend 1t to the thoughtful consideration Of
city taxpayers in view Of the near ap.
proach Of our own charter election.
The difficulties Of q practical and per-
manent reform Of the City Government
are found among the people themselves,
and are summed up by the Nation as fol-
lows; /. A class Of adventures, who are
now known as professional politicians,
but who would have been outlaws In the
fourteenth century; 2. A small Communi.
ty Of respectable people, who have Meth.
or the time nor the qualifications TO con-
tend with these treebooters; Q. A large
ignorant population furnishing the votes
which are necessary 10 the professional
politicians; and 4. The means that are
provided for rewardiug these followers
and retaining their allegiance. Hence
the Nation concludes that permanent re-
form can only be secured by diminishing
the number Of elections, doing away with
aportion OF the political prizes, and iusur.
Ing the tax.paying portion Of the commu.
nifty, II not the control Of the City Gov
eminent, at least q powerful minority in
the Common Council. How the latter
and most important feature Of the popos.
cd reform can be attained under the law
Of universal suffrage, the Nation does not
undertake TO- say. +
twill DO seen from these mere sugges-
tons Of the various plans which have
been submitted, how intricate the problem
oil securing good Municipal Government
has become In city which has once been
subject to the riot Of official corruption.
Weincline to the belief that no legislation
and no city charter can assure It absolute.
ly, and that 1t is only through the exer-
tons OF that power which the respectable
and tax.paying community can always
assert in combined effort that official
corruption can be defeated. The first
requisite Is that the respectable and tax
paying community should act together
without regard TO party politics. II was
In this way that the official thieves Of
New York were dethroned, and that their
places were supplied with men Of &C.
knowledged integrity at the late NUM-.
cipal election. II was by a concentration
Of this kind that MIR. Havemeyer was
elected Mayor, and no has recognized II
by announcing that-he will not listen 10
dictations from any party or association
in regard to the appointments he has to
make. The decided action Of the several
prominent citizens Of Boston, who de-
clined to accept o political nomination
Tor Mayor, was o part Of this general pro-
gramme; and the election OF Mr.. Pierce
was undoubtedly due TO the acceptance,
by the Republicans, Of the non-partisan
disposition Of tho offices which ie made
as condition Of his candidatufe. The
last two municipal elections Of Chicago
have been conducted on this plan, and
have met with abundant success.
Mayor Mason and Mayor Medill were
both elected by the respectable communi.
ty, who organized against party caucuses
and conventions. II the Common Coun.
Gil has fallen short Of this standard, it is
because the Aldermen were mostly chOs-
en- by the old system Of the ward prima,
ries, and because the citizens movement
was not applied in the case Of the various
wards. While 1t is certain that q city
charter can never assure permanently
good government for cities, 1t can afford
important auxillaries. Perhaps the cleo
ton Of Aldermen on the general ticket
and not by the various wards, would ena-
bic the citizens movement to include
them with the general city officers, and
take them from the dictatioA Of the eau
Gus. The doctrine Of Capitalization IN
municipal government is by by no means
so dangerous as in the national govern.
ment, and that system which makes heads
Of departments responsible to the Chic!
Executive, who is, in turn, responsible tc
the people, undoubtedly has distinguish
ed advantages. With the power Of ap-
pointment and removal Of subordinate
city officials, the responsibility is fixed
upon the Mayor in way that he cannot
evade, but back of all these and othel
auxiliary positions, comes the response
bility OF the respectable, tax.paying com,
munity itself, which can always assert
its power in municipal government BY
separating itself from party feeling, anc
by concentrating its forces upon the single
purpose Of eleeting honest and capable
men to govern the city.