, 1874-01-15
TWO MAYORS IN C0NTRhgT

1"O mAxOKS LIN CUNVRA1T.
Tho contrast botwoon tho course Of Afayor
Cobb, Of Boston, and Mayor Colvin, OF Chicago,
In dealing with the labor question, is signil-
cant ono,-so much 80, that tie latter might
study tho action OF tho former with great profit
to himself, II he were 30 disposed. The ciroum-
STANCES in oach caso wero almost precisely eimi-
lar, Tho unemployed workingmon Of Doston,
on Tuesday last, like tie samo class In Chicago,
thrco or four wockB ago waited upon tho City
Government through rogularly-appointed
committee, and demanded that tho city should
purchase land aud erect now markot-houscs,
construct now reservoirs and aquoducts, build
City Hall and Court House, and institute other
improvements, which would givo labor, for
eight hours only @ day, to oil tho unemployed,
without tho Intervention OF contractors. This
vas virtually tho condition Of things here, but
at this point the parallel ond6 and the policies of
tho two Mayors in dealing with tho yozod auos-
tion are as widely apart as tho poles.
Mayor Cobb mot tho demand Of tho working-
mon in a dignifed but at tho samo tmo do
cisiYo manllor. Without any httompt ut evasion
or Cancellation, he statod tho exact focts in tho
case in Il fow plain words, wltcl, thoy could not
fail to understand. Ho informed tl,ern ut tho
outset TINT the city was sufficiently provided
with funds to cnrry on tho improvements which,
they had suggested, bnt TINT such policy would
DO cortain to loud to abusca In the hands Of q
political corporation. Furthermore, tho City
Government was executing trust, and it's
powers were defluoa and limited by statute. Tho
application Of those facts iB beat gtatod III tim
Mayors own worda:
We cannot uRe tho public funds o1ccpt for carta,n
public purposes and in legitimate way, 1n nv
opinion 1t would be very ahorsghte policy for tho
City Government, surprising It had tho authority to
undertake to give work at all times to those who lap-
pen to 10 out Of work, and cannot readily obtain it
elsewhere You Bcc, with u Itte reflection, tn
what thia would lead. The moment wo depart from
tho rnlo Of providing employment only 60 far aa # ia
required to perform tho honest aul Legitimate bus,
hess Of tho Govcrnment wo ara surrounded ly l,nl-
cu1ties This 1ctiHouH demand for 1ahor would grow
by what 1t fed on. There would ba no limit to euel,
courac whom it was once entered uron,
This ia plain, ratght-forward and manly
way Of dealing with sudden issue Of this sort.
which, In nino cnsoa out Of ton, would commend
itaolf to rational mon. In this inBtance. tba
workingmon made no reply, but loft for their
homes, after thanking tho Mayor. and won't
about thoir business, evidently convinced TINT
their intorests would not auffor in tho hands of
q man who had tho courage md flrmuoss to
stand up and toll them tho truth without reser-
yation Or oquiyocation.
AS contrasted with this exhibition Of of1lcja]
hrnness and good sense, tho conduct Of tho
Mayor of Chicago, under similar circumstances.
shows to very poor advantage. Intlrm of pur-
pose, vacfllating in intontions, and unable or |
unwilling to grasp tho aituation, ho commenced
BY temporiziug, patting tho crowd upon tho
back mud making wild promises, which lo
know, or ought to hare known, ho
could not carry out. At his first in |
orvfow with tie committee Of tho work |
ngnen, he lowered himself from tho posi-
lion Of Mayor Of tho whole people Of tho city
o that Of n mere political partisan. 10 only
in the crowd ola,noring ita Impossible
demands, his political friends, who had Just
lcctod him to Office, and, in gratitude therefor,
10 was ready to accedo to anything, and to
'romlsa thet something should bo dono for
hem, even though he Ind no power to make
rood promise OF any sort. Tho Mayor OF Dos
on, with tho funds at Ills command, lad tho
irmnesa to toll the workingmon thoy could not
70 used oxcopt according to law, while tho Mayor
Il Chicago, without cent lo could uso for suoh
purpose. WAS lavish in suggestion Of what ho
Fouid do. From that tmo onward, Mayor Col
in was In tho hands Of that short-liyed
oung domagoguo, Mr. Hoffman, until
Ut. Doxtor 80 efTootually anutfoa out tho
after. After Mr. Colyin had found out what ho
hould layo known at tho outsot,- ovon II
ao city had had tho funtlH lo had no authority
uao them,-lo tIlon adopted Mr. Hotfman's
oaurd and unlawful proposition that tho Relief
oclety should turn over ita funds to committees
Aldermon for distribution. Tlis brought tho
natter into tho hands Of tho souioty, the officers
which showed themselves competent to doal
Fith 1t. Mr. Hoffman was squolched at tho
utaet and romaudea to lis Jaw studies, which