New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-05-18
THE ONE MAN POWER.

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lican success will come none too soon
perhaps if it had been put off few years
longer it might not have come at all. We
can not but be struck with the fact that
when party politicians have been defeated
they are very apt to swear they would
rather have any other form of government
than that under which they have lost or
failed to get, Office.
We have noted here the total incapaci:y
of the Democratic party to provide for the
employment or improvement of the
people. 1t seems the same case in New
York. Yet while there may be some dis
position in few uneducated or even edu-
Gated minds to prefer some discharged
king or loafer prince to take charge of our
local or general government, or would
perhaps like to see his holiness remove
| the chair and hang up the keys of st.
Peter from Italy to Illinois, the mass of
| Americans have no inclination for thrones
| or any other order Of nobility than rail-
road dukes or earls Of sewing machine
or reaping machine.
Insenslbly, however, the abuses of the
politicians will seduce the people into
grants of credit and of power which dis
play the only bad tendencies of popular
government. It is to be remembered in
favor of the people that the politicians
first mislead them, and then hold elective
government responsible for evils which
the courtiers Of king may as well bring
upon country as the demagogues of
democracy.
We noted in the Picayune some OBJ
jections to our city government, amount
ing to an admission that the divided form
of administration had not resulted so
we'll as the more direct responsibility of
single person might have done. The
Bulletin has likewise excepted to the de-
fects of this system, attributing to it the
chief evils of our debt and restitution
even under Democratic administration.
1t will perhaps strengthen these jour
nails in their opinion to know that they
are supported in any objection to the d.
vision Of municipal power among several
departments, and its concentration in the
hands of one man, and also in their ap-
prehension that the elective ballot has
been placed in hands which may be in.
competent to exercise it with discretion.
The speech of the Hon. Fernando Wood,
State Rights Democrat, furnishes this COM
prehensive argument to his Southern col
leagues. He says, with quick transit !
New York may become to the nation what |
Paris is to France, and what Rome was
when she was "the glory of the Roman
empire of the Cesars." He sees but one
difficulty. 1t is in the rate of taxation in |
New York. The honorable Democrat |
sees no show for ''the contamination of |
the last 'desideratum'
The nature of our municipal system ap. |
pears to forbid it. In its present organic |
inception it is prohigate, inefficient, and |
extravagant. Indeed, l tear the funda
mental cause lies even yet deeper than the
municipal system. 1t may be traced to the
theory to the government of city like this,
by which all emplOyments are filled, organ.
izad and controlled. l saw this inherent
difficulty many years ago, and had IN my
own person to combat it by the assumption
Of what were termed doubtful powers" in
order to give good government.
In this l was not sustained, nor
will be who undertakes it. But what
shall be done is the Immediate question, to
remedy the evil so far as we can In mg
Judgment the whole municipal government
of the city should be absolutely and en-
tirely in the hands of one mantle chief
the power to appoint and
remove all subordinates of every class. This
authority should be held to the most rigid
not only for his own acts,
but for the acts of every person under
him. There should be lodged somewhere
power to remove and punish him if he
violated his trust or omitted to per-
form every requirement OF law made
for the government of the city. There
should be no contract for public work; no
fees for public officers; no term for mayor
less than ten years-whO should not be
eligible to re election. No authority in the
Legislature to alter or amend the city
charter more than once in ten years, nor to
interfere with it's management or the mum
opal control, direction or term of officers.
have always thought that without such
provisions as these, we should
have no ecOnomy-no stability-no good and
efficient government, and no reduction of
expenses. Call this one man power if you
please, but it is demanded by the il
terests and prosperity of our city.
It is thus that on the eve of our centen-
nal, when we are to account to civiliza-
ion and humanity for the inheritance be-
.ueathed to US at Lexington and York
own, we may find degenerate and IN
worthy descendants. complaining that
he people whom they have aided to de-
are unfit to exercise the ''elective
heory," and seem to revert to the govern
nent of one man. That such people call
themselves the disciples of him who
laimed the capacity of man for self gov
and denounced kings and cour-
iers as the oppressors OF mankind. does
.ppear to US singular, but we suppose
UGH grand Democratic noblemen have
light to take the name Of Thomas Jetfer-
on and advocate the doctrines imputed
0 Alexander Hamilton.