, 1875-06-13
MUNICIPAL GDVERNMrNTa

1A@AtA~AA
pal government has really become one OF na.
| tlonA Importance. The abuses which hnye
marked the administration Of affairs in nearly
every American city have brought vide
spread dlscredit upon our whole system Of
institutions The English press greedily
catches up every bit Of civic scandal here
that comes to its notice. This is quoted and
re-quoted as conclusive proof Of the utter
rottenness Of American politics. The TO-
proach hurts, partly because it is untrue,
partly because it is true. Local self-goY-
ernment IS tho foundation Of our system.
Whatever impairs it, impairs the whole. And
80, while much of the wrong in it has
about as much to do with RepubNcanisn
as it has with Buddhism, it nevertheless in
jures Repubiicaniam, disgusts the intelligent
and prosperous classes with any active par
hclpatlon in politics, and gives the mob and
the demagogos an unhealthy prominence in
local affairs, which they often use in matters
OF national moment. It is strange that none
OF the many students of politics in this
country have taken up this important branch
OF the subject and worked ont a good. clear
system for municipal government The
maln thing needed is time and the critical
faculty. The materiala are many, and e1pe-
uence Is sadly abundant
The matter should be studied by collecting
and collating tho charters Of the principal
cities OF America and Europa. The result Of
this study would give fra groundwork for !
the new plan. In nearly every city soma
one or mora things are provided for with
practical perfection BY culline these fea-
lures and grouping them together, much |
could Be done. The Cobdcn Club Essays for
1875 would furnish many valuable hints On
tie main principles which must underlie any
good schene Of municipal management. This
very valuable volume, which has hitherto at
tracted not 1.-THE of the attention it deserves.
contains eight essays On local government
and taxation in England, scotland, Ire
land, the Australian Colonies. New Zea-
land, Belgium, Holland, France, Russia, and
spain The ninth is On "Local government
considered in its historical development in !.
Germany and England, with special refer
'nce to recent legislation on the subject in
Prussia" Altogether, the book is siue QUO
son to the student Of this subject. After all
bis work Of collection, collation., and criti-
ts1n has been gone through with, there is the ,
resource Of conversation. There t
re few men Of the world who have not ideas t
Forth hearing on this topic. It is brought
'ome too often to every property-owner to
udfer him to escape thinking about it, Then,
ontamporary literature teens with suepes- =
ons on tle subject, most Of them very :
ad, few very good Notable among c
lem is the theory recently broached q
the Nation for carrying local goy- Il
rnment to its legitimate outcome by a
[lowing-to take the case of new pavement ,
} an e1ample-ths residents Of each block q
r half-dozen blocks to take the matter into u
leiE own hands, raise the money, and do the y
ork. 4 very simple bit Of legal machinery r
ou1d provide for such cases. 4 few months tt
such discussion, after year or 10 Of the 3
work We have sketched, ought to II
Ear fruit in monograph On municipal eov- ae
nment that would become q classic and do o.
world Of good pc