Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-07-28
LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL COY
,..f.s ERNlfENTS

LOt1LI I.lU uINIC/i'1L G(J ".
,..f ERNluENTyS N
ilIsftai t.iani------ OK ~ ,.fe
Tho subject Of municipal govern.
mcnt Is cliciting q great dcnl Of dis
cusslon in varions parts or this coun-
try, and even in England The organ
izcd corruption of the day might pos.
sibly be endured ii il wcrc confined Ia
national politics. & The majority ol yo.
tcIs ara honest, and yet honest Off
cials and honest politics are not Ii the
ascendant oven In local administration
Even in New England, which is
claimed TO be the great citadcl. of NOR.
al idoas, the Sprinfgcld (Mass.) Re-
pntlicdas complains Of party commit
toes going, bat in hand, TO financial
Tbosscs' 10 obtain their consent 10 the
nomination Of this or the other popu-
lar gentleman for Office public serv-
ants, paid by tho city for q very differ
ent sort OF work, using their official
position to sct up candidates, &c., prct-
" much as is tho case in Baltimore.
The problem Of the.bcst solution OF
the ills Of municipal government seems
to be As embarrassing in tho Old
World as il is IN the New. The Cob
den Club has lately published q now
volume Of essays on "I.ocal Govern
ment and taxation in England, Ire.
land, Scotland tile Australian colonies,
Belgium and Holland, Isrnncc, Russia,
Spain and Prussia. II win be some,
what surprising TO many To DO told
that the palmy days of local sclfgov.
ernmcnt wore under the feudal sys-
tenn, five centuries ago, when all the
frsemen assembled in town meetings
to transact their local business, to elect
delegates to the little court of the hun
drcd, and finally to elect or be elected
representative to the shire meeting or
county court. where they took seat
with the sheriff and the bishop for the
trial of causes and the administration
Of county affairs. This local govern.
ment, in which English liberty was
bred, was. we are told, 30 strong that
parliamentary representation itself
was originally little more than an ex.
pedient for obtaining the consent of To-
cal authorities to grants made or en-.
actments passed by the national au.
thority, and the English Legislature
for generations was rather federal
than imperial IN It's character" AZ.
terwarfs the control of the large towns
passed gradually into the hands OF
ttown councils,h to whom charters
were granted BY the crown. and these
town councillors, usually elected for
life. and conducting their PROCEEDINGS
with closed doors, soon came to regard
municipal Office not as a trust, but as
lucrative Inheritance. to be employed
for selfish and political purposes.
Even at this day, though the reform
act of 1882 abolished the above sys.
TEN, the evils OF municipal govern.
ment arc believed TO be as great in
England us in America. arhS simple
truth is that nine.tenths of the popu.
lation in an English country parish
have at this moment less share in To-
cal government than belonged to all
classes of frcomen for centuries before
and centuries after the Norman con.
quest less than belongs TO French
peasants of the present dav. and even
French peasants under the eighteenth
century monarchy In the towns
and cities. however. the taxpayer i
n voter and a person of more conse.
quencc. But everywhere in England
local government Is chaotic vet
While having various forms. the same
vices are found which exist among Ms
--short-sightod eytravagance ON the
one hand, and short-siabtcd economy
on the other. contractors and builders
getting into mnnicipal positions 10 ad.
vance schemes of drainage and street
improvement. and private interests
being more powerful than the desire
Of promoting the GOOD or guarling The
rights of Che public. l.ff17 n
These facts, while they. need not
make our country. where matters are
quite as bad. selt.complacent. certainly
show that thcre is nothing in the
American republican system intrinsic
ally hostile to good local cover nment.
The remedies proposed in our own
case arc various; but such MS we have
seen mentioned do not embrace that
which appears to us the most effica.
cious and indispen sable of ALL the per.
sonal attention OF tho good and sub.
stantial men of every ward and neigh.
borhood to incipient movement and
the ballot-box. What is eyerybody's
business is sald to be nobodv;s bnsi.