New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-09-08
STATE AND MUNICIPALITY.

noon, by half-tIfnc SFsieu, WaeI Ieatlli".
STATE AND MUNICIPALITY.
TIE OBSERVATIONS OF SAMUEL BOwLEs oN THiS
TOPIC Al SARATOGA
The American system Of government, when
organized out OF the original Independent and inco-
hercnt colonies, naenfed the State The General Gov
ernmeut WIS mere federation OF the States FOR the eH
ercse OF few common and outside affairs TIC changes
OF "a century have trenched slowly but seriously from
both directions upon the The latter has become
in TOO great degree a feeble and hahby afr. The null
tnhcaon and growth II cities transfer Of pOpu
ations from moderate collections Of farmers ana small
mechanics and st0reseepcr- INTO mammoth centres OF
manufactures and commerce wiih she constant tendency
indv;dualze the principle OF local seifgovcrnuent
has built up series Of subsidiary representative govern
ments within the State that have much TO
divide absorb and dsPate the power Of the State itself
the other hand the growth Of an intense nationality,
ia bOta and feeling aud the ezgancirs Of great
civil war have assacd and reduced tine States from the
outside
Tie rial imperialism 81 orr Government has come 70
be IN the cities the hand and 10 the federation on
the other. Nearly every state has CITY or cities more
powerful than itself In this extreme vi individuality,
this cutting OF repr sentative government into local
ton and expcnd -e the 7lrdsrerai weakness " or
rofe, uiplcpaI system NAV fairly b. said % DE. Tie
Common Council ~ q city frequently dispose, ~ more
money and alter questions than the legislature OF 20
ate ana the MAYOR of city containing twentieth
than did the Congressional D1ofkeepcr boast ih
me is q bigger man " tiitu the Governor
This extreme Of local Independence enroura, los the
reacriou the former strong state government ha,
found the temptation to cxcessiv indulgence and gross
ahusc in iae recon, period OF material stimulation AMI
Inflated growth. Tie American Mur,ipau.L A.,
within twenty years done more 10Y ITSELF 10 tr way 90
UaVcueG9, water, cas. schools. libraries puohc 1alio
.urs parks and railroads, than aGy European rr a-
results of tlc Aladdin lamp fable are nJr more re'aia-
able than these actual Developments and provisions.
such sudden md rapid growth added 20 ire lowering of
public morals when W0i, inflated currency and sprrt-
zion naturally cultivated. was Inevitably Accompanied
by l0ryagiucc a'us and c'iTupton
Thus this h.- been hc eia OF the development OF OUT
municipal system. is pow--. its iuperirctlons and IL
abuses To prevent any one person or e"d' do's any
cuhImg srstenl OF irIrpousioi'y There was >ach 1911
dine OF power that nobody could bp 90 bauc f1r any
ttlns Il TOOK ever! BOO, E" do ans mus ana ti"
ora y. "qd cFer'p'} saia u was you ana O' hie' ana
everybody right
Coupled Win ai these common infr"ites in -'st4in
and popular weakness was tIc pIra nee % every f.' oi
I~g' percentage of poor. Ignorant aud io great fA-
tent vicious voters. mostly % f're-h brit VINO "ec az
the service Of parties ant eoniiTicic7 cAiht 90, yer asa
jobs. 10 Is up'n ts class and tle lr.ne.si- au,cr-
ltca clement, tust th-rr Is nov couiIaor disposition
0 unload the responsibility OF these exces7 and a1n-,r
Certainly the cvtrn; Of tni. ciis- az vUt.tt i added
burden no ort Am iic'h system ana lh ald r "is-
hIr 10 Use American ci-zeu OF culture and property.
EUt NAV De stated. general f,ct thIt Wa. tuc
iatter, aGd NOT the former Nho leo a. ncf' rcess md
abuses. nue ih2t TIE American cifFf 10 cIn ue found
whose men OF property AMI 1n"Wedge united r 'n IN
tellScn WucAiU ahd conservative ear" o. i-"it Whhi
cpai interests mas nothing now to iloufM in Ho wni OF
pay-Is aud ia, VINO r-ad and write have done
the- duty. cause for Eimentaon or reform can De
Many OF these evils are passing away with le healthy
reaction tha has come over tbr American 1p" There
Las begun almost uucOuScIuus rescsnn back o.
an b.lrnti in TO- SIN u all the I,t-rs tat n tr,-
-s,s On control so ali o ai that thr personal
rights auc duties OF it, czens.-tne responsibilities OF
the s4Je 20 tnem and their reepons"ltts i" lt ia in
ernurIts vii probably be found V4lc al tno .tnie
O.. t t4 u
ETY. all that undertake 20 DO by and i0r each "ter
wi Poe much more simply. economically anu initilgenuy
perhaps the formula may be thus broadly stated That
laws and The CHARITY laws shah carry them under
md agencies and no Longer divide tnrsc dII
ties with counties municipalities II L. casv 90
without illustration what gtiu there would De- in sym
merry in cost character and in efcctiveness under
thus RUE The police would all le ponce, operated
throughout the whole orders VI tie state Dy single
ncsd renewed ny TIE very principle OF NJ being rom
the Weaknesses OF ultimate local and individual
discipline Of being moved AM mas7"d win ehrc-
uvrIirss upon Any local emergency The prisons
beng a ATE pri,0us. could be- maintained upon CONF
discipline ana their umac- classified win relation 70
Their offences. their and sex ihri vcloasless ard
their capacity for reform. Tie aus-LOusee, Ae STATE
uqtutuns. would present the same oPpcr' 4uie- for
organized adm iustrati0n-ior economy OF support and
and for separation oi me sreaiest personal Dec
nts; while the centralized state system ""1t break ~
the expensive conflicts over Local s-tiemeh's aud IN
The motives 10 selisnuf Hha lilcIdil utiveh
ton The schools would take on higher and more uni
character; there would be less faNOrueu an Tie
cocc ~ teachers thorough supervision ana every
way more results for tine money Invested.
AL these and the Ike offices OF s0fffnn .hi DaiAS 10
-1rbeG by TIE central stat power th.ir legitimate
head aud source. there would remain % The uiuuepaii-
tic. sinny the OF tine buildings AM 5tiect,hr IKE
Department. the paveuenis. the water. the 8as, the
street rail Navs and parks.
m viii naturally be objected that the proposed ab,0rl
tiou OF it, own powers by the Sate viii maze greatly
centralized and possibly dangerous authority. Certainly
under tie modern habits OF imposing national political
divisions upon STATE affairs. and " suhordluaju- ttr
civil service Of the stat. 90 the uses OF the same n@uorA
lartncrshp the objection could not be- Oversttc fns
rel of power - altogether pr. tlcuue an
lee. there De reform 10 these particulars BIt the
signs az such reform abundant and long with tho
tendency ggr gate the state s the dccoupaiylIa dis
position Go separate JOS Eurs ana escay iis GIVE BEL
vice from m.r- ptitue-7lllp
Then in the demands Of or complex CIVILIZATION.
here must DE- great rrutrlZHUJu o. authority
"a mere. Pracii ais the cnUc' is between diyiiiAE d
anon, the dairy lurtr states o. concentrating alto
-.i rfiuoa tle FtIcra Government. l. De- u- tIt
n s,uic long held ana wisely exercised b taousiud
az utcd,ul uuulci pAs or nae hundred or M GIu0tA
cities that would lrs.I and control them.
There viii br fears Of fue scttrm It OF tac STATE into
A system Of perfuuctOrv Burcaucrtrt Bul trust
Ia r,unteract Ills by Increased publicity aui a,ci-
on % a affairs Il modern itt i. Vel - through
the it1e popular interest IN the great ore~ OF thc
ga c a. clGt on gud charity and business efstulzl
ton.
Here 20 may fairly be urged. Is the true development
and protection rights and stale authority Here,
too iue legitimate Limitation o. indepcuGeut Iuucipl.
authority and tho Of the dcmufllziiiOns which
cxerielice his developed under she loosen ,ystcm
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