New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-02-24
CORPORATE "uiGYIyInITY.'

IN an expression dropped by Mr.. John Kelly
at the conference at Albany last Monday, upon
the subject of city expenditures, may be found
the key to Il great deal OF bad politics. and
the secret of much maladminiStiatiOn and mis-
government. The TRIBUNE briefly called at
tcntion to it at the time, but 1t deserves some
thing more than passing notice, because OF the
disclosure it makes OF tho radically wrong and
mischievous theory upon which the superficial
thinkers and men of half views of things, who
have installed themselves as party leaders,
conduct the important affair OF government.
Speaking of the salaries OF sundry mu-
uicipal officials, which are judged to be
large by taxpayers who are not In ac-
tive politics, Mr.. Kelly said with some
what aut0cratc manner that people should
mot compare clerks salary with the mag
"nanimty of a great city, In this statement
the leader of the NewYOrk Democracy has
very clearly embodied the principle upon
which the party is conducted. 1t Is an at
tractive one for office holders, whatever it may
be for taxpayers. 1t may answer well enough
for the purposes of party organization held
together by the hopes of office and MAINTAIN
ing its strength and efficiency by official spOils
II
crnment. great or small, it is Il fatal dclusion.
Indeed, Mr.. Kelly himself must see upon
little reflection if not the error Of his system, at
least the mistake III the terms by which he has
characterized it.. great city cannot be mag
unanimous in the matter of paying salaries
without being partial and unjust. The city
government is u corporation. If Mr. Kelly
will look little more closely at the word
"magnanimity," which he uses with the free
dom of a man of resources and power, and
will rub up his Latin IA little, he Will find
the word to mean greatness of soul, cleva-
ton of sentiment; and then ii he VIII
recall one of those simple maXims of the
law with which we must presume the
political leader and magnate of a great city
TO be familiar, he will see that, as "cOr-
operations have no souls" his municipal
corporation cannot exercise magnanimity or be
governed by sentiment in the discharge of its
corporate functions. A city, or State, or ma
tional government has no more right than any
other corporation to conduct its business, or
employ its clerks and agents, or regulate their
salaries, upon any consideration of sentiment
or on any other than purely business prnci-
pies. The conduct of affairs i'll the State or
the municipality is just rs much II trust, with
prescribed powers and exact limitations, rs the
administration of the business .of any moneyed
corporation. Government is II corporation in
which every citizen is stakeholder. These
citizens have intrusted its administration to the
public officials in the same way and upon
the same principle that railroad and other cor
poratons commit their affairs to boards of di-
rcctors. They expect, or have the right TO ex-
pect, the same careful and prudent manage
ment. 1t is wholly an affair of the head not
at all of the heart. The directors of munich
pal as well as all other corporations are ex-
pected to secure faithful service at reasonable
salaries and market rates; no more and no less.
If any individual of them desires to exhibit
magnanimity or exercise charity, he must do it
in his individual capacity and not at the cor
porations expense. e.
We happen to be just at this time in the
midst of some interesting Investigations of
certain corporations which are suspected of
having applied to themselves Mr.. Kely's
theory regarding municipal corporations. That
is to say, the directors have exercised munici-