, 1879-04-13

TIE NEW CITY GOVERNMENT.
The municipal election has passed int,
history. The time for complaints and re
grets has also passed away. When severn
thousand voters Of party deliberately sta,
away from the polls, the presumption is tha
they desire the election of the candidate o
the other party. AIr. HARRISON, therefore
Is to be Justly considered as having beer
elected Mayor not only by majority Of tht
votes polfed, but by the consent of thost
who remained away from the polls. Being
elected, and the executive control Of the
affairs OF the city being committed to him
for the coming two years. the present inter
est OF the people of Chicago is as to the
manner in which he shall administer his
duties.
A1r. DEMONSTRATING out of view his
politics, which are somewhat erratic-is q
man Of pure personal character, justifying
the belief that he will not only be honest
himself in Office, but will require oil others
in Office under his control to be equally hon
est He is not man Of that class who seek
Office for the opportunities it affords for
plunder; therefore it is presumable that he
will be no partner in ally job or scheme to
nse the City Government for private gains.
OF course the Mayor Of Chicago will BE-
only one branch Of the City Government.
Mayor HEATH, during his three years in
office, had the good fortune to be supported
and sustained by q. majority Of the City
Council The Council responded always
to the Mayors efforts to reduce e1-
penditures, to limit the number Of
officers, and to keep taxation at the
minimum SO long as the city was struggling
hampered by the necessity OF issuing scrip,
the validity of which depended on majori~
t. vote in a court of seven members. The
Mayor instituted the policy Of keeping e1-
penditure within the limit Of actual or prob
able revenue, instend Of making expenditure
to the extent OF the law, and then waiting for
revenue to make up the deficiency. The
new policy persevered IN during three years
has done much to rescus tho city from its
financial troubles. There is, however, one
embarrassment that remains. The scrip ques-
ton has been settled By the Courts The city
may pay it's creditors in non-interest bearing
paper,-the paper to be issued only against
appropriations for which taxes are actually
levied. As the taxes for the year cannot be
levied before the lst Of Alay, the city can
issne no scrip for necessary expenditures
from Jan. until after the taxes are levied.
It may pay out money if it have it, but,
until surplus of revenue can be accumu-
lated, there is no likelihood of any money
being in the Treasury, except to redeem out
standing scrip.
The new Administration will enter Office,
md be at once encountered by loud and
pressing demand for several things: |
y For complete change of officers, one
2alf Of whom are members of the incoming
oarty- (2) 4 demand for liberal ex-
3eEditures, and the issue of con- t
racts to the full extent of the ap-
'ropriations. (3) A large increase Of the up
~ An abandonment of the
'olcy Of issuing scrip to only q limited |
mount Of the appropriations. (5) The de-
'reclation of the value Of the scrip by an IN
rease Of the amount issued, and (G) an ap-
'ropriation Of scrip to make good the exist
ng depreciation. equal to from 10 to 25 per
ent Of the whole city expenditures. (7)
he undoing of the work on the City-Hall
: change Of the stone, involving total
ddition to the cost OF the building Of from
100000 to Ss00,0oo, to appease the lobby,
.hich demands the change merely for the
loney involved in it. In support of these de-
lands large number of the Council, and
erhaps majority are committed. Certainly,
all the Democratic Aldermen shall SO vote,
ley and the Communists will be able to en-
'rce all these demands by legislation. If !
le City Council is to resolve itself into a
artisan body, which it has not been for
'ree years, and the action of tho majority
to be directed By the action of majority
the caucus, and the Mayor and the City
overnnent generally to be no more and no
IS than the mere official agents of the j
nous, then it is possible that the new Ad-
will degenerate into as disrepu-
bic and Is calamitous On affair rs that {
hich grew out Of the so-called Peoples {
rty in 1873 Ths Mayor himself will be {
'werless lis own allegiance will be tested l
bis fidelity to the behests of caucus, and | {
$ election as Mayor will prove public {
sfortune. 7
We know Mr.. HARRISON was elected as {
and We expect him to act as I
smocrat on al party questions, but We ex- &
ct him also to act us member of large 9
blic corporation having great financial in 9
:ests, committed to Board Of Directors Of I
itch be is one. The question of spending c
Million or half million Of dollars more
N is necessary on the City-Hall is fiaau- t.
] question affecting the whole people of +
icago, Democrats and Republicans alike, ,
is not, SO far Us We can understand, Y
rty question and we do not understand II
w Mayor HARRISON is to be directed and | Il
atrolled in his action on that subject by the Il
cislon Of party caucus. There are other d
tiers Of deep public concern, but purely g.
tiers Of municipal policy, as to ezpendi- et
9, as to salaries, Us to the number Of hj
ces: as to taxation, and as to the public to
dit, in which the new Mayor has a large fo
! direct pecuniarv interest os Tho .77ocr of ! n,