Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-04-01
CITY GOVERNMENT.
The Memphis Experiment.
Nashville Americana

Nashville Americana
Differing in many respects from |
recent writer on the subject, we quit,
agree with him in the assertion that {
fundamental error as to what city gov.
eminent is lies at the base of the evils
of the present system. This error he
holds to be, considering city govern.
ment in any proper sense, or, indeed
as he holds, in any sense at all, pc.
litical government. Holding govern.
ment to be of the state and alone q
function Of the state, or in proper
cases of the United States, he holds
city government to be exactly analo.
gous to the regulation of the
affairs Of any other corporation
strictly the management Of bust.
ness affairs, in which the stockholders
in the city the property-holders, are
interested. AL else that's ordinarily
COMPOUNDED with city government
service of warrants, trial of ~ofenses.
police regulation, though done BY
city officers, he holds to be derived
from the state, to belong to the state
and TO have no necessary connection
with business Of municipal govern
ment. This is, at least partly, true,
and the question how to attain this
is a matter of detail. The Memphis
case partly proceeds upon this idea
although not entirely. Many ways
might be devised for reaching this
end. The administration of the prop
erty interests ola city might be en-
tirely separated from the whole sub
ject Of offeuses in which the liberty
ofthe person is involved aud in which
all citizens have an equal interest.
The plan tried in Memphis. and so
far successfully, might with strictness
be more properly called a step from
an old system towards a new system,
in which universal suffrage is combin-
ed with selection ofagents by the state
in the formation Of the government.
1t is a step into the dark, not to but
toward the system we have indicated.
The whole subject is yet in the realm
Of theory and experiment, and, in
commenting, We simply deal with it as
a matter OF theory and experiment,
advocating no changes In existing
laws as to other cities, but watching
with a keen interest the progress of
the experiment in our sister city. If
Memphis and Tennessee shall attain
to the first step in the way toward the
settlement of this great and difficult
question, they will have gained the
distinction of being a leader in the
most important movement of the age.
The great difficulty in making progress
in city government has been here
tofore, not only in Tennessee, but in
New York and everywhere else, that
the matter has to be considered by
legislatures, but a very small portion
Of whom have any interest in or
knowledge Of the subject. Peculiar
circumstances alone enabled Memphis
to get over this great difficulty and to
secure a change Of system SO radical
10 its character that it could have
been passed at no other time and
under no other circumstances. 1t is,
perhaps, too early to expect that other
cities will begin to study the history
of the new government in Memphis.
but it is destined very soon TO become
prominently into notice at the hands
OF those who are earnestly considering
the same subject, while the progress
Of the experiment will be watched
with the deepest interest by other
cities in Tennessee.