Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-07-30
The MisgOvernment of New York


Chamber of Commerce has como 70 he
distinguished for something better thar
ordinary sfter-cinner speaking. Eyer
year, brief but weighty addresses arr
made by men whose character and abil
tiles make their words unusually inn.
pressive. Their last dinner was nc
exception to the rule. The speeches 81
Judge Noah Davis. Secretary Sherman
and the Rev. DR.. r. s. Storrs were
such a. would do honor to any occasion
however august. Bot perhaps the sen.
sation of the evening was the address
OF Alderman Charles II. Marshall. who
spoke about the way in which New
York is misgoverned. Mr.. Marshall il
a citizen Of wealth and probity, whose
constant effort as AN Alderman has been
to reform the existing abuses in on,
municipal affairs.
There ia nothing new in this speech
not fact that WAS not already we'll
known to every New Yorker who reads
the newspapers aud yet its effective
combination of well-knowu facts makes
u startling impression. Few citizens
realized that the state of affairs Was, on
The whole, quite 81 desperate. A single
paragraph Of the speech will give IN
idea of its character:
What il it that gives US streets
reekins with filth and nastiness and
loaded with every species Of abomina.
tlous and OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES which,
Ia spite of the exertions OF the upright
ana capable Commissioner OF Public
Works, are, for the most part, as diff
cult and painful to drive over ~ IN or
binary corduroy road out West? Bad
management. What il it that con-
demns our honest and Industrious Door
to live in tenement. houses filled with
tout odors, and in which their children
sicken and die-which deprives them
of the light and air of heaven, aud
drives from their lives every pleasant
and beautiful association Again, bad
government. What is it that brings 9
building, constructed for public uses,
crashing down about the heads Of those
who have trusted in its safety-crusa-
ing out of existence several valuable
lives, and carrying mourning and lite
long sorrow to many hearts and homes
l answer, bad government. What il it
which throws away valuable franchises,
accords to individuals what should be
for the public good, imposes upon Us
burdens almost too heavy to be borne,
and wastes our substance In the en-
ployment of useless officers and sine
curists, whose occupation for the most
part IL tho services which they render
to their political leaders and patrons
l answer again, bad government"
There are three causes that especially
produce this bad government: the
" Boss" system, o vicious municipal
charter, and corrupt political alliances.
The abolition of either Of these things
would render better government posi-
ble, but good government cannot be
had until all shree are done away with.
Take the Boss" system, for example.
1t is reported that John Kelly said last
fall there were 10000 voters 10 this city
who voted as he directed, w,thout cue,
looking at their ballots. The boast was
true. Such u vote, controlled by on.
man, makes good government absolute
ly impossible, unless the Boss
SHOULD have the wisdom of q Solomon
joined to the virtue Of . Washington
The charter of New York practically
uakes the Mayor tigure-head. Al
Mayor Cooper puts it, he cannot sub
stltute good officials for those who have
been found wanting, and it has been
discovered that officers n AOse term. hxv.
expired have thereby acquired certain
halo Of steadfastness, to be- disturbed
Gully by their own v0lition or by death
itself. He can appoint to office-ths
Aldermen won't lot him; he can't re-
move from 0fice-the courts put him
under prohibition" b. sllisnces-now
OF the Republicans with Tsmmany. and
now Of ths Republicans with Anti lam
msny-the offices are filled according t,
agreement with men whose only fitness
Is that they are good henchmen.
They may BIZ corrupt, or incompetent
or lazy, 1t does not matter; the power
that appoints them can keep them il
office, no Natter what happens.
AS Alderman Marshall 80 boldly de
clared-and it does take considerable.
boldness to speak the truth about some
things in New York-every citizen owe.
it to himself AZ q man, and owes it to hi
business or professional interests, tc
oppose these things. No opportunity
should be lost of dealing blow at tn,
Boss system, and the parties to cor
rupt political alliances should be "al
ostracised from decent society as tn.
man who FORCES check or picks /,
pocket" And instead of the charter
tinkering now going on at Albany, tn,
object of which is to make the Mayor
still more helpless, and to give tn,
offices wholly over to plunderlng pc
litical combination, the charter should
be so amended that the Mayor would
be in reality as we'll as in name tn,
Executive of the city government. II,
would then be responsible directly tc
the people, who could express at the
polls their opinion Of his official acts
There would then be some definite re
sponsibility for bad appointments, ant
the retention of unfit men in office. A
present the responsibility is SO evenly
divided between y Boss" q Board o.
Aldermen and the Mayor, that nobody
can toll exactly whom to blame for baG
government. III
This is not q merely local affair. The
influence of New York is felt every
where in the United States, and mis-
government in this city inevitably en-.
cOurages and fosters corruption and