Daily Republican., 1882-02-20
4 yoroge slrsulasaOD OItne u kfun
LICAN 5000 Daily.


To morrow the city, borough and
township elections, which used to be
called the Spring elections, will take
place in Pennsylvania, but none of
them outside of Philadelphia, are Of
extraordinary Importance, there being
no national issue at stake, nCr no legisla-
ture to elect. 1t therefore becomes a
little squabble between the ms and the
outs, as to who shall hold the offices
next year, when the fitness of candi,
dates are more looked after than in
State, Congressional and Presidential
elections. In Philadelphia, however,
the case is different, though the can.
vass is confined entirely to local issues,
and the election of City Councilman is
conducted with marked acrimonious
ness. In all large cities where one
party has been in power for great
length of time as in Philadelphia, CON-
binations of politicians will arise, and
what are called rings" will be formed
to control the local legislation in the
interests Of certain individuals. This
has prevailed to such an extent in our
sister city that there has been revul.
sion of public sentiment and many Of
the leading business men of the city
have combined toget her into an organi-
cation called 1.-THE Committee of QUE
Hundred" for the purpose of control
ling and leading public sentiment in
the direction of reform in many al
legged abuses of public trusts. This
committee is composed of both Repub
leans and Democrats, and their mode
of operatio n is to agree upon those they
deem the best reform men of both par.
ties and recommend them for election
TO the City Council. If the Republi.
cans have nominated the best candi.
dates, the committee adopts them and
recommends them to the voters. Ii
the Democrats have nominated the best
reform men they do the same for them
and leave'the Republicans out in the
cold, but if neither party has nominated
acceptable candidates, then the com.
mittee puts men of its ewn selection
into the field. The opposition of the
committee is principally directed
against the management of the Gas
Trust, the passenger railways and the
Board of Guardians of the Poor, and
the contest now made is one of the most
energetic for many years. 1t need
not be surprising ii the election results
IN substantial change in the compost
ton of both branches of the City Coun,
Gil. The citizens of Philadelphia have
become familiar in the last three or four
years, with the duties and methods OF
free suffrage and in the election OF
local officers demand only that honest
and capable officers shall be chosen, and
that the distinction which party con.
tinually produces, shall not be permit
ted to arise.
Municipal government should not be
of partisan nature on the line of ma
tional politics and should not reach
down to the business management OF
lamps, police, sewers and street clean
ing. Divested Of craftsmanship, there
are Democrats Republicans and Green
hackers, and men Of all conceivable
parties who would make most admira,
BILE councilmen There Is no good rea.
son why layit & water pipes, opening
and grading streets, organizing fire de-
partments and raising revenue should
be connected with National tariffs,
polygamy in the territories, admission
OF new States, foreign diplomacy and
National finances. Home local govern
ment is quite another thing.