New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-16

DEMOCRACY AND CITY GOTERNMENT.
The addresses lately made by Ernest Renan
and George William Curtis on the part taken
by cultivated men in the government OF de-
mocracies are very suggestive. A tone of dis
couragement bordering on anxiety can be de-
tected in NJ. Remains discourse which is absent
from the address of Mr. Curtis. Is 1t because
NJ. Renan, after contemplating the power OF
cultivated men in national affairs turned Ills
gaze upon cities and endeavOred to detect In
their government the work of trained lntelli-
pence? Mr.. Curtis certainly would have mad
equal cause for Encouragement IL he had
looked in the same direction In France and
in the United States alike it is a notorious fact
that the cities are not well governed. Such
Ignorant. thievish government has been per-
mitted by the city demOcracies that they are
no longer trusted to manage wholly their own
affairs. The State, representing ADLER ana
purer democracies has been called in to super
wise in part their government Yet everyone
nerceiyes that this is but temporary expe-
dent; that with the growth of the cities their
populations will grasp greater and still greater
power in the government OF the state, anu
eventually be i'll a position TO regain the COM
plete control OF their own affairs. Probably IL
is the perception of the inevitableness OF THIS
result that saddens NJ Renan.
Nevertheless, if there is cause for discourage
ment there is ground Tor hope Perhaps after
all democracy has not had fair trial In the
government of cities. Perhaps owners OF prop
erty and cultivated men in this city too swiftly
invoked the aid of the State twenty-five years
ago. If they had appealed to voters to remedy
the misgovernment the appeal might nave
been needed Bad government could nave
been endured for several years under the
conviction that at the end OF that time there
would be a reform through the education OF
voters to perception of the rascallty ana I'M
becility of city rulers. Democracy could nave
fallen back on its cultivated members to rescue
it from its mistakes i'll city government. mat
moment of impotence and evasion OF hard
work the cultivated men OF the city nave
seemingly long regretted For years they have
looked on without apparent ,dlspleasure at the
attempts to reconquer for this city its right OF
"home rule" The governing OF some OF the
city departments by State Commissions ended
without their making protest They ask less
and less interference with the city's affairs.
Since 1878 they have not made any attempt to
get new city charter. The past winter they
saw, without making opposition, the Legislature
pass an amendment to the Constitution vlrtu-
ally comforting upon cities the right OF SELF
government, and dcpriving the Legislature OF
apy power of interference except by general
laws applicable to all cities. 1t would thus
seem that the cultivated men OF this city have
silently come to the conclusion that it is wise
to trust democracy unreservedly with its gov
eminent.
Surely there ought to be some preparation
for the adoption of so radical a policy, if it is
70 he adopted No effort should be spared to
save Ncw-York from another period OF ex-
travagant, ignorant and dishonest government.
1t would seem that there could be no better
preparation for home rule than an improve
ment OF the grade of Aldermen and city
officers. 1t has been the misfortune OF the poor
and the men of moderate means that form the
mass of the population OF this city 10 be mis-
renresented at the centres of government
Politics has had no governing force; it was
noteworthy in the last Legislature that BrOdsky
and Niglutsch, Republicans representing dis
tricts in this city Inhabited by poor men, voted
as regularly for the bills increasing the city S
exnenses IA their Democratic colleagues
Murphy and Patten, who also represented dis
tricts of a similar class. The poor were actually
represented by members from wealthy dis
tricts. 1t was John Hampden Robb, Theodore
Roosevelt and Henry l.. Sprague, cultivated
men representing wealthy districts, that fought
and defeated the bills intended to increase the
burdens of the city. They had to protect the
poor against the poor's own representatives
Nothing could be more discouraglng TO the
lovers of democratic government than repeti-
tinn of such trcacherY to the poor IN the BOARD