Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-03-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Jenny Snoddy, Alderman = His
Vanity How and Where BE
Broke Loose Jenny as
Law Giver.
His Accustomed Achievements How
TO Slaughter Jemmy-Jemmy
the Bane of Cities.
Judge Terrell After Him lie is
Knocked on the Head in
San Francisco.

Washington, ID, c., March Is. The
want of fOrethought and the unrea-
ypning folly OF mobs in cities Is wholly
unaccountnblc. They persist in in.
yestibg peculiar class of men with
municipal offices simply because these
detnagogues assume to be their own
vgt. Whisky-headcd aldermen and
ignorant, inebrlated, red-v isaged po-
.icemcn, and now and then vulgar
bnlly Of mayor, enjoy honors and
snbolumcnts Of office, and the mob,
aid even honest toiling workiDgmen
feioice in the fact. They imagine that
Iva eleyating vulgar fellows they honor
aud enrich their own clnss. Not very
iong ago we read the inscription on IA
ggeat, Rlarng, gilded door-plate,
JENNY sN0DDy, ALDERMAS.n
HARDLY, over the doorway Of u
greasy. dngy, filthy bar-room, was
ine significant sign-board, "5noddy's
alton" .jcmmy's vanity and CON
~iousness Of hoUors proudly worn
aud the folly Of his constituency aud
vine fate OF the community having
1Ich masters, were all legiblc In the
resiibule of Jcmmy's dOnicil. Jenny
vas reelected because IL was known
Wat he would vote for every job In
gOiving the expenditure OF public
asoney. Jenny would have every body
employed on public works. True,
tommy would augment rates Of taxa
lion and double and quadruple
ire public debt; but Jemmy's adber-
pnts pay no taxes and what signify
public burdens. Such, too, Is the
seasoning and conduct, we may sug-
sest parentheticnlly of negro dweller5
~ Southern towns. They uniformly
.upport the worst and most incapable
and unworthy candidates for official
pesitions. Their motives are precisely
hose of s0is9-cnGOtkcs Of northern nli-
Inequalities. In central cities of the
aniOn the white swell mob co-opcrntes
with the black, and municipal bank
1ptcy always ensnes.
sN0ppy AND BELsuAzzAR.
Whit have these absurd voters
gained2 Grcnt numbers Of them, for
y time, served the public IN subordi.
cate offices. Many executed triiing,
erhaps profitable contracts; and
many, very many, just before each
election, were employed ~ street la
1rcrs. But the inevitable end comes
- last. II Is discovered ia tho cily's
hsoIyency and decay. Burden
tome public debts aud intolernble
,axation put n period 10 private
iGcai enterprise No railways are
Jniit, 10 houses erected, no generous
school system can be maintained no
40 sewers are dug, laws OF public
health are neglected. Who are the
sufferers? The rich and prosperous
migrate; the poor are hungry. They
rOt of foul plaques and In filthy lndi-
goncc Jenny Snoddy's vulgar, gar-
NJ door-plate was ItclshnHznr pro-
llsecy, IN handwri ting on the WALL
preaaging all these public and private
gncls.
1llE ~ tVl ANp TIE MuNlCfrALITY.
The mob learns at last, though al
says too late, however often these his.
torio lessons are repeated, that their
interests aud those of i,tx-payiup
classes are inscparable, and
hat none besides those thorough
~ Identified IN theiIprivate .ior-
-unes with those of lu,inic-
pstlity should govern IL. These local
soNernmonts are essentially tax-gath-
nfihg and corresponding institutions
Ihe state and liz courts and laws
protect life, liberty, and property,
Aau with jurics and habeas
orpus guards civic and personal
tights OF tho living and estates of the
lead Municipal laws and action. on
the contrary, affect streets, lights,
drainage, and loconotion and trade,
N"fs-iaNphyers are guarded against
wrong at the hands Of corporate au-
lhority by the state. Why, therefore.
slouid amy one be suffered to vote away
sahcr peoples money In corpora.
lions IN which lac Is In nowise "A share
holder, and why should he enact or
execute municipal statutes affecting
orisr peoples property and never his
own. hut generous American habits
nisd systems have invested every clti-
gen with the glorious ''priyilogcr for
u ~ not a right-nf voting ia All elee-
'splis, whether federal, state or nluuic-
9i'ss end we propose no step backward.
TltE REMEDY
liut We do propose to reform nonulnr
lmhits OF thinking nnd OF action inn
.,e.l!ng the untaNed to combine in
atnhicipni elections 60 plumber and l,u-
poYerish the taxed. The rouniryis
AptM WINS SO grlevousiy impovcl-
shed, like Philadelphia and New
Work, by this Unsuitable moh and hy
inen having no ldentity of fortune
s'th the city, that the government OF
sho United States was forced
~ interpose aud diVesl
Boss Shepherds grcgarious nul.
NiMde oi highest privileges of local
citizenship. High rates OF local taxa
lson imposed and made unavoidable
W representatives OF those who con.
Itsbuie nnught to n city's treasury
iAave driven countless manufactures
steni Phlladelphia aud New York, aud
ais,as have ignorant. laundering voters
hg8at,
vicious systcms OF city government
ste constantly "reiormea.'l Each ler.
stature enaeiS new codes and
srtin,~ new restrictions for
Miefs ot great cities. Grand coul-
missions, like those ofcongress,nnnl
ststh,ure instituted, and new char
seFs; hut state lawgivers, like congress-.
men, are often politicians and dcma.
gneues. They are conscious of the
ssiigin of evils to be remcdied, but dare
Eei strike, Their NEW charters aud
commissioners are cowardiy evasions
They dare not close halt the ballot
ioxcs. There lies the source Of
ssii, and there, perhaps, the only
saseetivc remedy can be applied. Must
ssh these great eastern cities one
ousng eighty, the other one hundred
and sixty mlllions--~bc disfrunchiscd