The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1883-09-04
THE SPIRIT Of DEMOCRACY.
s
TUESDAY. SEPTEMBER 4. 1888.
New York Herald, 2lst inst.
lore Republican Policies

go -. - 81 -
Some weeks ago We were moved t
p,int out the singalar unanimity wild
which leading republican Journals deN
to the assistance of the telegraph corpo
rations against The strikers. The Even
ing Post led off with cool proposition
that telegraph and railroad strikes should
be forbidden by law photographers
railroad men, postoff1ce clerks and po
licemen Gil places IN modern society
very like soldiers" added the Evening
Post, and told the workmen that if they
do not like such restrictions they car
"keep out of calling in which strikes
are not allowable +" The Commercial
Advertiser, another il huentisl Republi.
can organ, about the came time spoke oI
the striking woikmen contemporary
as 'tan infnitesimal fraction of the pop
ulation." and called for the Senate La
Dor Committee to come here and "s,op
striking The Tribune, another inan.
enlial Republican organ, spoke with hor
ror ot the strikers as "secret and oath.
bound brotherhood" whose proceedings
were intolerable aud dangerous, and
whose demands were especially objec-
tionahle in the way they we're presented
The Mail. and Express, another infueu.
tial Republican organ. was tearful over
the strike, which 1t d ciared threatened
to he "the beginning Of q new era Of ty-
.rannv over honest and ambitious labor
and OF terrorism over capital"
The Republican ,urnals all over the
country in considerable numbers made
haste to follow these influential organs
of Republican opinion and policy, anil
ranged themselves on the side of cor
.porations and against the workinemen.
So general was this, that We we're led to
remark thst "the lahoring men OF the
country must therefore, it seems. take
into account that there is considerable
and Influential opinion, mainly Rspub!i-
can, which will, if it can gain headway,
cause the passage Of laws prohibiting
strikes in certain employments, and il in
some at first, logically in all at the eEd
This is matter which deserves their at
senlion, and not theirs only"
The intimate relations of republican
maeua,es with the chiefs Of great and
powerful corporations ase q matter OF
common Discussion; 1t needed the EXT
gsncy of strike to make the defence
OF corporations turn into general at
tack on unsstisfied workmen. Bot We
have just now snc ther, and, as i. seems
to Us. equally striking statemen, of the
republican policy toward wo.kingmen
II comes from Mr.. Kasson, long men,
her Of Congress, lately Minister to Aus
tria, and IN the last House Of Repse-
seutarives prominent candidate for the
Speakership. tss - kae = q Z
We had occasion some days ago -
praise tfiscussion hy ex-Mayor Grace
in Harper's Magazine of the problem Of
municipal government, Mr. Grace
urged that the fertile cause of malad
miDistra,ion IN New York and other
greet cities OF the State is that their af-
fairs are controlled and leg5slated upon
at Albany, where they become the sport
Of State politicians not only ignorant OF
the citY's needs. but careless Of them.
Local selt.government. the government
of New York by New York, and not By
the Legislature at Albany, Mr. Grace
maintained, and We believe rightly, to
he the true and only cure for corruption
and Standardization here.
Well, Mr.. Kssson takes another end
what We may suppose to be the ortho-
,dox republican view, in the North
American &, view. He believes that the
csuse Of corruption and msladministrs-
tion in cities is general and eqpal sui
frage. To take away the power from
the people at large and give il to the
properly owners, he thinks. is the only
cure. "Tne ruinous principle to be ex-
PEELED frum the bssiaess management OF
car cities. full OF floating voters, Is the
DHle which gives 10 mere majority OF
irresponsible numbers the right Of con
troll over the municipality" be says, and
adds. with horror, "This majority elects
alike Mayor, Aldermen and Gouncilmen
and many other Ulcers. in some cities
including The jsliieiai officers"
Mr. .Kasson is too sble man ITO be
merely critical or destructive. He pro-
poses new plan to govern cities
"Keepiug to the elessiRe basis and to
the usual organization, with Mayor, AL
dermen and Common Council, who
should have the rights of electofsf' ne
asks, aid has bis answer ready He has
bseni in Vienna and be thinks the Aus
iriaIi plan the best: 80 g
lathe plan adopted in Vienna is also
possible here. The whole body of elec
tors may be divided into three classes.
each eleeting 81 quail number OF repre-
sseptatiyes in the Board of Aldermen
and Council. The land owners paying
annual taxes exceeding g. may
elect one-third; other proprietors. man.
ufac,urers, merchants, paying over g.
in annual taxes may elect another third
all other taxpayers, to whom may be
added the professional classes, house
holders end others, may elect the Other
third. The whole body Of municipal
representatives so elected may meet in
convention. aud by msjority elect the
Mayor. Such classification may be
made even where universal .suffrsge il
continued. In that case the taxpayers
would still haHs- the contro as they
ought to have. by their poser to elect
tWo-thirds Of the governing body. Ev
cry Interest would be represented, while
non-interest could not, as now, ccntrol
by yiitue merely OF nsmhers."
Bot he is not welded to thn Vienni
plan. All he insisis oD is that bhe suf
frage shall be narrowed; that the pocl
shall have less and the wealthy mor'
power ..Whatever the limitation q
class. fcation of municipal suffrage ma,
be.'riie saws, sit Is certain that aBy ef
fective and permanent principle Of re
form must be applied directly to- thi
source of the evils. Here is the breed
ing nest of municipal peculaliony cor
ruption, waste and extrayagance."
There ia consistency in all these bit
of republican policy. They all attacl
the people in the interest Of corpora
tions and of aggregated wealth. Dow
with the workingmen and up With tn
tarifff' is the crg which sums it ell. W
repeat, The attitude. of the republica
leaders toward the laboring people de
serves their careful attention. 1