Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-09-10

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sanitary questions of the community who
are not chosen because of their fitness, but
simply as political favorites-the men who
can best command party strength; men
who will do the most for the ward bosses
men who are the sharpest workers in the
primaries and the political rings, and very
often men who have the most money to
expend in an election. Now, why purely
business matter should be thus given up by
business people to the mismanagement of
unbusinesalike men, is one of the mysteries
of our system. The reflections arising out
of the subject give color to the suggestion
that in municipalities only those who are
taxed for the support of the city should
| have q voice in the administration Of
It's affairs. Of course the bare
suggestion is offensive to the democratic
sentiment, and by the average politician
would be denounced as antagonistio to
republican institutions. Nor are we ready
to give adhesion to the proposition of Mr..
Kasson, which he advances as a remedy
for municipal mismanagement, that only
the taxpayers shalt be permitted to exer.
cise control in municipal affairs. The
voters who are net taxpayers are, in a
great many things, as deeply interested
in economical and good administration as
the property owner can possibly be. 1t
is not true that selfinterest is always safe
guide in administration when that interest
is a property one alone. Intelligence Is
not necessarily the hsndmaiden of prop
erty possessions, nor is ignorance and
recklessness of necessity linked with pow
erty. If the political element can be elm
| mated from municipal control, and the
business element be substituted, the whole
people of American cities can be trusted
with voice in the management of affairs
Mr.. Kasson presents very interesting
table in his article. From it we learn that
in the New England States the State debts
aggregate $40, $50, 92G, while the city and
town Indebtedness is SAG, SO4, 767. Mid.
die States, with the District of Columbia,
State debts, S44, 6O4, 5ll; city and town
debts, S407, 374, 756. Western States,
State debte, $50, 10 453; city and
town debts, sI35, sol, ,7O3. Southern
States, Sl25, 72S, I55; city and town
debts, S76 COG, ,O32. Total for all the
States-State debts, $3.50, 964, ,O45 city
and town debts, s765, S72, 25S. These fig.
ures justify the conclusion already stated,
that the most grievous burdens are due to
municipal debts and taxation. Vicious poll
tics, says the essayist, are ever vigilant,
while public virtue is aroused only by q
blow in the face, and hence it is, we may
add, that when pecula.ion and wasteful.
ness at last awaken. the public to reform,
citizen associations spring up and a
cleansing takes place; but very soon vir-
the tires and things relapse into their
former condition and the ward managers
resume sway. One problem of the
day in our cities and towns is how to pre-.
vent the formation of and to break up
"rings." Thus far there has been no So
luton of it, and the only one that now
presents itself to cur mind is to eliminate
politics from municipal administration.
This can be done by the union of citizens
TO control the parties and make them relax
their held upon municipal affairs. Parties
are composed of citizens, and therefore it
is within their power to force all parties
to forego municipal political organization,
to yield up the nomination OF officers and
to abandon party platforms as to cities in
municipal elections. This result, if ever
attained, must of course be supplemented
by the action of citizens in municipal mat.
ters who are competent and have an inter-
est in municipal affairs. The administration
must not be left to the Judgment of the
ignorant and the vicious. The same vigi.
lance must be exercised that the head of a
household should maintain over his domes-
tic affairs. Mr.. Kasson's remedy for mu.
nicipal ills is, as we have said, the limita-
tion of the suffrage right in cities, while
retaining it in its unlimited form as the
rule of political government in the State
and Federal Governments. But this we
deem impraoticable, and it would accom-
plish nothing if there was no elimination
of the political element. Nor would it be
wise, even if the limitation should ever be
established (but which the majority will
never consent toy, to exclude tne element
of intelligence from the management of
municipal affairs. After all, then, we find
that the reform in municipal governments
is to be brought about by the organization
of the business sentiment in such way as
to command the respect of the political
element, and enforce upon it its views of
economy and prudence. This we believe
to be possible. We believs that in San
Francisco, or Chicago, or even in New
York, the intelligence, wealth and worth
of the community can be brought into
such harmonious organization as to WELD
a power that will compel obedience on the
part of mere political managers, and force
them to yield the city government to the
ordinary business management which
should prevail.
THE PBaBLE-MINDED.
the effort being made to found in Cali
fornis an asylum for the care and educa.