The sun., 1884-02-10
TIE reDu,ur circulation of THE Sun for the
reck cndi,g Feb Q. 1884. ras:


A number of very respectable and dtstin-
gulshed citizens OF this town havo issued
call for mass meeting OF citizens "to urge
upon tho Legislature the passage OF such
laws as will effectively" concentrate the pow
er OF appointment to administrative Offices
In the Mayor. These respectable and distin-
guished citizens arc In favor OF Mr.. RoosE-
vELT's bill, which has just passed the Assom-
bly,, or of some similar measure. They think
that II the Aldermen were deprived of their
present power OF confirming or rejecting the
Mayors appointments, the present mis-
government and scandal would be avoided.
Nobody denies that tho system Of electing
Aldermen by districts sometimes produces
most undesirable results. But 1t Is not yet
clear that If nll tho voters OF the city were
allowed to have voice in tho election Of the
whole Board Of Aldermen. n set Of men Of
proper character and ability might not be
elected each year. The municipal Govern
ment Of New York, with its check upon the
power Of the Mayor. is, as has lately been
strongly urged, the same thing as a State Gov
ernment and as the rational lGovcrnment, with
their respective checks upon the power OF
the State Executive or the national Exccu-
tive. Is IL time yet to assert that this
system, hitherto considered wise and neces
sary, Of checks and balances, Is n failure in
New York?
The New York Board Of Aldermen ought to
retain It's power OF confirming or rejecting
appointments, or it ought to bo abolished.
II, on n general ticket, decent and capable
men cannot be elected Aldermen In New
York, then on the same general ticket de-
cent and capable man cannot be elected
Mayor of New York. The experiment is GER
tainly worth trying.
Are the gentlemen who have called q mass
meeting at the Cooper Union prepared to adj
nit that popular suffrage is a failure in this
city2 II it is not n failure, what ground is
there for supposing that it will be right in
its choice OF one man, but wrong IN its choice
Of twenty-four men3
The Cooper Union mass meeting. with the
best intentions, will do no good. II the pres
ent system is wrong, the remedy Is not In
making tho Mayor autocratic. If tho Alder
men are stumbling block In tho way Of the
Mayor. there Is no guarantee that tho Mayor.
II left to himself, will not be stumbling
block In the way Of honest government.
II the Mayor cam tappoint honest and capa-
BILE men as heads Of departments. or If the
Aldermen refuse to confirm them, lot the
heads Of departments be elected directly by
tho people.
The people of this city are competent at
present to vote for Justices Of the Supreme
Court, but not for Police Justices; for State
Engineer and Surveyor but not for Com.
missioner Of Public Works; for AL Attorney.
General OF the State, but not for Corpora.
ton Counsel; for q State Comptroller, but
not for Comptroller OF the city.
The distinguished citizens who propose tc
remedy tho evils OF the present system OF tho
municipal Government Of this city propose
to do it by restricting tho power Of the pco-
pie. That is not wise method OF reform
and is not capable Of being successful fol
any length OF time.