Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-10-02
PoI.rfos ANu AcnnoMY.
The Great Need Of business Princi-
Piles applied 90 WunAcfpal Money
Matters,

Piles applied 60 RsunacIpal Money
Matters,
In an article on "Muuioipal Finance"
In the October Harper's William NJ. WINS
says: In this country prejudice aud
tradition maintain in exislenes two great
political parties, neither OF which is will
ing to take definite stand upon either
eide OF any great administrative or 6nan-
clan question, and this Notwithstanding
the fact that nowhere In the nation are
we confronted by single question which
is political. as oontradistipguished from
economical, for chr political emancipa-
tion was won long ago, and leaves little
to be desired, while our economical
emancipation has yet TO be achieved.
Worst of all, these party divisions
reach down even TO the wards
OF cities, aud prevent or nullify
the effects Of any co operation among the
citizens as suoh, acting together for the
reduction OF local tax rate. The public
bookkeeping attracts but few, and those
few 60 to the polls on election day and
vote against each other beoause some 20
years ago there were national issues
which transcribed all bookkeeping. This
people are like the members ola great stock
company who own few shares each, aud
knowing that any loss must be distri
buted pro rata, are willing to remain
ignorant of the comPany's accounts, and
trust to luck and their subordlnates.
Our municipalities are such joint stock
companies, and are the only ones which
our business men treat in this way.
1t ia one of the peculiarties of
our form Of government In
cities that those who should be ard
ultimately are most interested in them
| fail In the inclination to study their
finances, although they have to meet the
demands Of the budgets, and although
the budgets are the summary OF the CON
ditions and possibilities Of municipal lie.
In physics we are taught the laws OF
staties before we take up those Of
dynamics, but In politics this ia com
pletsly reversed, and we talk continually
| Of what may be and Of what should be,
without knowing or caring to know what
actually Ia. The people simultaneously
| demand small tax rates and larger
expenditure for public works, or an
enlargement OF the functions Of the gov
eminent. The people, il deeds and not
words be taken as symptoms, are more
patient OF the increase Of public
expenditure than they are i'm
patient Of the public burden, even
when they know that with the
public moneys the politicians are doing
those things which they ought not TO do,
and leaving undone those things which
they ought to do. So true Ia this that in
some parts Of the country, in New jersey
and Maine, the people have permitted
the municipalities to be extravaSant Il
the point Of bankruptcy. II one were t,
say that the remedy for such disease o
the public mind is the study Of statistics
he might be roundly laughed at, and ye
he would be by no means wide Of tn
[ mark. II our voters would devote but
/ little time to the matter, and disregard
v ing altogether the splendid principles
o the appeals to their passions and prejr
a dioes which are the basis Of the claims
4 political parties to their consideration
a and having familisrized themselves som
/. what with the machinery of governmei
n rather than with the government Of Il
A machine, study the budget themselve
" and then Judge and act as they do wht
looking over their own balance sheet
the much. creditor reforms would not
30 slow in coming. Such study Of 4
figures robs political questions Of the
ID personal, traditional and continge
r. character, shows the real tendency
he affairs, and gives the stamp Of truth
he Of falsehood to the promises Of political
whom we follow too la. gely for what q
rather than for what they do. Furth'
more, 1t goes without saying that II :
great promblems which are fraus
with danger for our country are rea
II. economical and administrative, this
the only way to study them, for
figures are net apt at lying, which
more than can be said for the political
Ia who distort their true meaning WI
they notice them at all. The ordin;
occupation Of the politician when h
not in Office is trying to get there,
educating his constituents into the be
that il they will only prefer him to
opponents he will work some sort
financial miracle unless he can app
to them more directly by promise
division Of the spoils. No one decls
nd so frequently as he that figures are
partisans, and then proceeds direotl.
make them tell the most outrageou
lies in his particular interest.