The Evening critic., 1885-02-04
PrncticnhIe Reformu.

The Century Magazine" in its February
number, concludes an article on Some
Practicable Reforms" as follows:
"lf the States in which the local elections
are now separate from the Presidential cleo
tion would amend their constitutions so
that hereafter all the elections should occur
in November, great and valuable reform
would be secured. There would still be
close and heated contests, and the ills of
which mention has been made would be
cured but in part but it is perfectly evil
dent that very large part of them would
be abated by this simple remedy. We are
not aware of any reasons for continuing the
present order in these States that could
have any force when compared with the
obvious reasons which have been suggested
for the change. 1t is gratifying to hear
that the people of Ohio are fully awake to
the importance of this reform, aud that
movement to secure it is receiving the sup
port of the best men of both parties. 1t is
to be hoped that Ohio will spare itself and
the Nation the curse of another October
election in the Presidential year.
I'm most of the large cities, and notably
in the city of New York, 1t would be well
to separate the municipal elections from
both the State and the national elections,
in order to prevent the trading which is al
ways practiced in the interest of local can
didates There is no good reason why
party lines should not be ignored in NUM-
cipal contests. 1t makes not the slightest
difference whether the Mayor of New York
is a Democrat or Republican, If he is only
a man Of sound character, clever Judgment
and firm will. The complete divorce of
municipal affairs from party politics and
the hearty co operation of all good citizens
to secure clean and economical government
are greatly to bo desired.
Another perfectly feasible reform is the
postponement of the nominating convon-
tions of the political parties. The time
now occurring between the nominations
and the election is much longer than is
necessary for fair canvass of the questions
at issue and thorough investigation of the
merits of candidates. If the conventions
were not held before the first of August
the campaign would be quite long enough
for all practical purposes. If the elections
occur once in four years, and if tho CAM
paign be protracted through five or six
months of the year, the time devoted to
these contests is certainly excessive. A
strain so frequent and so long-continued
upon the industrial and the moral inter-
ests of the Nation is iutolerablo. If we
cannot have the Presidential term extended,
the next best thing to do is to shorten the
campaign. And this Will be done if the
business men Of the country resolutely de-
mand it at the hands Of the politicians.
still another most salutary reform would
be the holding of the nominating conven-
tions in halls barely large enough to contain
the delegates and the representatives of the
press. The conventions could then be, what
none of them has been of late, deliberate
bodies, and could exercise some Judgment
in the choice of candidates. The presence
in the convention of mob of heelers and
strikers, from all parts of the country, to
shout for their favorite candidates aud to
overpower the assembly by sheer brute
force, is most discreditable spectacle, and it
has proved to be a mlschievOus appeudage
to our political machinery. The gentle
men Of the national committees can put an
end to this if they will and it is to bo
hoped that a clear expression of public
opinion will make plain to them tho path
of duty"