St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-05
A Revolution in the Methods of Governing a
Eismanaged City, by Which the Mayor
Comes to the Top.
The Police System, Which has been Honey.
cOmbed with Corruption, Placed Under
Metropolitan Control,
With a View of Abolishing the Sink
Holes of Iniquity With Which Gull
tured Boston Abounds.
Purftanical Laws Against Smok1pS
and Kindred Minor Sins, Which are
Honored In the Breach.
AMunicipaI Change.

correspondence OF 'iiN N'D'
RosroN. Mass, July Am experiment
in municipal government has just Deen eli
tered rgon here, which, in its progress, VIII
doubtless be watched with serious concern
by the great cities of the country. Boston
has always in the past managed its affairs
with hide-bound conservatism which has
at length oveTeached itself and brought
reaction of much significance. In no large
CITY have executive and administrative pow
ers been so intricately distributed and mas
responsibility been so mlnutely divided.
The mayor has been scarcely more IMAM
ministerial officer. while the principal de
partments have been nominally controlled
by tri-headed commissions and city council
committees Under the new city charter
which has taken effect this week, the
mayor
HAS BECOME AN AUTOCRAT
of almost absolute power. He may make
removals for such cause as he shall deem
sufficient: he will have direct control of all
departments through their respective heads,
who are his appointees: no contract or eX-
Denditure above 50, 600 will be allowed
without his approval; all the executive
powers of the city council and its commit
tees are transferred to him, and he may veto
items in appropriation bills. Another UNI
precedented change for Massachusetts is the
limit which is placed OH the power of the
school committee. 1t has been the invaria
bic policy in this state to place the absolute
control of the public schools in cities and
towns in the hands of separate local boards.
Boston is now made an exception, for the
mayor is given veto power over acts Of the
school board.
THE REVOLUTION
in local government has been nOn-partisan
movement and has been accomplished
without serious scandal. Democratic and
Republican leaders alike advocated the
change before the legislature last winter,
the potent argument urged in support of the
measure being that it would fix responsible
ity and concentrate issues in local politics,
so that they may be clearly met in every
election. Under the administration of ire
SponSIble boards and a too numerous city
council the cost of municipal government
has reached point that is actually, though
not nOminally, in excess of any big Ameri-
lean city. 1t is now directly within the
mayors power to maintain policy of strict
economy, and he will be held directly ac-
accountable in every municipal campaign.
Boston is now undeniably a Democratic
town, but party lines are not sharply drawn
i'll local affairs, and the friends Of
THE NEW REGIME
believe that the independent vote will be
large enough to prevent corruption and
abuse of power. There are many cOnserv-
ativeS, however, who point out warningly
that an mprincipled mayor might do an
immense amount Of mischief during the
twelve months that he is beyond the reach
of popular rebuke. Probably the most Salu-
tary effect of the new departure will be
larcya I'm 4bn OF nj
elections. With sharply defined issues all
involved in the vote for the head of the
ticket, the former stay-at-homes may fairly
be expected to appear at the polls and eX-
press their choice for mayor. The proper
ton of non-vOterS tn Boston is very large,
and if a reform is gained in this respect it
will be a result worth striving for.
But the Legislature which granted the new
city charter provided another innovation for
Boston which was in some respects
AN INCONSISTENT MEASURE.
The police department has been taken
from local control and placed in charge of
a metropolitan commission which is ap-
pointed by the governor. This arbitrary
action was bitterly opposed by most of the
Boston members of the great and general
court, but the Republicans carried it through.
Upon the surface, the situation did not
seem to warrant such dictatorial attitude of
the state i'll local affairs, and the resent
ment of Boston Democrats and Independ-
ents has been very sharply expressed. The
stock arguments of the advocates of met
ropolitan police were that under board of
local appointment the liquor and gambling
laws were not enforced. But under the
surface there were weightier reasons which
were not much talked about in public 1t
is a peculiarly of Boston that her people
Will not acknowledge even to themselves
that any
GREAT EVIL. OR CORRUPTION
exists i'll their midst They insist upon an
outward show of virtue, but they hesitate
long before uproOting concealed crime. how
ever vicious and extensive, if the process
involves public scandal. In 10 city i'm
the country is official corruption so easily
concealed. In the police department. for
instance, If an officer has become so cor
rupt that his character is notorious, he is
quietly transferred to the suburbs. but
never suffers exposure and removal
Within few months this cloak of virtue i'm
more than one department of local govern
ment has been swept aside by a bright little
evening newspaper, which has compelled
recognition of many evils. Important i'll
Yestigations are even now in progress as
the result, and the passage of the metro
polltan police bill is another effect of the
exposes. The fact is, that certain high
officers in the police department have for a
long time
BEEN ENRICHING THEMSELVES
by means of one of the most extensive and
shrewdly managed systems of blackmail
ever organized. Only few enjoy its bene-
tits, and the rank and file of the department
are interrupted. Gamblers and keepers of
disreputable houses are the individuals
levied upon, and the ''police assessments"
arranged according to carefully graded
schedule, have been collected more regll-
larry than gas or water bills. To illustrate
the effect Of this system, there exists at the
West end within half a mile of CITY hall a
great headquarters of crime more extensive
and more vile probably than any other sim
gle establishment in America. Low MIR
ders and desperate ARRAYS most of Them
successfully concealed, are there of fire.
quent occurrence. The den contains a
large gambling division, department of
social evil, and a section devoted to criminal
malpractice. The secret of the undis-
turbed existence of such
A GREAT CRIMINAL COMBINATION
is the regular payment of police money and
the fact that the victims are friendless or
degraded.
There is one respect in which the govern
ment of Boston is peculiar. The police of
the city are lawmakers as well as law-en-
forcers. If they should attempt a strict
enforcement of all the laws and resolves
within the Puritanic statute-book of MasSa-
chusetts, nothing short of open rebellion
would follow. Certain obsolete edicts have
become dead letters by unanimous consent.
although it is somehow impossible to get
together a legislature that will repeal them.
A man may stroll down TOWN with n lirb+o1