The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-15
MUNICIPAL Politics.

1t is pretty generally admitted that NUM-
cipal government is the weak point in a re-
publican form of government In the
United States we have never had corrupt
Executive. The national Government loses
next to nothing through dishonest officials.
There may be lack of wisdom in our poll
cies, but seldom, if ever, deliberate wrong.
There are yenal men in both Houses of Con-
PreSS, hut they keep their yenality hidden.
In the State governments, alsO there is not
so much cause Of complaint If one admin
istration is corrupt, it is usually succeeded
by better one. But in municipal govern
ment, both in this and Eastern cities, there
is much greater cause of complaint. In this
city the existing administration has shown
no regard for public opinion. II has not at
tempted to convince the public that in its
general policy il has been acIuated by de-
sire to promote the public welfare. Popular
government will be set down as failure if
it does not reform municipal government.
How shall the work of reformation be done?
a writer in the Forum advises that muniyi-
palities be treated as corporations effected
for business purposes. The municipality,
he says, should have nothing to do with
national politics. Municipal parties there
may be, but they should not be formed on
national issues. In other words, if man
believes in free trade he need not vote for
free-tTader for Mayor or Councilman unless
such fret.rader is otherwise fitted for the
Office. 60 long as municipal parties bear the
names OF national parties, the masses of
voters will support the local candidates of
the party with which he is in accord on
national issues. In the last election it was
with the greatest difficulty that Democrats
were persuaded to drop the Buckley ticket.
1t bore the party name and almost COM
manded Democratic support. To vote
against it was to jeopardiZe ones stand
ing in the party. The remedy lies in
complete severance of relations between
national and municipal parties. The for
mer have issues which ar not affected By
the success or failure of a local ticket In
San Francisco, for example, there are well
defined local issues upon which municipal
parties may be formed. There are voters
who think that the city should issue bonds
TO The extent Of the legal limit to make GER
tain Improvements which cannot be made
from the city's current revenue. There are
other voters who think that the city should
continue its old policy Of making improve
ments so fast as may be with current rev.
enues. There are voters who would bring
water TO the city from the Sierras, let the
cost be what it may. There are still others
who would purchase the Spring Valley
Water Works at whatever price the COM
pany may set upon them. There are voters
who would pension persons who have been
engaged in any department of the city ser
vice. aud other voters who hold that public
servants should provide for themselves as
people in private occupations do There
are many other questions of local politics
upon which parties may divide without the
least reference to their national party affiia-
items. Such division of municipal parties
would leave voters to choose between tick
cts without prejudice to their standing in
their national party relations Each of the
municipal parties would appeal to the voter
on its merits, and there seems no reason
Why the voter might not determine local
questions with as much wisdom as is shown
in The determination Of national issues. In
fact the local questions would have the ad-
vantage OF being the better understood by
the average voter.