The sun., 1892-01-14
The Municipal Problem.

The police. the Excise Commissioners.
and the District Attorney. are united In
efforts to break up the dsorderly and dis
reputable drinking Places of the town
known as dives. Already they have made
beginning Of their assault on these wretched
resorts which has frightened all the rest.
and there is good reason to expect that
within few weeks the whole business will
be destroyed.
This happy result will be direct conse-
Quence OF the irresistible power possessed
and displayed by the united Democracy OF
New York. now in full control OF the gov
ernment Of the town and responsible for
tho exercise OF it's authority. The hands of
all the officers OF the law are strengthened.
The temptations to undue and inequitable
discrimination in the enforcement Of the
law. to which factious division and politi-
cal bargains give rise. are reduced to a
minimum or removed altogether.
The Democracy OF New York is so far in
vincible when united and harmonious In
policy and purpose that it Is hopeless to
undertake resistance to its will. and unnec-
ossary for it to curry favor by the sacrifice
of any duty to the people. 1t is a party
consisting OF about two-thirds of the citi-
xens Of the town. and therefore its pro-
longed continuance in power can be pre-
vented by Its own intestine divisions only, or
by Its failure to administer properly the gov
ernment for which 1t is responsible. It has no
need to purchase votes with unlawful i'm
munities. and 1t has 40 occasion to make
compromises with the lawless to win sup
port. 1t represents tho will and the politi-
cal convictions of q dominant majority 80
great that it can afford to DO careless Of
all such influences and disdainful Of all
such opposition.
The union OF the Democracy Of New York
In single organization. therefore. has
been of priceless advantage to the city
During the period Of Its disunion political
deals and bargains intertered with good
government. The Republican minority was
always ready to intrigue with its factions
In order to get share Of Office and power
notrightfully belonging to it, and tho price
paid and exacted was immoral conccs-
sion to forces in tho town which
are inconsistent with just and,
efficient municipal administration. In
the various departments responsibility
was divided so that 1t could be laid on tho
shoulders OF no single party or partisan di-
vAoAou. S|ohAuo Va - HiAcl IN'lIicdt CHAR
scter existed. and there was no harmonious.
symmetrical. and homogeneous municipal
policy. Even SO able. upright. and con-
ecientious man as Mayor HEWITT
was powerless to get really good
work out OF machine SO con-
structed. It was government according
to the non-partisan Mugwump theory. but
It Was bad and inefficient government. and
sthe evil influence extended through every
! branch OF the administration. Bargains
within led to bargains without. or they
were made In pursuance OF them. and the
weak. criminal. or lawless element OF the
population prospered at the expense Of the
stropg. the conservative. and the orderly.
In 1880 the Democratic people Of New
York declared their discomfort with that
sort OF government by the election OF
Mayor GRANT by large majority over the
now forgotten candidate put up by fusion
OF Republicans. Mugwumps. and CLEvE-
LAND Democrats. as they are described.
Last November they went further by en-
> phatically condemning all Democratic divi-
sion In New York. all concessions to Mug
wumpery. and all schemes for defeating the
sole Democratic supremacy and respon-
slbility In the municipal government OF
New York. Municipal government L. busi-
paaA not politics. was the cry Of their