The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-02-26
The City Club.

In this town there are several hundred
clubs. political. religious. gastronomic.
sporting, and purely social; but 1t seems
that the number Is not enough for the
satisfaction OF all the inhabitants. Accord
ingly. new club. called the City Club. Is
to be established.
This club is to be reform club. We have
already Reform Club. but 1t is devoted to
free trade reform specifically. 1t sends out
missionaries and pamphlets to propagate
free trade as the most priceless boon which
can be conferred on humanity; and 1t gath
ers the free trade apostles at dinners and
listens to their tedious essays with rapt
attention. The vacancy In reform which
the new club proposes to fill is municipal
reform. That Is It's field. and we are glad
that 1t is to be occupied.
Tho prospectus OF the new club announces
that the association Ia for the purpose Of
promoting social intercourse among per-
sons specially interested In tho good gov
eminent OF tho city Of New York" 1t
might be supposed. therefore. that the club
was intended to contain all the people Of
New York. men and women. for they are oil
interested In that object. Even the bad need
a good and equitable government. for they
would not DO bad II they could govern them
selves properly. They must depend on the
better judgment and the safe regulation Of
the good majority. Tholr wickedness would
not have any zest for them II 1t did not vio-
late law and proprety. They have stake
In good government because their own lives
and property need protection. lawless
and ill-gotten though they be. Even
thieves want thoee who steal from
them to be punished, and murderers
want the police to guard them against
highwaymen. Even the man who re-
fuses to pay his own debts. wants law to
protect his rights as creditor. Even dive
keepers are Interested In having the streets
kept open and lighted 80 that their patrons
may come to them the more readily.
Every man who lives and cats In New York
Is taxpayer, and hence personally inter-
ested in Its good government. It is as
much the concern OF the poorest citizen as
OF Mr.. Aston or Mr.. VANDERBILT. Proper
tionately to his income he may benefit more
by good government and suffer moro from
bad government than the richest.
Strictly speaking. therefore. this whole
community is an association for tho pur-
pose OF securing good municipal govern
ment or Of people who are Interested In the
declared object for which this club is to be
formed. Yet the City Club will start with
800 members only, II 1t can get them, out Of
voting population OF 100000 and more.
They will be men who can afford to pay $50
q year each for the pleasure Of associating
together as individuals specially distin-
guished for wanting goodness Of the most
exclusive pattern.
Their definition OF good government Is
government by themselves. and Of bad
government. the government which the
vast majority Of tho people want. As they
are men who could not get any public
Offico. the charter OF their club harms no
one when 1t disquallfes all public officers
from acting as trustees In their association.
Neither does 1t interfere with the political
prospects Of anybody when 1t forbids n
trustee TO accept political Office or to be-
come a candidate for one.
OF course tho club will include ell the
Mugwumps Of the town. So far as the cleo
ton returns discover them. they number
rather less than 500; but We observe that
among those who have signed the lists are
some Republicans. who. Of course. sacrifice