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

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tude maintained by English Unlonists
throughout the Gillian affair.
Mr.. Low ON Municipal Government.
Mr.. sErn Low. tho President Of Columbia
College. gave his views on the subject Of
Municipal Reform at Philadelphia the
other day. He holds that as political parties
are organized for other purposes than mu-
nicipal government. we don't often choose
officials with reference to the right men"
but elect those who put the interests OF cit
liens last and tho interests OF party first
Instead" he says. I'VE must choose Of
ficials with reference to their fitness for the
positions for which We name them. and
when such are found. keep them there"
Unless this Is done. and " the general prlnci-
Pile of governing our cities is changed. Pres
ident Low fears that "in time the republic
itself will be affected. for q sore not checked
in one part will spread throughout the
whole"
II the change he proposes we're brought
about. there is no doubt that the republic
would be affected and very seriously
affected. so far as the application OF the
novel principle might extend from the
cities to our general political system.
Keeping at men In Office when we have
found them involves radical change in
our principle Of government. 1t means.
substantially. life tenure OF office. and II it
Is desirable for cities. how can it be less
desirable in every part and division OF the
political system?
The questions OF Federal policy may be
In han tbnc o1r-;fh xrbi oh ici mil
community has to deal: but that is all.
They are different in degree. but not in kind.
II. then. it Is our duty as President Low
says. to rise above all considerations Of po-
litical partisanship in municipal elections.
and to put men in Office solely because of
their personal fitness for the places. we
are under like compulsion in the State and
Federal elections. II the administration OF
a city Is q purely business matter. not less
certainly is the government Of State a
business affair only. II we should dismiss
partisanship from part Of the political
system. we must discard it from the whole.
The change advocated by President Low.
therefore. would affect the republic itself
to such a degree that our whole political
system would be subverted and a radically
new method substituted Instead Of gov
| eminent by party. We should have
government according to the popular
conception Of the moral and intellectual
character Of the individual officeholders.
The responsibility for good government
| would not rest in any party. but in indi-
| viduaIs. who would be expected to live up
| to the estimate Of them when they were
elected to their places.
These officers. too. when found. We should
keep permanently. We should abandon
our cardinal principle Of rotation in office.
Once elected. a man should retain his office
| for the same reason that President Low
is kept in his place ut the head Of Columbia
College. In other words, We should in
trust the government to individuals and
not parties. The standard should be moral
rather than political.
President Low was probably listened to
with the more respect because he himself
has been municipal officer. He was elected
Mayor OF Brooklyn in 1881 and again in 1888.
and people voted for him rather because OF
his personal character than his affiliations
as q Republican. He was very young
man: but at that time the experiment OF
running government and especially mu-
nicipal government. without regard to pol
itics was the passing fashion. Mr.. Low did
very we'll. and his motives were unquestion-
ably admirable But the citizens soon tired OF
the hobby % n non-political and non-partisan
municipal! government. Since his day they
| have elected out-and-out Democrats as their
Mayors. and because they are Democrats
not merely because they are good men
and they have done much better. Tho ad.
vance OF Brooklyn in population since Mr.
Low was Mayor has been great. but it has
not been greater than the improvement OF
its pavclnents and OF its municipal admin
stration generally. With ell due respect to
him. We are obliged to say that we
can find now no trace OF any perma'
ucnt ard mcritorious reform introduced
by him. At the time OF his election he
was looked upon as young man with the
brightest political future as fashionable
reiormcr: but when he went out Of office
he dropped from consideration politically
Such mark as he left was speedily obliter,
ated 50 superficial was it. He was identi.
fled with no great and lasting principle or
measure. The very theory which he persona
fled prevented his leaving any profound i'm
preston. He was only an individual stand
ing very much alone. A leader in politics
must have party. party policy. and the
spirit Of partisanship behind him II he Is te
accomplish any permanent effect. His OWL
pralseworthy motives are not enough.
The experience o! both New York and
Brooklyn shows that the only wav to gel
good and efficient government is to trust |,
to distinct political party. and to hold thai
party responsible for it. President Low
says that the practical operation OF this
principle is to cause cities to be "looket
upon as pawns in the great game of nationa
government and national politics." A,
IA matter of fact. II party g tested by il,
management OF great city government
and suffers or profits throughout it's ex
tent according as it fails or succeeds at tn,
business. The effect Of the Ring rule II
New York was to shut the Democracy on
of the control Of the Federal Government