Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-22

Strangers to Washington and its ways inva-
siably declare sympathy with those who dwell
In city where the individual has practically
10 voice In the management Of municipal affairs.
where the ballot 10 practically unknown and
where the general government is supreme.
But only strangers do that; people who live
here and who have seen how the citizen is
robbed and misgoverned in all or nearly all Of
the great centers Of population in the United
States are more than satisfied with prevail
ing conditions. Reasons for this contsntment
make their appearance frequently, and several
have come to the surface quite recently, espe-
cially in those cities where municipal control is
exclusively in the hands Of . political "boss,"
whose main object il the training Of many men
to follow him that he and the political party to
which he IL attached may be financially bene-
dted
Attention il once more directed to this sx-
tremely undesirable characteristics Of such cities
a. New York and Brooklyn by the practically
forced resignation Of Thomas s. Brennan, whose
duty it was to see that New York's streets were
kept clean, but who failed lamentably. And SO
will any man, no matter how much executive
ability he may possess, SO long as Richard
Croker or any other politician has power sufi-
cient to control every appointment made by the
mayor Of New York city or any Of
the mayors subordinates. When men are placed
on the municipal pay roll simply because they
viii vote . certain ticket, and may not be dis
charged, no matter how inefficient they are. be-
cause their removal would damage political or
ganizatlon, the public is not getting fair ex-
change for its money. And that is the coudi-
ton in which New York has been for many
years. Ex-Commissioner Brennan has been
quoted - saying that the streets cannot be kept
clean. but his statement does not amount to
anything in the face of Washington's experience
With q comparatively small sum Of money not
alone the streets but the alleys also Of the
national capital are cleaned-a result that
seems to be uuattainabie in New York, although
the annual appropriation for street sweeping
exceeds two millione Of dollars, and has the
assistance Of an association Of business men who
zee that Gothsm's shopping district is always as
neat as the weather will permit.
In Brooklyn the party "boss" is also
injuriously supreme. but it is not the same
boss Croker's power wanes at the western end
OF the bridge. Hugh Mclaughlin Is supreme at
the other extremity. Truthfully has it been
said that Mclaughlin holds the democratic
party OF hlnSs county N tne uoboH VI us nnhu,
and a. the democratic party in Kings county has
possession Of the offices Mclaughlin is nothing
less than monarch Of all he surveys. MAYORS do
his bidding without question, although they
sacrifice their regulations by 50 doing. and even
district attorneys are plant in his grasp.
Quite recently the Brooklyn board Of
aldermen gave away several valuable
street railway franchises when those same
privileges might easily have been sold for
large sum for the city's benefit Brooklyns
mayor, despite the protests Of decent people,
approved their act, and wnen the grand jury
wanted to indict him the district attorney adj
vised the jury that it was powerless to find true
bills in such cases, although II he was fit to oc-
eupy his high ofics he must have known that
such advice was contrary to tho law - it
exists in New York.
Warrington Gas every reason to be thankful
that through its eommissionership form of
government it escapes the blighting pocket
picking political ''boss.'