The Progress., 1893-06-17
IN MODERN BABYLON.
SUPREMACY OF THE SLUMS IN NEW
YORK POLITICS.


Dixon. Jr., delivered today the eightl
sermon in the series on THE Gates Of
He'll In Modern Babylon" The subject
was one which he may be said to have
made special studies of. extending ovel
several years, Official Corruption; or
The Supremacy of the Slums." The text
was chosen from Psalms cxxvii. I, "Ex.
cept the Lord keep the city. the watch
man walLeth but in vain"
We have seen thus far in our studies
of the city that the evil elements of our
civilization naturally gravitate toward
the civic center. We have seen that the
city is, in fact, the cesspool of the rural
district surrounding. and it is fact that
the lower and viler the elements that
congregate in this center the more buoy
ant they seem to be. There is something
about the pressure of life in the city
which brings the slums to the surface in
government. Municipal misrule is one
OF the most painful facts of modern life.
Professor Bryce. who has recently issued
his great work on America, makes this
true observation:
There is no denying that the govern
ment of cities is the one conspicuous fail
ure of the United States The deficien-
cies of the national government tell but
little for evil on the welfare of the peo-
pie. The faults of the state governments
are insignificant compared with the ex-
travagance. corruption and mismanage-
ment which mark the administrations of
nf hn
ates the chief sources of this evil:
"First-lncompetent and unfaithful
governing boards and officers.
'Second-The introduction of STATE
and national politics into municipal af
fairs
'Third-The assumption by the legis,
lature OF the direct control of local af.
fairs"
These undoubtedly are causes of the
present condition of debauchery in CITY
government. But the chief causes lie
deeper. They are found in the indiffer-
ence and selfshness of the governing
body. for the people who vote are. after .
all, the governors of the city. Boards
and councils are their creations. 1t is
the vote on election day that decides the
government for given period of time
Boards of aldermen. excise boards. are
not self creating The voting constitu-
ency get as good government as they
deserve. As matter of fact. the peo-
pie are to blame in the last ANALYSIS.
We have so many loafers who have at
tanned the age of 81 and are entitled to
vote. and yet who do not know how TO
vote, that 1t Is as yet an impossibility to
'btaln decent government in our cities.
The evil minded are in a minority, but
'eltishness ard indifference leave the
government in the hands of the rabble
Now and then these pious. well dressed
elegant people are aroused by some Wig
,rous denunciation or some ringing call
% action. Some glaring outrage has
been committed, and they are indignant
or brief season and desire somebody
% do something about it. They would
ike to see the fur fly, but they want
'omebody else to furnish the fur. When
t comes to be a personal matter, it is
lone of their business, they say They :
ire in the condition of the little girl who
vas heard to finish her evening prayer
Iome time ago with these words. And
saw poor little girl on the street to-
lay cold and barefooted, but it is none
If our business, is it, God?"
COLONIAL DANES"
Then we have great many people
who move in what they imagine to be So
,iety. They do not vote or take interest
n politics for various reasons. Some of
hem have not sense enough; others
imagine that they degrade themselves.
A well known German scholar visiting
his country was invited to a small re-
,eption given in a city. Only the most
prominent of the townspeople were
present. He found them well bred. cul-
tured and intelligent. He noticed that
most of the men and women present
wore peculiar little badges of pins, some
plain enamel, others set with diamonds
and emeralds. He asked his hostess,
'They are orders of American origin?"
''Yes," was the reply; ''the tokens that
their wearers belong to the true American
They are colonial danes,
sons or daughters Of the Revolution"
The visitor inquired into the requisites
For membership and was told that the
badges signifed that the wearer was pos
sessed Of at least one ancestor who had
served the republic in the Revolution or
rs civil officer in colonial days. And
the wearers Of the badges" he continued,
''they also doubtless serve the state.
They are statesmen and politicians"
'Oh, no. indeed" was the amused reply.
Americans of this class seldom vote at
sll. Politics is considered by them an
nnclean trade. It is, as rule. left to
the bosses o; men who follow politics as
} livelihood" They wear badges. then,
because they are proud that their grand
fathers did what they are ashamed to
10? ! cannot quite understand" said
the puzzled foreigner. What puzzled
'ur foreign visitor puzzles any rational
nan. Nobody can understand it who
n ] I