The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-01-29


There IL only one road 70 . good muni-
eipai government In Americas cities, and
that IL for every good citizen 70 remember
that eternal vigilsncs 10 the price Of purity
and efficiency. Universal Suffrage exists
In America; IL never viii BE- surrendered.
and therefore the machinery which has
been invoked 20 give London. Paris. Ber-
lin. Glasgow and Birmingham an efficient
municipal governments cannot be applied
IN this country, because every vctsr has .
right to say who seal administer the
machinery.
United States Senator Edmunds once
biuntiy told congress that no scheme Of
civil service reform legislation. In shape OF
examinations or lie service, would serve
our turn: that IL vas . question Of efii-
cisnt. responsible administration, rather
than the substitution Of imported civil
service machinery far our own: given IN
sfhcisns administration our Federal civil
ssrvics would give Us good government;
without thst efficient administration the
best laid schemes OF civil servics machinery
would come to nsught A good president,
with . good cabinet holding heads Of
bureaus to strict responsibility. means .
good government; without this weak or
unprinciplsd executive can easily make
the best kind Of theoretical machinery .
practical failure.
The case of the city Of Brooklyn 10 .
good illustration Of the truth Of the state
ment that eternal vigilance on the part Of
good citizens 10 the price Of municipal
purity and efacisncy. Twelve years ago
Brooklyn obtained one Of the very best
charters ever granted to any city. and for
four yssrs she had . clean. efficient gov
srnmsnt because honesty and intelligence
administered the charter. Then the citi-
sens OF Brooklyn relaxed their vigiiancs,
remained at homo on election day, and Of
course the rascals turned out In force and
filled the places that were lsfs vacant by
honest men who had grown weary In we'll
doing and shirksd their duty. The result
WAS that despite its admirable charter 10
was corruptiy misgoverned for eight years.
The charter was excellent. bat Of course IL
was not automatic for good government.
and whom the rascals captured the fort
and turned its guns on the city treasury
good citizens wsrs in dismsy. Finally the
misgovernment OF Brooklyn began to
Affect tt credit and its commercial pros
perity. and then when their pockets were
touched the property holding and CON-
nsscial classes without distinction OF
party rose up In their might and swept
the rsscals ous Of once with broad besom
of destruction. and Brooklyn today with
her charter In the hands Of honest admin.
istrstors 10 likely to b again . we'll
governed city.
The lesson of Brooklyn IL 10 the point
Efficient and pure municipal government
depends upon the eternal vigilance Of ell
intelligent men of good will accepting
the responsibility that universal suffrage
places upon thsm. A clean. efficient
local government Is impossible, no matter
how excellent 10 its charter, IL the ballot
box 10 left In the hands of the irsespon.l-
bic. the corrupt. the ignorant and the
criminal classes. 1t Is easy for intel &c n
and upright citizens to say that they have
no time 10 attend 60 politics; that they
cannot afford 20 hold public office: that
they cannot endure the yexation Of pub
lie criticism and factionai nisrepresents-
ton. Very well: II they cannot they have
no business TO complain when they are
heavily taxed 10 pay for extrsvagancs in
public expenditures, To pay for the conse.
ousnces of corrupt municipal sdministra-
ton. II good and intelligent citizens can
net spare the time necessary to secure the
election Of efficient and upright men to
administer the municipal machine. they
may be sure that the rascals viii always
he able TO spare time enough to put nous
but thieves or sleeping senttnels on guard
over the public treasury.
What 10 true Of municipal governrnen.
Is equally true of cur state government.
IL good men and true cannot spare tine C
make wise and sound legislation for III,
stats then Ne may be sure that interested
knaves or ieonoclastie eranks will wcnturs
where angels refuse TO tread. and good cit
issns viii twrithe and groan and swesi
under the burden Of vicious laws which
the apathy, the incidence or indifference
Of good citizens has given the frivolous or
farcifereas fraction of the people free op.
portnnity 10 hang like q milestone upor
the neck, or fsssen like clog upon the fee
OF the people. 10 10 no answer 60 plead
sha; the pay for public service Is so small
that men Of ability. integrity and intslil
genee cannot afford 10 accept election "a
public once. They might ss well plead
that in event of s great patriotic war IN,
hest brains and intelligence should de
cline to serve the country unless they
were oil paid adequately fer their ''tinas
HAD this view prevailed during the eivi
var Lincoln woald never have raises
nearly million o: men without resort Il
the draft. IL this view should prevail nS
sound lawyer would ever take place or
the bench unless he felt sure that his sal
sry would fully compensate hin Tor tn.
surrender of his present and prospective
income.
The truth is tina; . free governments i,
the Eness and heat n the wox.d when n,