New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-29
THE yON.P1RTIS4N DELTSTON.

Our friends Of the Good Government clubs
and other organizations which are working Tor
reform I'm municipal administration ar" III h1h-
Ccr Of unkln. the mistake which always has
nrovcd fatal 10 thrd-party movements. OF rs
Stunning that II only The best men 81 III" Two
great parties the earnest AMI sincere men WHO
hold parilsanship subordinate 10 PATRIOTISM VIII
unite mon n non partisan basis. they can over
throw the corrupt ruling dynasty ana initiate
n permanent reform. In The consciousness 81
their own rcctltd" ~ purpose ana unScnSh mo
lives they naturally assume not only that 'hY
orc the best men, hut that all who diner Win
thcn are bad men. united I'm wicked cnd"av"r
10 pcrpcinntc msrul" for partisan purposes.
They dwell upon the necessity for separating
municipal f.in STATE and National politics. ana
noint out with force and manifest reason mat
the municipality Is I'm fact n purely busli'Ss
corporniion and should he administered ms
such: that II has no practical concern win qn'S-
tlons Of tariff. currency. hnanc" or any ~ inc
ISSUES upon which The two great parties dlVid'
I'm National and state contests: and consequently
should he kept scparai" from them MI o.
which sounds lust and sensible. In theory Ia"
non p1rfisan municipal government seems an
ideal one.
But the fact must not be- los: sight Of that
all government Is 10y parties. AMI that III" p'S'
conceivable non-partisan government. human
nature being what II is ana pol'l'hI laI"'S
what they are. would prove only temporary
makcshiff Whoever sets himself 10 cpnsld'r-
Ing seriously what would be- The result OF the
election ~ a full city and county ticket of non
partisans IT, indeed. such a thing j. c"nc'N"pIc
will not bc long reaching The conclusion ihht
II would either run speedily into phr'iS'nship
~ ono kind or the other or fall 10 pieces In fail
uro We have never had any experience" of
non partisan government In III" SENSE III Wh'h
some OF the most ardent of our muihclpaI IT,
formers advocate II. but that i the lesson OF
such tentative efforts rs .havc been maj" III ihat
direction The reason for II Is not FAR 10 seek.
For II may Inc broadly stated that every good
citizen IS and must he partisan. the duties 81
c,uynnshln require some familiarity with pub
lie affairs in order 10 act iniclHg"nlly WIN
r.rcronc. ia them. And Intelligent action rem
dcrs necessary pdrsanshp Even the Mig
vump IS a partisan. though constantly N"'li-
Grating his hostility and his superiority 10 b''h
portics The colOrlcss citizen who does not lax"
enough interest In current politics 10 size Win
ono Marty or the other Is by that fact alone
DISQUALIFIED for any part in the management
of a great municipal corporation.
The notion that Il nOn-partSan municlpal gov
crnmcnt-f II were possible w0hid correct INC
evils and remedy the abuses which have grown
ont of the domination Of the Democratic parry
and the license Of the Tammany ohgarchy Is
thc dream Of honest and wcll-ncanlhg pul IN
practical and visionary. theorists. In discussing
the question Of municipal reform me fAc' "i
first lmuortancc To be borne in mind Is that one
or the other Of the two great political parties
must administer the affairs OF this great clly'
carry on It's business, select lis servants ana
agruts enforce its ordinances. colirct us
taxes and pay its bills and BE- responsible there
for 10 the taxpayers and voters. The Wunlcipll
Government Will b. either Republican or Dem
ocraiic Whatever political Missionaries may say
or do about it, this will be recognized aS un-
uyoilablc by every intelligent citizen. Demo
cratic rule has been tried and we see al about
lis It's results in November the voters VIII
have nm opportunity To transfer the city govern
mrnt 10 Republican hands. There II no reason
why all citizens opposed To Tamnany misftle
should not embrace 1t. The argument against
a straight Republican ticket. that tine EcpnD-
leans are just bad IN the Democrats, Is Il
gracelcss and impudcnf assertion. without color
Of excuse or Justification. No one prrtcnds That
voting the Republican ticket Is absolute PROOF
Of honesty or dsintercsicdneSs, nor maj every
one who votes the Democratic ticket Is thereby
n rascal But the truth is that citizens who
lmve been In the habit Of voting The Republican
ticket are the only ones who can say fhai thcy
have no responsibility for the dcIlorabl" condi-
ton Of affairs in this city. while every citizen
who has voted the Democratic ticket shows III
greater or less degree that responsibility In
this state Of affairs there is no reason whatever,
either partisan or non-pariisnn, why the men
who have had no hand In fostering the existing
abuses. and no responsibility for them. should
not be chosen for the task OF reforming them.
1t Is work for straight Republicans 10 do.
And then. after al. It must he remembered
by the dreamers and theorists that no municipal