Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-11-05
The Significance OF The New York Municipal
Struggle.

The Significance Of the New York Municipal
Struggle.
The remarkable contest in New York
city between its best citizens and the Tam
many organization for the control of the
municipal government calls the special at
tention of the American public to ques-
ton of great importance to all thoughtful
friends of this country's welfare. 1t IS an
object lesson which cannot be overlooked
nor thrust aside. There are powerful
proofs of the pressing necessity of munich
pal reform ia all the cities and chief
towns of the United States. There can be
no doubt that how to govern the cities by
universal suffrage is one of the toughest
problems with which the honest citizens
and the practical statesmen of this coun-
try have to deal. The rapid increase of
population and wealth in American cities,
the immense sums of the municipal ex-
penditures obtained by the annual taxation
of the capital and labor of the people, and
the purposes for which this taxation shall be
used and the methods by which it
shall be expended are facts and ques-
tions which are assuming an impor-
lance as large, if not greater than
most of those which engage national
politics. The amount of money drawn
from the pockets of the citizens for NUM-
cipal taxes and expenditures, is much
greater than what is paid for national and
state purposes. American cities are endur,
ing evils and inequalities which, if they ap.
pertained to our national government
and national affairs, the country would be
stirred with disgust and indignation from
one end to the other. There are innumer-
able instances where striking favoritism
and local inequalities exist 10 the munich
pal expenditures. For years certain por-
tions of a city, or special streets and
squares, will be improved to the large in
crease of the property value and conven-
fence of those thus favored, and this is
done largely by the taxes drawn from other
portions of the city which get no improve
ment for q generation. No such
inequalities and injustice are toll
Grated in our national government af-
fairs. In our cities are concentrating a
vast population, much of it of foreign birth
owning no property, paying little or none
tbn al ,Jor ha pnntrnl M
their bosses, who are engaged in city
politics for what they can make out of it
Bosses are Objectionable and offensive
enough in state and national politics, but less
so than in municipal affairs. 1t is necessary
to keep constantly in mind the potentia
fact that the future permanence and well
being of this Republic are to depend large
ly on the condition, the private and public
morality, the intelligence, and the patriotism
of the cities. Nothing can be more certain
then, than the commanding importance
which municipal reform is to assume IL
this country in the near future. A large
number of the best American minds already
have their thought and anxiety in that di
rection.
In this respect, the New York struggle
against Tammany is divide significance. L
is well that the best citizens of the grea
commercial metropolis have united on 1
non partisan basis. In point of fact, wha
has state and national politics to do will
our municipal rights and interests? Wha
have the issues between protective tarif
and free trade, between monometalism ant
bi-metalism, to do with the questions o
city streets, sewers, and street lighting
Why should Republican boss or Demo
cratic boss be tolerated in debating whit
should have charge of our cities poor, o
our streets, sidewalks and gas lights
These are matters that should be in thu
control Of the best business brains regard
less of opinions on state and national poll
tics. New Yorks ablest and best citizens
are entirely right in beating down all obsta
Giles to the uniting in solid phslaux of those
who think alike in the supreme effort to Sc
cure an honest ard efficient city government
on strictly non-partisan basis. If THU
effort triumphs tomorrow over Tammany
it will furnish a splendid example to the en-
tire Nation.