The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-29

Mr.. LOUIS WISDMtLLER offered a reso-
luton at the meeting Of the Chamber OF
Commerce on Thursday. calling for special
municipal elections In the spring, and
indicating the second Tuesday in April as
proper time for them.
In advocating this proposition. Mr.. WIND
MULLER said that the government OF our
municipalities is corrupt. is largely due to
the fact that municipal elections are held
at the time Of other elections" lie then
went on thus:
Political questions NAV be distsstsful to many tax
payers but they have every TO take interest in
municipal AFFAIRS and they would go TO the polls on
days when other questions not involved All repu
table citizens would join them. and they soon would
outnumbsr those who simply vote To further selfish
ends; politics would have no longer any considerable
influence on municipal government"
No matter who are the Taxpayers" in this
town to whom political questions" are
b" dlstasteful," they are not worthy OF their
citizenship, and the more generally and
persistently they refrain from voting on
such distasteful questions at all cleo
lions the better 1t is for the rest Of
the people. Instead OF being reputable
citizens" they are dsreputable. Instead
OF being respectable, they deserve no re-
spect. IL political questions. the broadcast
and most important OF all questions, re-
liglon alone excepted, are distasteful 10
them. their tastes are depraved. They are
unfit to be trusted with the duty and the
privilege Of the franchise. They are drones
in the hive
The only way OF getting them to take any
interest in public affairs. Mr.. WNDMt'LLER
tells us, is to appeal to their selt-interest.
They are too sordid TO come out on election
day unless they think they can make some
thing out Of it for themselves. The actu-
ally reputable and respectable citizens who
go to the polls to discharge the first
duty OF their citizenship, and to whom po
litcal questions are not distasteful. but
profoundly interesting, simply vote to
further selfish ends" he says. and. there
fore. 1t is necessary that they should be
outnumbered by the fellows who cant
be induced to vote except for selfish ends
Mr.. WINDMULLER. accordingly. proposes
to take from municipal elections the "po-
ltical questions" so distasteful' to these
disreputable delinquents by having munich
pal elections In the spring, when their tastes
will not be offended by such questions and
they can be brought TO the polls by appeal
ing to their sordid motives only.
Fortunately for the government Of New
York and creditably to the manhood OF the
vast majority Of Its citizens. they will never
give up their absorbing interest in political
questions. and they will never allow the
time to come when politics have no longer
any considerable influence on municipal
government" whether the municipal cleo
tions are in the spring or in the autumn.
They know that the government Of this
city is purely political business. and they
will keep it political. They will not turn it
over to the sordid and shameful minority
to whom political questions" are dis
tasteful" and who will not vote at cleo
tions save when "other questions are not
involved" They would show their con-
tempt for the wretched crowd even moro
decidedly in April than In November.