Asheville daily citizen., 1894-11-24
"BUSlNESS" ADMINISTRATI

husNellNS luz statcUlcut Iduc Ut IL
Chamber of Commerce dinner in New
York the other night that there cannot
be any permanent improvement until the
municipal government is lifted out Of the
arena OF politics and political organiza-
tuns, and administered solely on busi-
ness principles, the Sun points out that
business principles" are ofrcn bad priE-
ciples, "low, selfish and gro,ellrg as
compared with the broad principles un.
derlying politics or the government Of
all society The Sun goes on to point
out that some of the very men whc are
clamoring loudest for purity in public
affairs in New York City have been or
are railroad wrcckers or have engaged
in practices that are considered sharp"
in business, but which would I've con-
demned in public officer as indicating
that the political party to which he be
longed was rotten and needed ,enovat
ing sadly
There is deal of truth in this. Take
Tammany. 1t has been generally and
Justly condemned as corrupt, and be-
cause most Tammany men voted the
Democratic ticket that party was
charged with its wickedness. But the
fact is. Tammany was political organ
ization more in name than in reality.
The proof OF this, in part, is found in the
fact that Croker and Platt, the orc a
Tammany man, the other a Republican
boss, are believed to have worked to-
gether in t.eir kind OF politics, which
simply consisted in looking at public
Offices from business point Of view-to
get the most out Of them possible; to
make them pay the largest dividends
possible. OF the great principles of the
Democratic party hundreds of Tamma.
n,i'es knew little and carel less. They
carr nothing for reform Of the cur.
rrncv, or for tariff reform, or that an
income tax should be passed; what
Croker and Platt wanted was TO be let
alone in New York SO that they could
d'vi lie the spoils between them.
No; it is doubtful if as high a standard
OF morals obtains in private business as
in many public offices that are considered
as part Of the spoils of the winners ID
our ever-rcurring political contests
We have always contended that
a city government might he as
well, as p;udcntlv and as wisely
administered by ardsnt Democrats as by
men who ca themselves reformers. The
latter are as great partisaus in their way
as the strictcst party man. They have
their friends, their clique, their secret ses
sions OF the boards; bonds sell no higher
uuder a reform or business" admins
tration than under purely political one
their hardest workers are rewarded will
Offices Just as in the most partisan &
political organizations. We get. III short
under a so.called business admini,tra
tion fair average city government, moi
very brilliant. but doubtless conscien
tious from it's point Of view, free IRON
serious scandal, a good basis to improve
on. But that it is more wise, more eco
nomical, greater SUCCESS in short, than
hundreds OF politically-:ounded admins
trations throughout the country does
not appear.
We will admit that the advocates of a
business administration mean an admin
istration conducted on the honorable
principles that have made many private
business success. They must also con
cede as much to our point Of view. and
admit that when we speak for politics il
a city government We mean pure poll
tics