The herald., 1895-08-25

ior preliminary political service. Inc
larger British cities are divided into from
ing for one councillor each year. AS the
council elects its own mayor, who is a
presiding officer and Official representa-.
tive OF the city, and without either ap.
pointive or veto power, and appoint.
practically all the important executive
cfhcers. the election in each ward Of one
man each year covers the main politica
duty OF the citizen to his city.
The councillor election is the para amoun
political act in British city. We ma,
therefore be justified IN our astonishmenI
to find, in these important elections, tt
which nomination is so easy, that ther,
are so few contests. One nomination with
ont contest obviates the need of an cleo
tion, and the expense is saved under tn,
British rule. In 1893 there were fit,
English cities IN which there were n(
contests whatever. many more in which
there was contest in but one ward. and
large mum ber in which contests for coun
cillor occurred in but two wards.
The deduction from these facts is that
be facility of nomination which doe.
away with the need or advantage OF party
machinery reduces political contests anC
does not multiply candidates. On The
contrary it reduces these beyond any
thing we have known since the uncon'
tested election of Washington as presi
uent unucT Wudt WAS III pIuOtiCC
method.
We have. in fact. departed from the po
ltical methods OF the founders of the re.
public in evolving our primaries, con-
ventions and other party machinery
These may be useful in national affairs.
but in cities it would probably be wise 10
return to the unpartisan methods oi
early times, properly checked up by {
legal system like that of the Austria lians
The. councillors, as such, receive nc
salaries. The council is the city govern
meut, with no check other than that r
the borrowing power already noted.
1t is therefore, CITY government bv
grand citizen committee which appoints
its own instru ments.
The advantage OF this system in theory
is that there can be no deadlock such as
our mayor with veto and the American
city legislative body SO often have. Be
sides, the appointments are directly under
the body that makes the city policy.
The advantage practically is seen in the,
to us, extraordinary dignity. efficiency
and honesty of city government not only
in Great Britain, but in all parts OF the
world where this system is in vogue.
Albert NJ. Shaw's book on British mu'
nicipal government gives an entertaining
and complete account of their entire sys-
TEN. Every American interested in the
improvement Of city government shou Id
read this book.
The details of disposals of refuse, Of
building and managing hospitals for in
fictitious diseases SO that these are con.
tidently sought by rich and poor instead
of avoided, as we do our miserable pest
houses, as death traps. their scneme en-
courages the avowal OF infectious diseases
while ours encourages hiding these, &c
tho danger Of the whole community; the
details OF police, taxation, their grand
~ l,o rhap nYE lfN q
this valuable book. Their system of g
government by citizens committee with
out an executive chief with the dictatoria
powers toward which our reformers are
tending. is democratic. 1t is more in
harmony with the spirit of our institu
tions than the one-man power. l have
advocated the one-man power plan, bu,
my inquiry into the successful city gov
ernments in other parts of the world leads
me to think that we ca, rid ourselves oi
boss rule and of the infinite pettiness oi
our city politics in this essentially
democratic way as well as by the one
man plan.
The centerng of responsibilities in a
council which is unsalaried and appoints
all the executive staff is at least quite as
likely to give good results as the dictator
plan. Anything is better Than the pres
en-. system of a government by one man
dictator who is not elected, but gains his
power by the manipulation of political
machinery in nominations and patron
age and through the weakness of the
charter system.
While the councillors in these success
fully administered British cities art
elected by each ward separately, anC
have thus the advantage of centralizinf
the voters attention at each city election
upon one office only, they have not thu
disadvantage of our ward system of lin
,kl
the ward. Neither in law nor custom j:
this the case in British cities.
1t certainly cannot be for the best in
terests of any city government to unduly
limit the field from which either tn,
voter or the appointive power can selec
its officers.
An objection likely to be raised to tn,
patriots is that il is British. An answe.
to this is, first that system demonstrated
to be valuable and economical shoulo
not be prohibited to American citizens
on the ground that any foreign people i!
deriving advantage from it.
Second that it is in fact an evolution
of Anglu-Sayon government happil,
applied to cities. 1t is as much our heri
tage as is our language. In our country th
county government plan is similar. Th
British city government, like our count,
government, is clear evolution from tn
more primitive methods practced by tn
race when population was not SO con
densed as to prevent local elf-governmen
by the whole body of freeholders in legis
lative and executive council assem- ed
The New England township governmen
plan under which the freeholders in gen
eral meeting examined accounts, dete r
mined the town policy, passed ordinance
and appointed its officers, is the ideal o
local democratic government AS popu
lation increases and centrallZeS itself un
der modern conditions, this system be
comes too heavy ana clumsy for use. Ii
fact. in city of any size is totally impraC
ticable as to a general meeting. The en-
franchisement OF our irresponsible ant
semi. criminal class works PARTICULAR
badly in cities. TO assimilate our count
government to English city govern EN-
would only require that the county officer
d @ appointed Dy the supervisors, instea
Of being each one elected and consa
ouently often representing all faction
and lines of policy in the county aud $
absolutely preventing an harmonious an,
efficient government We may Incl
dentally note that British cities are ais
counties, and consequently have II
duplicate local officers or authority
Our plan of local government, bot
to federal affairs would give us All eleC
tive cabinet and a vast mum ber of elec
tive executive officers independent c
any chief. and representing no one pol
icy. In fact our local system is only az
plicable or succe ssful where the bod
governed is not too large for Il genera
| township meeting of all freeholders. Th
present system rests on the theory tina
| the whole body Of citizens is directly tn
| legislative and executive body. Growt
of population and changed condition
| prevent this ideal from hcing realized
The whole body of citizens are no longe