The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-06-21

 l fees at his disposal. Since we find thu
 head of the nation rewarding his sup
 porter thus is it surprising to learn tha hls interiors likewise repay their con stituents in the same manner Actua ted purely by personal motives, a clasi
 of professional politicians has grown III l that nourishes party spirit and also eX tends party lines in every possible di' rection.
 Solidity of party action is their great stock in trade. The party is an army they claim; and he who has once enlist ed in it's ranks by casting his vote with 1t becomes a turn-coat and is a doubly dyed traitor if he does not continue tc do so for the rest of his life.
 When this is the accepted theory can
 we wonder at the ease with which party feeling has sprung up in our cities?
 Notwithstanding the many evils they
 engender, for national uses, political
 parties are of course indispensable; for
 this reason, if no other, because they
 hold their national nominating conven-
 tions which really serve the purpose of an electoral college itself. Their mem
 bers are chosen largely because of their personal character they are usually the
 best men of each party, and the nomi- nee of one or the other Is always elect ed. So the idea of the framers of the constitution is in some degree carried out, since the people do not vote direct ly for the president, but rather vote, in the primaries of the towns and cities and in the state conventions, for men known to themselves, and these men meet in the national convention and nominate the man who seems best to them. So the important duty of choos- ing the president does not devolve upon the people.
 Although not to such al degree as in national elections parties are also ne- cessary for state elections, because the complexion of the state legislatures de- termines that of the national senate. These elections, often occurring at a different time from that of the national election, offer a splendid chance to the professional politicians to keep their machines in running order, and they make the most of it.
 City governments, the connecting link between the representative government of the states and the pure democracies of the towns, next claims our attention Now since political parties were formed by a difference in opinion over na- tional question, what good reasons are there for voting along their line con issues not national in bearing There is no constitution that needs ex- there are no such standing problems that require fixed policy for their solution. Why then should we carry our party pre1udices into the city elections that concern only our own To- cal interests and local government, which is a matter of business admins trations, and should be managed like the affairs of any great corporation.
 Our machines must be kept in good order answers the politician. T can't spare time for personal investigation, so I'll just vote the party ticket and be done with it." says the business man. | We don't know enough about these Let those attend to them who To-" say others. Certainly we do not wish people to meddle in affairs about which they know nothing; but 1t Is the luty of every citizen to be we'll in- 'orned in these matters.
 The politician has his way then and a iery satisfactory one, too, it seems to l most people. judging from the way hey allow It to go on. Tn fact the city ! las become the favorite abode for poll l ieians both because something in their l he is almost constantly happening | here and because in other ways 1t is | specially suited to their tastes.
 To what the power of the politicians | spires through their method of organi- | ation has recently been revealed in | Jew York No office from that of the | mayor down was secured unless the machine" willed it. It levied black nail on the wealthy corporation and on he keeper of a peanut-stand with qual importantly. Nothing was pow rful enough to resist it's demands or DO small to be beneath it's notice. Not nly did it hold the reins of government rith a firm grasp but it was fixing its reedy fingers on the institutions of ,arnlng before the people rose in grand nifty to oppose 1t.
 The question may be asked how was
 possible for a ring so openly corrupt ) gain and hold such power Was it trough mem not casting their votes? To! The political "bosses" understand hat the situation is and they adapt lemselves to it. They continue in 1eir crooked work, secure in the that the mass of men will ote for their party nominee in the city 5 well as in the national elections hey know that the voters hold fast to . le perRicious habit of carrying their irty distinctions, which are purely na- onal in character, into the city cleo ons when the ends to be obtained are Z ltirely different. lc But New York has raised the glorious IT amer of self-redemption and is now I aving 1t triumphantly aloft. When ll er citizens saw how they were playing | I to the hands of theYSSng by bllndly | flowing party leadership they shook c the letters, passively won for so | ng a time, and united in one grand, + resistible demand for good govern a ent and reform. t What has been going on in New York t
 only an example of what can be S und to some extent in all the large T ties of our republic. Nor are we con led to our own country for instances fl
 the disastrous effect upon city gov D nments of this spells system founded b
 extreme party allegiance England f III remembers the time when the t own stopped to intrigue with the mu- fl cipalities to influence the Parliament 2 l-v elections; for 1t was not until 1885 f,