The Anaconda standard., 1895-12-16
MUNICIPAL REFORM.
Advance of the Movement In Various
Cities. 'iaf

From Harper's Weekly.
The desire for municipal reform Is
spreading, and II is sincerely to be
hoped that the result of the recent cleo
tion in this city will not discourage the
friends of good government from per-
sound solution of one of the most vex-
ing problems that is presented by our
democratic form Of government.
1t is our present purpose to chronicle
two movements that are indicative Of
the general trend In the right direction.
Philadelphia has long been recognized
as one of the worst governed cities In
the country. More than Is years ago
the reformers, under the lead of a com
mittee of citizens. defeated a ring of
plunderers who had established them
selves as a great wealth-getting corpo-
ration, making money from nearly ev-
cry public instrumentality for the corr
porate health and comfort. But new
devices for robbery have been invented
and on the 18th OF this month a state
senate investigation was begun into the
abuses that have fourished under the
present charter of the city. How great
a sum these abuses have cost the tax
payer may be judged from a statement
made by Mr.. Freedley, a lawyer, who
explained the purpose and scope of the
investigation. He said: "On Jan. 1,
1887, the annual cost of the various de-
partments was under $9,000.000. On
Jan. /, 1895, the annual cost was over
S29, 900, ,000." The work Of the highway
and street cleaning bureaus of Phila-
delphia is done by contract. and the
charge is made that the money expend-
ed by these bureaus Is not employed
for the benefit of the city, but Us d.
verted to political purposes. =. The city
does not get the benefit of the money;
the "heelers," the strikers" the
boys" do. This Is an old story in
more than one American city, and we
are told that the evils of the contract
system are likely to be fully exposed
by the investigation. 1t seems that
under no SYSTEM are the interests of
the city safe from the plunderers
Whether the work Is done by the city
officials or by contractors employed by
them. advantage is taken of every OPP
portuntty for stealing or diverting5 mu-
nicipal funds. t# o.
The other effort for municipal reform
is being made in New Orleans. Affairs
in that city seem to have reached the
lowest depth of political degradation.
Serious criminal charges are made
against men who are in high position
and the implicated officials appear 10
have banded together to .persecute
those who are charged with the duty
of bringing them to justice. The char
acter of the government OF New Or
leans may be Judge from the statement
that is made by the Picayune that the
corrupt and constituencies political
bosses have so managed the city's af-
fairs that numbers of the peoples rep.
resentatives have become criminals,
convicted of felonies, and others are
charged with criminal corruption.
while the good name of the city has
been covered with shame and dis
grace" "a
A war against this state OF things
has been going on for some time, but
now public sentiment has been concen-
trated by the formation of citizens'
league, at a meeting which was held
on the Sth of this month at chamber of
commerce and industry. II is the in
tention OF the league to make war on
the corrupt bosses at the polls.
All such movements as these make
for the moral health OF the whole
country. and II they are persisted in.
their result will be the reform OF most
OF our municipal governments.