The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-01-02
LEXOW LESSONS.

The adjournment of the Lexow COM
mittee, which has been looking into the
government of the city Of New York,
closes the second chapter of movement
to purify city that has been more
remarkable. both in its conception and
in its results. than any similar movement
ever undertaken anywhere.
The first chapter was remarkable in
its results, and in the methods that led
up to the results, but in conception il
ranked with many other attempts to
create public sentiment against corrup-
tion which have always been abortive.
1t has never before resulted that the
charges of QUIxoTE who set out to
cleanse political mass of corruption
have been SO completely justified, and
not merely justified, but intensified and
enlarged and deepened. Reckoned
alongside the damnable results, what
the public understood of DR.. PARK
HURsTs early charges seem as milk
compared with vinegar.
When the 10000 pages of testimony
recorded by the Lexow committee comes
to be analysed, condensed and arranged
there will be presented a mass Of con-
demnation ola body of men large enough
to fill one of the great prisons Of New
York State that will be seen to be start
ling in the extreme.
Nothing like this showing regarding
the conduct of the affairs of big city
has ever been revealed. History shows
no faintest approach to parallel.
But it is not merely to excite wonder
or CONSERVATION that this mass of ter
rible revelations is to do its greatest
work. What has been found to
exist in New York exists
in nearly every city in the country, in
some degree. In New York there was
the full fruit of the vicious ideas regard
ing city government that are put in
practice in practically every city.
The idea that city treasury is for the
nourishmeht of political parties, and for
the emolument of men who
are party workers, is very
deeply ingrained in the nature of
all politicians. There is not always the
Goa rse and brutal expression of it that
has been shown to have for many years
existed in New York, but the poison
turks about every city hall. and affects
the officials in it more or less.
There is not reason that can be ad-
vanced against the quiet and modest
conduct of city's business, as the bust
ness of corporation is carried on-with
only the clerical force necessary to per-
form the routine work, and without the
frills and feathers that attend the busi-
ness now.
From the Mayor down TO the hum.
blest sewer digger there are excrecensas
that might profitably be dispensed with,
beginning with the Mayors own Office,
which is half sinecure, one-fourth fun
merry, and the other fourth business
that might just as well be transacted by
IN assistant TO the city clerk.
1t would be too wearisome to go into
letails regarding the useless talent citi-
Gems Of cities employ, as il is too weari-
some to politicians TO consider the matter
1t all but there is not bright man
who has taken the pains to give the
matter the slightest attention, who is
rot lost in wonder when he contemplates
.he complex machinery-the wheels
within wheels, and the wheels that only
ielp TO make buzzing-that
s required to transact the simple bu.i-
hess of caring for the community inter.
'sts Of collections Of people who chooses
% live in close propinquity with one
lnother-a city.
What the cities need more than any.
hing else is rapid return TO the ele-
mental principles OF business, and the
prompt elimination of politics.
Nhen two men owning adjoin-
ng fa1ns agree 10 build ~
common line fence they do not inquire
II the man they employ whether he is
Democrat or a Republican, nor does
he man -exuect- 10 gef more than fair
NY for his labor aud mAierial. The
'hoIe government of a city is but the
xpaasion of this crude and simple sot
4 two neighbors uniting 10 procure a
Iecessity c,mmon 10 both.
The Lexow committee has shown
What extent Of tlievery aud gene al cor.
upton the antithrsis of this policy may
ring uron "A .ifv Iha ..t,l. ....t.ls.