The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-11-06

thus practically does away with choice
of officers by the people. is a law which
ought to be unconstitutional in a free
state; 1t is betrayal of the FIRST prin-
ciple Of popular government; 1t is a
sale of the blrthright of free city to
the scheming brethren who divide
among themselves the inheritance.
do not believe that this law will stand,
and two years hence l hope legisla-
ture may be chosen which shall make
this wrong right, and which will trust
the people enough to give home rule to
New Haven.
But whatever our opinion OF this law,
now we have to act under ii, If this
year upon each of our municipal boards
the self-seeking candidates Of the po-
litically dependent classes could be de-
feated; IL especially on the board of
public works, and on the police COM
mission, two citizens of pronounced
nomination (as the law provides), then
the greatest gain for good government
would be won which New Haven has
witnessed within the memory of the
most ancestral soul among us. If on
each of these important boards--impor-
tant alike to our taxes and to our NOR
als--two men could be nominated, who
should stand out in business bulk, and
in sharp moral positiveness above all
the drivel of partisanship, as the single
peak of the Matterhorn stands out
strong and uncorruptibly clear against
the sky--then an immense practical VIC
| l.. fo,. hi N n
good government which as neighbors
and citizens we ought to cherish. This
is the practical and possible issue which
we have for New Haven in this year of
grace. l am aware that to win VIC
tory of good citizenship within party
conventions is no easy task to be light
ly achieved by any happy band of po-
litieal innocents. Satan himself, sup
pose, might learn points in the art OF
deceiving the elect from caucus mana
gers. believe that If the law allowed
us the practical redress of independent
nominations against bad party nominal
tions, and the appeal ito a real election
by the people, we should be better of,
and might march to victory. But, han
dicapped as the people are by the act
of the last legislature, believe that
by combination and united effort some
thing may possibly be achieved this
year to recover our municipal commits
sions from their present perversion, and
inefficiency as mere party appendages,
and contributors to party politics II
therefore the Young Peoples Endeavor
societies are to apply their vigorous en-
thusiasms to local matters, as it Is en-
couraging that they are disposed to do,
the work for them this fall to do in
New Haven is to attend, every moth
ers son of them who is of age, the par
ty caucus, and to know what they are
after when they go there. But II you
lead off your forces on no-license cam
paign, you may succeed in making a
larger protest than usual against the
saloon, and in, raising a good breeze;
but you will grow no wheat
Sympathizing as T do with the wise
effort of your leader, Mr.. Clark, in MAX
ing good citizenship one of the aims of
the Christian Endeavor societies, and
rejoicing in your strength of numbers
and enthusiasm, / should greatly de-
plore seeing your efforts spent in direc-
lions which I am confident would only
develop into weakness, and L trust that
with aim and resourceful leadership,
the new political forces. which your
organization of the young people in all
our churches represents, may be direct
ed to the doing the one thing at a time
which can lbe done, and to securing the
practical results which circumstances
render possible.
Yours very truly,
NEWMAN SMYTH.
New Haven, Nov. 5, 1895.