The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-20
MUNICIPAL POLITICS.

Ii age is a guarantee of responsibility the
belief that politics should not be factor
in the direction of municipal affairs is re-
spectacle. This view has recently been
expressed, according to published inter
view, by ]. Richard Freud, secretary of the
Merchants Association. He is reported to
have said that the association will work
for new charter, that it will adopt g
platform, that it is already able to in
huence 1000 votes and that it will extend
its membership so as to be able to in
fuence 5000 or 1000 votes
He is reported to have added: at is not
implied by this that any intention exists
to hold political conventions Our mem
bers belong 10 both political parties, but
the merchants generally believe that in
municipaI affairs there should be no
politics. With 10000 voters interested in
our platform and standing back of it no
public official would resist our requests"
II politics is what it purports to be its
aim is to assure, through organization
and effort, the security and prosperity OF
the people. Differences in political par
ties express the difference in views which
men entertain for accomplishing the de-
sired end. In its proper sense politics Is
the concrete expression OF patriotism.
The organization of party would ration
ally and properly extend from National
body down through the various sub
divisions of the Government, fitted
exactly to them and stopping only at the
smallest, which Is city ward. If such
organization stops anywhere such stop
page is a confession of the unwisdom of
the whole idea of political organization
and effort, and in addition to that weakens
the whole organized structure.
If organized politics is good for one
division of the Government it must be
good for all, and if it is not good for one it
is an evil for all. The security and pros
perity Of the smallest ward in the small
est city is as important consideration as
the security and prosperity of the Nation,
and the strength of the whole is best
assured by securing. the strength OF the
parts.
When worthy citizens, having at heart
the proper government of the people, with
draw from utilization with established DO
litical parties in municipal affairs and act
independently of them, they cannot con-
sistentIy affiliate with such parties in
National affairs, because their withdrawal
is proclamation that they have discov-
cred inefficiency at the very groundwork
of such parties, and the necessary con-
clusion is that sucn inefficiency must
extend throughout the whole organization.
There is no principle upon which political
organization can be defended in its ap-
plicability to one subdivision of the Gov
eminent that is not applicable to each
and all.
1t seems not to have occurred to those
who oppose politics in municipal affairs
that 1t would be just as easy and far better
for them to achieve their praiseworthy
purposes by exercising their good infiu-
ence within the established parties than
by seeking to weaken those organizations
and invite corruption and inefficiency to
them by withdrawing the good influence
which alone makes them worthy, efficient
and responsible. They seem to have over
looked the fact that tabished parties,
being responsible to the people, and gen.
orally suffering punishment for persistent
wrongdoing, are in better position than
transient organizations to hold their elected
public officers accountable for their con-
duct, to punish with neglect those who
nave proved unworthy and to reward with
higher honors those who have proved
worthy. 1t does not seem to have occurred
to these gentlemen that any organization
which they may effect for influencing
elections is itself just as much a political
organization as that of any established
political party; that the ends which they
seek to accomplish must be reached by