The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-02-16
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!. vogue Ill lne SoNti uIuSiit VI
cities. This theme. albeit trite, has
been newly called up by the appear
ance from the Century company of a
timely volume on Municipal Govern
ment in Great Britain from the pen
of DIR. Albert Shaw, editor of the Amer
lean edition of the Review of Reviews.
Many of the chapters in DR.. Shaw's
book, in fact. most of them. have pre-
viously appeared as contributions to the
Century Magazine, and their general
tenor Is therefore familiar to such of
our readers as peruse that instructive |
periodical. DR.. Shaw Is almost radical |
in his approval of English municipal
models The idea that especially fasci- |
mates him and that he recommends, al |
most without reservation, for adoption |
by his fellow countrymen is that of an |
elective city council with full power, |
unhampered by executive VetoeS. This |
fundamental characteristic of the Brit |
ish municipal system he pronounces "as |
simple, logical and effective as the |
American system is complicated and in |
compatible with harmonious and re- |
sponsible administration city gov
ernment in America" he says defeats
its own ends by its checks and balances, |
Its partition of duty and responsibility, |
and its grand opportunities for the
game of hide and seek He infinitely |
prefers the English system by which |
the people give the entire management |
of their affairs to a big committee OF
their own number, which they renew |
from time to time"
But what interests us quite as much |
as does DR.. Shaw's argument in itself
Is q lucid and convincing discussion |
of il contributed to the New York Sun |
in the form of a signed criticism by |
Professor Goodwin Smith. Perhaps no |
other man on this continent is better |
qualified than he to draw comparisons |
between English and American models |
of government The comparisons that |
he draws in this instance are always |
interesting and in the main just. We |
shall, without further Introduction, pro- |
ceed to give a digest of his article as
it appeared recently in the Sun. There |
ds a story" he wittily begins which Is
very stale. but the moral of which is
always fresh. 1t is that of the noble |
man who bought the puppet show and |
omitted to hire the Snowman. The les
son is particularly applicable to the
imitators of British Institutions. An
essential part of British institutions is
the Briton. with the political character
and habits which he has been forming
for a thousand years, which are closely
bound up with his social development,
as that again is with the economical
circumstances of his island. This Is
seen when parliamentary institutions
are transplanted from England to
France 1t is seen even when that SIM
gular structure, the constitutional mon
archy, with its apparatus of shams and
dummies, is transplanted from the old
country 60 Il colony. The prerosative
of dissolving parliament, for instance,
Is exercised, or has hitherto been eXer-
cised in the old country under tradi- |
tional restraints, which the old country
politician understands. The colonial
politician uses it as six-shooter, to be
fired at his antagonist whenever he can
get fair shot.
City society in England even now
somewhat differs in texture and in
its animating spirit from city so
cety in America. The wealthy
people have a stronger hold more
of the governing instinct, and a
livelier sense of municipal duty than
similar people in American societies.
How it may be when the democratic
and levelling movement in England
shall have made further progress we
cannot say. At present it is so. Again,
in borrowing any part Of the British in
stitutions 1t is necessary to consider
the relation of that part to the whole,
and the effect of the whole upon the
part. If you want men to do hard
work, you must pay them or they will
pay themselves. So it will be, at least
till the angel Gabriel is mayor, with a
city council of seraphs. The pay may
be either money or dignity. Hitherto
the pay of the members of the city gov
ernments in. England, as well as of the
justices of the peace who have admins
tered the shires has been dignity In
England, as DR.. Shaw has not failed
to observe, the city and county govern
ments rank next below parliament. to
seats in which and thence to national
offices they have often formed the step
ping stones. Joseph Chamberlain
stepped from the mayoralty of Birm-
ingham. which he had administered
with signal success, to the representa-
ton of the city in parliament and to
cabinet office But in America, next
below the Federal congress and cabi-
net come the state legislatures and Of
fees, which, forming higher objects of
ambition than the offices of municipal
government and leaving to them COM
paratively little dignity, tempt, II not
constrain, their holders to pay them
selves in the other way.