Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-12-22
dirt IN THE HOUSE BUILDS , r. 7l;,..
WAY TO BEGGARY." BE WISE IN TIME ANo U4z
SAPCH IT.

accomplished in American cities. They
have cost sums of money, but even this
fact was almost unnoticed during the
years of prosperity. The people de-
manded much and cared little about
the methods or cost of accomplish
ment. A form Of government for cities
was least thought of. and as a result
the present form Of American city gov
ernnlent, which is a sort of volunteer
crop from the state and national sys-
TENS, was accepted because ii was the
most available and easily understood
Changes have been made at times,
but they have beer the work Of poll
ticianS or of some Spaslnodic effort fer
reform Icy the people. The people OF
late have taken mere time II thinh
about city government and they are
finding il very unsatisfactory. 1t Is
without system or stability. IT offers
every opportunity for eXtravasance
and no inducement for efficiency and
honesty. 1T has been the pawn iii
every other political venture and it's
interests have been neglected and
sacrificed accordingly.
III
American cities. it has been very easy
to make comparisons with European
cities and to suggest the adoption of
the same principles of government and
methods of administration under which
those cities nave been made models Tor
efficiency and economy. 1t is, however,
the opinion of those Who have studied
most carefully the municipal problem
in h United States that no material
aid can be had from the adoption OF
European methods in matters OF city
government. a study of those methods
is profitable so far as il teaches us
what has been dom we'll and what re-
suits are possible in a city properly
governed. We may profit by the eX-
p%erience of European cities. but we
cannot initiate methods. Wcdo not
wish to accept or reject anything he-
cause ii is foreign, but at the same
time it may he we'll for those who are
disseminating principles OF reform IN
his unit to be conservative, and
fol-, those to- whom theories of reform
are addressed to study them care
fully.
The model cities in Europe, notwith-
SldIluiIS tItlI - ~
are crowded with a class who look
upon anarchy and the reign OF destruc-
ton which it advocates as the only
remedy for existing Inequalities. 1t Is
therefore of importance that in labor
ing for better government we keep be
fore us the fact that we are Americans
i'm spirit and in truth. n that the
institutions we seek to benefit are ours.
are American, and that u purpose is
to preserve to our people the same
virtues. manlineSS and courage, which
have made American progress possible.
A study of the franchise in American
cities shows hat the non-taXpaying
voters are a large majority. Taking
Boston. for instance. the registered
vote of Boston in 1892 was $4,000. There
were 3 2.4O7 taxpayers, of whom 300
were women having no vote, and about
700 aliens or non-residentS. DeductinS
the taxpayers who are not voters
leaves IS 1907 as the number of property
holding votes out of a registered vote
Of $4,000. If every taxpaying voter
voted this shows the non-property vote
at 46,693 against a property vote Of
2S. 507.
The growth of cities has been too
rapid. the demands upon them too sud
den, and the excitement in business too
absorbing. to give to the subject of
local government the attention it
merits and therefore it has been hap