The record-union., 1896-03-19
IN MUNICIPALI-
TIES.

kOI Oh NeSlllS the dppOlIlillS pOWSI III
the Mayor of a municipality, without
intervention of the legislative power.
This, he says, for one thing, because it
is the best judgment that the executive
and legislative functions must be kept
separate and apart.
Right here we desire to add the
thought that vesting the appointing
power in the Mayor alone is not 'un-
american" as some have insisted. 1t
is not a monarchial drift. On the con-
trary, the system is eminently Ameri-
can because the Mayor being chosen by
ali the people is directly responsible to
them. When they choose with full
knowledge that the Mayor is to appoint
they practically select the appointees.
But when the legislative body inter
venes, which is not chosen by all the
people but by groups Of them, there is
liability of conflict. There is then di-
vision of responsibility, and it is impos-
siple for the people to fix it definitely.
Since it is principle that ex-
ocutive, legislative and judicial func-
tions should be kept separate and apart
for the preservation OF our liberties, the
confirmation system is really the un-
democratic system.
AS to there being one-man power,
that is fallacious. When the. people
elect one to perform specific duty and
he acts under that power, it is the act
of the people themselves. They are
then brought into closer relation with
their servant than when a legislative
group, chosen by district voting, inter-
yenes and compels the Mayor to name
someone that is agreeable TO that group.
One experienced politician speaking
on this subject recently said: after
thirty years of observation and careful
scrutiny of the workings. character and
results of systems in municipal govern
rnent am compelled to confess that the
by a Mayor is not any guarantee what
ever of better municipal service. The
! truth must be told, that, as a rule,
where an Aldermanic body NEEDLES
| bordinates the result is very much
worse for the city than if the Mayor,
representing TIM people, We're alone
commissioned by them to hire for them
ties incumbent upon subordinates; and
this, / think, extends over the whole
| field from firemen to poundman, from
policeman to the head of a department"
| OF course every one knew that the an
vance of British troops up the Nile would
bring a note of protest from France.
But whether it will alone effect any
thing now that it has been sounded is
another thing. We do not look for any
pause on the part of England because
of the one protest. Egypt certainly has
| the right to recover the Soudan and
against assertion of that right not even
France can interpose protest that will
| command respect. If the vanguard Of
the movement is Egyptian, then what
is France going to do about it, notwith
standing the fact that France is equally
with England pledged to see the Egyp-
/ tian bondholders paid. But if the move
ment promises to be one that is to put
British power into the saddle in the
| Soudan instead Of restoring the pro-
vinces to the Khedive, then France will
| be heard from effectively. She can
| She has but to decide and do. It will
not involve the output of great energy
either. From her posts of vantage
near the headwaters of the Nile she
herself keeping under pretty good cover.
But suppose it to be true, as is reason
able to believe, that Russia will join
with France in the protest against Brit
ish advance up the Nile? Then the
matter puts on a new face and Eng
land will be compelled to stop and spar
for breath. She cannot hope to do any
thing effective if Russia. already calling
a halt to Italian conquest, which means
to open the way for French advance
across the African continent, says to
| the British mo farther" If this de-
velops as the attitude of Russia, Eng
land will be driven to guarantee a dis
| avowal of any intention to absorb
Egypt, though that the British enter
tain that ambition is well known. Any
movement Soudanward must, then, be
Egyptian, and for Egyptian purposes
| only, and even these will be narrowed
to an area more restricted than the
ancient bounds of the kingdom
The pIaywrights of the country are
asking of Congress that it will by
proper enactment protect their prop
erty right in their productions from
literary and dramatic piracy. Why
| not . Is it not as much theft to nil