Omaha daily bee., 1896-01-19
A MHNIrIpAL CARINET.


The newly elected mayor of Boston
has announted his intention of introduce
ing a novel feature OF municipal govern
ment which,-sAould II prove successful
in the first instance. may possibly be
generally adopted. His plan Is moth
ing more nor less than the creation of a
sort of municipal cabinet. The pro
posed cabinet, however, is to consist
not of the heads of the departments of
the city government. although they may
be called in to assist in emergencies,
but of representative business and pro-
fessional men wholly outside of official
circles. In n word. the mayor of Bos-
ton says he will select q number of
prominent citizens known for their bust
ness capacity. integrity of purpose and
public spirit and invite them to meet
with him at stated intervals to advise
upon all important questions demand
ing his official action. Having no recog-
milton in the city charter, they must
necessarily perform this service with
out pay and the only inducement for
them to accept the invitation is that
they will be engaged in n good work
and be associated in it with men who
stand equally high in the eyes of the
community.
We ear readily conceive how n cabi-
net of this kind could be of material
assistance to the executive of an
American Municipality and of ines
Unable benefit to the people subject to
its influence. But sifted down to the
bedrock. its usefulness as an instru-
ment for municipal reform must in
each case depend upon the mayor who
occupies the place at it's head. With
the mayor rests the responsibility first
Of choosing the members of this munich
pal cabinet and then of accepting or
rejecting the advice which it may offer
him. Too much weight annot be laid
upon the character of the cabinet Off
GERS. In Boston there are plenty of
well-to-do citizens, retired merchants.
reliable bankers and respected lawyers.
who are able and willing to devote the
necessary time to this work and whose
public spirit would insure honest and
disinterested advice. In other cities,
however, itois often the leading men
and largest property owners who are
financially interested in the great fran
chised corporations and jobs of various
kinds by WHICH, valuable special priv
ileges are obtained and tribute is levied
upon the population of u cities. When
ever a question. should be submitted to
them i%nvolvinsFu conflict between the
public interests and those of these tax
eating and ~oltaXobeatingc corporations.
their advice could not be unhesitatingly
depended upon.
~ But all the. good advice in the world
would he 'of'ne' avail with a mayor who's
is determined to play into the hands
of jobbers and corporate rings. He Is
always free to act either in accord with
or in opposition to the conclusions of
his cabinet. He can take the advice
of his cabinet in public and consult the
contractors and corporation managers in
private and then do as he pleases.
Whether he has the assistance of Il cabi-
net such as is proposed in Boston or
not, he can always ask the opinions of
representative citizens on matters of
more than ordinary moment, and very |
frequently this advice is rendered vol
UNFAIRLY. No mayor of any American
city therefore has any right to excuse
his actions or shirk responsibility
on the ground that he has not been
able to secure sound advice.