The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-03-24
LIGHT BREAKING.
Well To Do Citizens of New
York Getting Together
To Take the Government Of the
City
Out of the Hands of Political
Parties.
PARTY RIFLE CITIES
PARTY RULE in CITIES
Has Become Such a Nuisance
and Corruption
That New York Joins the Big
Procession Fighting 1t.

New York, March 24.-The Citizens
Union is the name of a large organiza-
ton of business men which will work
toward the removal of the management
of municipal affairs from the hands of
petty politicians.
The work that has been done up to
the present time has been of the volun-
teer order, without much definite
authority by any one for what they are
doing. The time has now come for
formal organization, in order that the
Union will be ready to negotiate Tor
cO-Opera ton by similar bodies in the
remainder of the Greater New York
territory immediately after the new
charter becomes a law. Quite a num-
Der of names are under discussion for
the presidency of the Union.
1t is probable that r. Fulton Cutting
would be the choice of a majority If
his illness did not prevent his accept
to take the place. Other names that
are likely to come up at the meeting
are Abram S. Hewitt, John r. Pine,
James c. Carter, John Claf1in, Joel b.
Erhardt, John A. Stewart, and G. G.
Beaman. A number of Citizens I'm
ion members are to hold an informal
meeting for the purpose of canvassing
the names that have been proposed for
the presidency.
The City club, of which James c.
Carter is president, is naturally the
not known that Mr.. Carter would ac-
cept the presidency of the larger COM
mittee. He is an enthusiastic worker
in the cause, however,a and believes that
if properly directed the Independents
can poll a majority of the votes in the
greater territory. Mr. Carter was ask
ed today by a Mail and Express rep
resentatiVe to state the views and ex-
pectations of the Citizens Union in re
gard to the forthcoming municipal
election. He said in reply:
1.-The Citizens Union has been organ
lied upon the assumption that there is
a very general and widespread convic-
ton among all classes of citizens in
New York city that the mischiefs of
bad government which had heretofore
afflicted us were wholly attributable to
the fact that the entire business of
nominating and electing the principal
municipal officers, from the mayor
down, so far as they were elective, was
committed to machine politicians whose
main purpOse-and in many cases
whose only purpOSe-WaS pecuniary
plumber or selfish advancement; that it
is idle to expect that these evils can be
remedied through the instrumentality
of either political party, whatever
stow upon the political primaries, and
that the only method by which good
government can be brought about is by
the union of citizens who have no OBJ
ject except good government in view.
Both the results achieved and the
insufficiencies exhibited by the munich
pal government under Mayor Strong,
continued Mr.. Carter, equally prove
that when the affairs of the city are
administered without reference to any
bearing upon the political parties they
are well administered; that the mo-
ment the interests of political parties
are regarded in municipal administra-
ton the municipal interests are i'm
mediately sacrificed. The administra-
ton of the street cleaning department
under Col. Warning is a good illustration
of what can be accomplished where the
interests of the city alone are consult
ed, while the adminiStra ton of the po-
lice department is an equally good IL
lustration of how impossible it is to
bring about good administration where |
attempts are made to look for the in
terests of political parties. There is no
good reason why every department of
the city administration should not ex-
hibit as good an example of neatness,
order, efficiency and usefulness as that
of the street cleaning department I'M
der Col Waring.
1T would be an everlasting reproach |
upon the citizens of New York if they
should suffer the administration of the |
city to fall into such hands, after the |
next election, that the process of i'm !
provement under Mayor Strong's ad-
should be arrested, and all |
that had been gained be lost. These |
considerations will become of vastly in
creased Importance in case the project
of Greater New York should be effect |
lively carried through; and in such case
steps should be taken Immediately for
the organization of kindred unions in
territory outside of the city. The mag
nitude of the work and its difficulty are
fully appreciated by all those engaged |
in the movement of the Citizens Union,
but they are all satisfied that it is cas-
lily capable of accomplishment if an ad-
equate effort is made. At any rate, ii
is the determination of the union to lay
the Importance of the work before all |
classes of the people and to summon
them to aid in its accomplishment The |
most careful efforts have been made in
the organization of the large committee |
to have every form of religious faith
every political belief, every mechanical
calling, every mercantile pursuit ade-
qua tely represented. This, we believe,
has been done"
Mr.. Carter was asked whether in
his experience as president of the CITY |
club, he had come to form any opinion |
as to the extent to which people were
p1eaklng away from party ties He said |
that ne mad, and that it was his firm
conviction that there had been a rapid
ly growing belief among all classes in
the city that no good could be accomp- |
nshed in municipal government through
the agency of the political parties, or
elJher OF them. This conviction" said
he, has become settled in the minds
not only of the ordinary party men who
have no particular concern with partv
management, but in the minds of the
StricteSt partisans who have hitherto
insisted upon extending the party ma
chinery over municipal elections Ac-
cOrdingly, believe there will be fo1,pd
engaged in the Citizens Union numer-
Gus persons who have hitherto acted
solely in connection with their parties
in municipal elections. They do not in
any respect intend to abandon their
partisanship as TO general politics for
the movement has been so shaped as
not to require, in the slightest degree
the surrender by any one of his general
political convictions. The only thing in