The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-24
MUNfoIP1L MErHoDs AND HoRAns.
st. Clair S1crxeiway.s speech nersre ire bas-
ernl Club or nunAle.

IT. Clair n1ekeiway,s speech nersre the hfs-
ernl Clnb OF Bunhie.
BUFFALO. Nov. 2S.-The Hon. st. Clair NC
Kolwny of Brooklyn spoke tonight before the
Liberal Club here on Municipal Methods ana
Morals" He said, in part:
Whore did you get the name Liborali mat
ISL dangerous word down Brooklyn way. In
politics 1t means MuRwumpian. A
Is q man OF so much conscience in politics
that he accords very littlo, IL any, to those
who differ from him. His opponents retail
late by saying that he Is n Pharisee.
The Pharisee 10 about the only scripturei
character who does duty in politics. Yet 30 tar
as can make out the Pharisee was an organ
ization man. He certainly enrolled. Ho always
stood by his order. lie upheld tho rights OF the
party. never heard of the Pharlseo joining q
good government club. or OF one that boltod the
regular ticket. Tho Pharisoe boastod that no
had always submitted to campaign assessments
for the good of tho party.
Moreover. Liberal Is q dangerous word In
theology, down Brooklyn way. The Liberal
theologlans long ago knocked hell out of religion
in order that the liberal or MuEwump states
mon might raise 1t in politics, with tho worry re-
cent result of making q United States Senator
lose his chance Of eternal salvation! Nothing 10
more hazardous than liberalism In theology, ex-
cept liberalism in politics.
Tho people have deliberately arranged to
have municipal questions considered only In mu-
nicipal times. The endeavor to force on other
questions out OF their time, or before their time.
was n negation Of tho popular mandate. VIC were
all very much excited and called one another
very hard names. wAile that endeavor was
put forth. We all Of us got very red in the face,
and were too mad TO be suitably ashamed. One
may doubt that any political party Will ever
again seek to make tho people Of the cities
mix unrelated subjects. Campaigns against the
constitutional order will be regarded as energy
against nature. What is absurd in character
will not be solemnizcd by calling it politics.
the confidence that some Of the great facts still
to be learned will be duly acquired. And a vast
Of the principle that municipal questions have
nothing to do with State or national issues. Let
us call this proposition the Municipal Principle;
Reflect what a gain this will DO to clear and
candid thinking. Tell Off in your minds for a
moment some OF the exciting and dividing sub
can DO carried to the City Hall for solution
tions for officials, whose duties must be per-
formed In the City Hall or It's auxiliary buildings.
s sSd 81 State con saq sT viii f be sotter CO nstlenai
the area which they cover. That was a great
many and the Citizens, Union was only a differ.
exclusively local, plus the difference affecting
candidates. Of whom nil were pledged to what I
have termed the municipal principle in It's most
inclusive and exclusive sense.
Existing parties are more likely to %respecte
constitutional mandate and the public demand
neither il they longer try to mix. issues
or to assimilate in quality. The feeling
which attaches a man to his party is
the same as that which attaches him to his
church. to his lodge. tn his fratprnnl society
to the alumni organization Of his college. There
is absolutely no non-partisan in the world.
partisan. Your church liberal will be a nedi-
cal partisan. and II one be a partisan in nothing
order against ali corners. The thing to do Is to
Gxalt and to exploit municipal issues in mnnic-
T INA t'% aone and let e9 'a mem mat be mu as PARTISAN oln''G as
nature: or. il You please, luna a@sp prsiai
coming to an end in New York city; owes lis
cesses either to the straight partisanship of
some of its departments. or to the fortunate
a are aSsofu 9e 9d des 9E two Of Ps seeeini paI, nen w pFs,
THE number of men defnable as independ-
ents In any great community will probably
never DO more than enough to award success
to one or the other Of tho permanent political
hail Raii'f for the back aus Of the other when it g goes
wrong: Their experiment Of forming, q party
success Of the less desirable Of the two per,
manent parties. whichever one that may be
it to be their duty. to persist in separate party
expression and endeavor. but they must. in
that case, abandon for a long time the ex.
Without Becoming themselves sfiiIicted With ii
Rings will form within reform. Leaders will be.
come morally and spiritually, indistinHuishable
from bosses. Intellectual and social superiority
will tend to make their bOSSiSm rather moro Of
fcnsiye than, the crudor kind. There will be a
m l1tnsse or ' tbor Wifi ana ba c Gohnesfe wit6 I'm IN s shelr a.,
of that kind.
Too many OF their leaders propose to give
struction. and useful information to constituent
cies which have, asked them to give, them
needy beggars or mendicant seekers. Tho
plain people. whose wishes are honest. whose
p Etjnets are 'q i6tEuitinelv is sou sane and Whose whose dis IN.
ordinations arc acute and, on the whole. just.
want good government itself as u present from
nobody. and rather than take 1t US a gift, they
would have an inferior sort Of government.
II only the initiative of it should DO with
year tho top singularly misunderstands the
bottom In our metropolis. and the bottom. which
g Greatest ah9 compensa ton. the rs Greatest neM ST. co enpi ine
and the greatest ground for hope are in the fact
1hat thS eSt sShe put it fs wont Sn .9P bS oy ae caIYsG Ely
municipal principle to the exclusion of every
other.
with the plain people, not aloof from them, to
be offered to them. must confess that my as
ments in Brooklyn and in New York tends
to impress me with the fact that. while their
ethical equipment is complete and while their
moral courage Is admirable. they are somehow
out OF personal touch and personal sympathy
with the great masses-the men who have their
way. but who mean well. too. Perhaps this
wanting sensiailitys this missing sumption. viii
to us some Of it. Not municipal parties. but
municipal politics. Not the municipal party.
but the municipal principle should be our solici.
tude and our shibboleth."
New Haven PoiIce Commissioners ReaiGn.
NEW HAVEN. Nov. o3.-FIve of tho six Police