San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-11-10
NOT FOR JOSEPH.
Chamberlain Airs His
Ignorance OF U. s.
SAYS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN
AMERICA ARE NON P0LlTI-
CAL AFFAIRS.
Tries To Account For The New York
Lection Result And Makes The
Assertion That The Political
Parties Of The State Did
Not Conduct 1t.

New York, Nov. 1.-THE World |
prints a cable dispatch from London
the full text of Joseph Chamberlain's
criticism of American politics at the
banquet of the Glasgow corporation.
Speaking of the possibility of NUM-
cipal institutions in Great Britain de-
teriorating, Mr.. Chamberlain said:
Il am sometimes inclined to put
question of that sort when we think
of the result of an election for local Off
GERS on the other side of the water.
There, in the metropolitan all events
the greatest city-Of the United States
of America, full of educated, patriotic
people, we find, according to American
evidence that the government of near
ly 100000 people has been handed
over for four years to an institution
whose object avowedly is to get the
greatest amount of spoils.
THAT is a most terrible result and
it is worth inquiring whether such a
possibility exists in regard to our in
situations and what are the principles
we must hold if we desire to avoid such
a result.
Now the explanations given do not
seem to me to be altogether satisfac-
tory. 1t is said that in New York
there is a mixed population; but that
is not sufficient to account for the
state of things we are considering.
Many of these are strangers to whom
the United States is opening it's arms
with so much generosity, welcoming
them to the franchise, perhaps a lit
tie before they are prepared for it, and
are not at all likely to lend themsel-
YES to anything in the nature of cor
rupt legislature-the Germans especial
ly. In many of our large towns we
have mixed population; therefore there
is nothing sufficiently distinctive in
that to justify us in coming to the con-
clusiOn that it is the cause of the great
difficulty. ....
Then it is said that politics is intro
duced into the American corporate life.
That is true; but it requires some ex-
PLANTATION. In the ordinary sense of
the word that would not in the least
account for what we are discussing,
because politics does not enter into
municipal elections in any of the Amer
lean cities. The last election was con-
Quoted by an independent political or
ganization existing outside of the regu- |
lar parties in the state.
Il believe that the whole source of |
the weakness lies in the system of ad- |
rather than anything con- |
nected with ii outside of political con- |
ditions and also in the public opinion |
which tOlerateE the system of admins |
tration.
Il believe that the cause of the sue
cess of our system here and the failure |
of the American system are to be found
in the different ways in which we treat
officials. Now, by officials, mean ev-
erybody employed by the corporation.
There are, in the first place, the high
er officials. When corporations under
take such business as is conducted by
the great municipalities of England
and Scotland their higher officials are
the men entrusted with the manage
ment of the departments; with the con-
troll of great manufacturing concerns,
or complicated systems of finance
Thsee must be men of special capacity |
and ability, else there would be ineffi-
Client administration and great waste
Of public money. You must have, you
IAN dHOTu 10 nave the very Desl Hleil
m their respective capacity.
But to have such men three things {
ire necessary. They must be irremov- {
ible, except for some gross and prov Y
I'd offense; they must be selected or {
ginally for merit, absolutely without &
'egard to their political opinions; they '
must be paid the market price for their i
services. II
There is another danger which 1 t
hink even more serious than any 3
want of fair consideration for the high
er officials. That is. the higher Off Q
,ials may occasionally be paid less than /
he market wages there is a great fear Q
est the lower officials should be paid
more than the market value. Now that /
S a real danger. a
II agree that a corporation should c
OH nc he 1fharol ~; ;