The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-20
Tho People and Their Servants.

LIN GeODlC ana InClE SCENAhtb.
At a meeting Of the Congregational Club
on Monday evening, Mr.. HORACE E. DEM
mo made q speech In favor OF Low. in
which, referring to the large powers con-.
ferred on the Mayor by the new charter, he
used this language:
This Ia the most stupondous experiment which has
ever been made any vherc at any time by any people.
Shall we make It by electiDg . Mayor responsible pri.
marily TO n political organiEation7 Or shall we make
1t by clecting n Mayor responsible primarily to his
conscience p"
Mr.. DEMING, we believe, is a lawyer, and
his legal training should have prevented
his talking in that loose way.
Under our system of government, in all
its branches and divisions, the people put
no trust in the mere consciences Of their
servants in office. They require of them
an oath of fidelity. They surround them
with the commands and prohibitions Of
law in every direction, and II they dare to
transgress any, no matter to how small a
degree, they hold them to the severest &C.
~countability for the dereliction and dis
obedience.
The people elect no man to Office leaving
him to be responsible primarily to his
conscience" They hold him responsible
primarily to their will and conscience as
expressed in positive law. Thu oath Of
office the first Mayor of New York will be
required to take is laid down precisely by
the people, and whichever candidate may
be elected, it will be the same.
The charter Of the Greater New York, I'M
doubtedly, gives to the Mayor a wide range
of discretion in the appointment and re-
moval of subordinate officers and in the
veto Of ordinances inc resolutions passed
by the Municipal Assembly, subject to the
power of that body to override his veto by
n two-thirds vote. This discretion does not
call for a simple exercise Of conscience.
The world has been drenched with blood
because men have held themselves ere
sponsible primarily to their consciences."
Nothing is more dangerous than to put
faith in princes" to intrust the popular
welfare to any mans conscience.
In order that the exercise Of this limited
discretion allowed the Mayor shall be
beneficial and not harmful to the people, it
must be used with wise discrimination,
sagacity, and intelligent judgment of men
and measures. Folly blindness of percep-
ton, natural deficiency of judgment, mar
~" HcSS VI NlcW, anu Oil dDSeuCt VI COWulOu
sense may be consistent with the most sensi-
tive conscientiousness.
All that is elementary, obvious. Ac-
cordingly, the question which Mr.. Lows
advocates are called upon by the people to
answer does not concern his secret and un-
fashionable conscience, but his qualifications
to exercise wisely and for their advantage
the discretion they commit to the Mayor.
Facts of the history of Mr.. Lows business
career, lately narrated by II sun, would
not commend him to any private corpora
ton or business as a man Of sound judg-
mcnt and of practical sagacity. Nor have
we any precise evidence adduced and pre-.
sented to prove that in any situation he
has manifested those qualities in any great
or even considerable measure. 1t is true
that Mr.. Low was Mayor of Brooklyn about
fifteen years ago when 1t was a rather pro-
vincial place, and he did very well; but
Mayors of Brooklyn who have succeeded
him have done better, with a far larger and
more extensive municipal Government to
administer.
The election of Gen. TRACY Is not advo-
Gated OIL the ground that he would be ere.
sponsible primarily to his conscience. +"
$50 SNNNAo "a A'P oA 10
not raised by any person of intelligence.
OF course, he would obey his oath in the
letter and the spirit. His long record in
many and responsible offices, civil and
military, affords sufficient testimony as to
that. No one of even his bitterest political
enemies has any honest doubt of him on
that score. His election is advocated, pri.
marily, because he holds and represents
political principles necessary to the wei
fare of society, and for his maintenance OF
which n great party behind him can be held
accountable. His general and particular
qualifications for the office consist in his
great intellectual strength and his superior
administrative ability, already demon
strated to the whole Union.
Mr.. DEMING makes it n ground of re
proach to a man elected rs Mayor that he
should be responsible primarily to a pc
litical organization" President MCKIN
T. is responsible primarily to the Repub
lican party, and that party is responsible
for him. If he fails, the people will hold
his party accountable and punish it &C
cordingly. That is the advantage, the ne
cessity in a party Government like ours, oil
putting in Office the representative of O
party. He stands for n party and not fol
himself alone. Who would be responsible
for Mr.. Low2 No party would nave any
responsibility for him, and he would be
without a strong conservative and a salu
tary restraining influence.
Hence we do not put our trust in men In
this republic we put parties in power, and
hold them to a sharp accountability for the
exercise of It,.
Talk like MI. DEMINa's is vicious heresy
in America.
The Why.