The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-09
Is Non.Partisanship Feasible ?

Students of municipal problems will
read with interest If not with approval
the article of Ex-Governor Roswell p.
Flower in the July Forum in which he
discusses the question whether non
partisanship in municipal affairs is
feasible. The conclusion reached is that
1t Is not. Says Mr.. Flower: ANY
thing approaching disinterested and
successful -partisanship in city
government, however we'll intended is,
under existing conditions, almost i'm
possible. believe, therefore, that. for
the present at least, municipal govern
ment Is safer, as a rule, in the respon-
sible hands Of partisans than in the
necessarily irresponsible and uncertain
hands OF non-partisans. Illogical and
unreasonable as division on party lines
in municipal contests may be called, I
do not see that. in itself, 1t is an evil;
l do feel that it is often a powerful bull
wark to the cause of order and good
government. Where universal suffrage
| prevails, as 1t does in America, and no
| qualification of intelligence or property
| is imposed, it is a very fortunate thing
| that men are divided into parties, and
| that the strength Of the party ties is
able to restrain the ignorant, the de-
praved, the impetuous. from the advo-
cacy of dangerous doctrines or the sup-
! port of unsafe men,
| Governor Flower admits that parti-
san government of cities has often been
| corrupt. But he contends that when
the causes of failure of partisan munich
pal government are analyzed. it will be
found that official piunder and knavery
have succeeded chiefly when party ties
| have been weakening, when interest
| in party issues or organizations has
waned, and when. by reason of such in
| difference the bad men of o party are
permitted to stain it's good name as
we'll as TO ignore its principles. The
thing then to do is to punish that party
by electing its rival 10 power. The re-
course to a non-partisan movement in
his Judgment offers absolutely no as
suranca Of permanent betterment, for
| the simple reason that even a non-par-
tisan movement, to succeed. must adopt
|
the door to the identical evils it was
supposed to bar out. There is a raci-
ness to this description of a non-par-
tisan movement which VIII readily be
recognized as true to life:
A so-called citizens movement spring
ing perhaps from actual and serious
| grievances, animated by ths most unsel-
fish interest, and intent only on the ac-
complishment of good. finds itself con-
fronted with conditions as they exist,
and compelled 10 use, in order to be sue
cessful, the very methods which non
partsanship depores. This Is the weak
ness of municipal nor-partisanship. Rep
resentatives uf Good Government clubs
and other civic organizations confer with
a view to the nomination and election OF
n non-partisan ticket. Their actual mum.
bers are small Behind them is, we vii,
say, an honest and praiseworthy sentl'
ment, with but few votes and no disci,
plined or ramlfied organization, Watching
them and encouraging them Is the mis-
cellaneous assortment of political "outs,
organizations of disaffected elements
offshoots of the large parties, perhap.
one of the large parties itself now II
the minority of course),-all chiefly ami
mated by the desire for political sue
| cess and the rewards and opportunitie.
which come with It, willing to make
loud professions of reform, and anXiouslN
playing for position In campaign 10 b,
opened. A succession of conferences FOL
lows; the first difficulty encountered be
ing, as a rule. not any difference amonl
the parleying representatives as TO tn,
principles or issues of the campaign
for those are usually left to the origina
on-partisans,- but "a difference as to th'
proportionate representation of the var
ious political organizations on the ticket
and as TO the availability OF the name
suggested for candidates.
Thus, at one bound, whether willing O
not those who fancy themselves develop
ing and practising their theory OF non
partisanship are plunged into the SAM
! kind of politics which they have con
demned In parties. The ticket is nomin
ated, not in convention by delegates dul!
chosen after public notice, but in d clul
corner by self-appointed nominators.
gives thorough satisfaction to nobody
Tor II IL a compromise of conflicting in
terests; the naminees are responsible L
no one organization. but, each consider
! himself the representative of the asso
, citation by which he was put forward
The candidates are not usually the mel
the reformers want; for the ideal publ
, officer Is not always vote-getter and