New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-11
GOVERNING THE BIG CITY.
,c,,su VIEW OF THE CHARTER
OF GREATER NETWORK.
novrp GIVEN TO THE MAYOR
PERSONAL RULE IN THE MODERN

LARGE POWER GIVEN TO THE MAio"
PERSONAL RULE IN THE MODERN
DEMOCRACY.
| r.a Iondon Spectator.
From New-York Charter bill has IeS Sate
The 0n,'re Of the Governor OF New-l n, ,esi
the s Therefore become law II or,,Hs ons of peo-
existence c N?wYork now exceeds the popnia,rroonn
pesny European city save Lonuon' ou "a although
nswy annexed part Of the north along HOW sv
Mason much Is still in se'n,-rura, ia may be
HuosVI', aousrfu, this huge community 10 I've Of
rch ana The fact that the assessed value r,, u,
inioaartv in the city is some t0nWVWr q hir city
that New mere town in the ordinary sen Maxor
Sta cut adrft as the then seeS ~ tho Civil
proposed in the early days o olmos, re.
M",;otie second-class Power IL Is Va 10 conduct
est nerfore 10 see ,h nS" huge city under the new
W. Of aton. especially ~ government
past recora, "a mai government have been az az
a.. So monstrious as TO engage ,e eronds Of de-
me civilized world and to cause n '" SORROW and dis
mo0lT t;yoent For II there was opp opp, now
nunder before, the amounts =, the New-York Of
9ateads day was almost country to"i1 Tb apnnai
With the great Trncipal cv Oh sovernment will we
esp,nId exceed those Of the Sta.e -, ITnrida
all the seaboard States ir Rcb M't Observed when
Wh WA, through the comparatively small Lonoo"
Of over eisnyi With his fixed idea Of repre-,
sentative government, embodied IN some in ma
authority such a. the House Oh ns a whole in
ncSai matters the startling fact OF tnS the
ter Of Greater NewYork Will be Una. IL as nobody
49,. ~ the city with powers such az DD.itJs6
nay would dream proposing for any New
oficial whether elected or not Inc Nay. .xecutve
VnrL yiu have under this charter ooth eAee"'i In
s N,o"isiafivc power Of an enormous extent III IL
S@cd during his term of Office when 10 ~ enioy
imosi absolute power within the limits iaru 40
By the charter lie is to possess veto over by a
a., tiI,he maioritv of the City Council ms
council cannot increase any items OF e NE ali de-
iormined by the Board of Estimate and
uent the members of which are, W. W. no right Of
,ion annoinied BY the Mayor, who mas ny ~ "a
uI With then The nrs Mayor OF the Guy, ~
be elected next November, VIII ene' atcd on 10
TX appointmens TO heads of departments anu his
boards Of persons who cannot De t ight years
saccfSSnt' when once elected. the Mayor Of New
Work will be a kind of civic emperor. oF action
'hnr,v within the limits of his sphere OF aor rohs
thG m W. Greater than that Of of the monarchs
of Europe within theirs.
THE MOVEMENT FOR REFORM'
rvew-York were the same corrupt city. steep 'ee
n an al b but RSp[e Ring t would be terrible to
easfcmnlHte the immense power thus eoncen,rad1er
IN the uu1 "a for four wears unless he were re
rnoyed" by that system or assassination 5,t thera
pen -, no 6,ubt that a vigorous movement LOT Hu-
nicinal reform is in progress IN the ~ sana
no has q
70 make efficiency rather than party cries the
,eltohh ,nrq djsrIted with NewYork for bad SUI
VIM in civic corruption. observe gIeaiI
i.tton here all PARTIES adopted the reform pa
foI m" and the Civic Federation whcn I'M tha,
e ny MAJOR is Satisfactory from the reforming
roint of view The Civil service reform III, tNi
rs now become so extended in the fe1eidaI 49,
Srvico "a beginning 10 be carried out In the ieaoiiH
municipalities. that party appo ON III This
So he The exception rather than the rue;, ,.I
a encouraging but the English observer wilt S,
wonder why in order TO carry out reIor, ~ nowers
be tn9ushha aISs Of Individuals as committed
10 the hands Of the Mayor OF M N nrocoeding
on a if lines from those which we are work. e
Ing here in regard to the political forms I'd with
MONARCHY !, question Of peTSSnaI e pre al system
the rule Of collective bodies The President
H. tntrusted with immense powers by the Union as
whole The Governor Of each S'a o IN We ' see the
nriDcip:e carried out in even more thorough way
n regard %aTr to s Will be to the city Of
York ali and even than the President Is 10 tnH
limited brdb s'a' In the House Of Representatives the
Speaker eothed with % t fonfe no 0o on It's
sneskcr and what is more. he uses them, ana h Is
supported by the country m qS city is is now the
custom TO take such important matters as vhe o JT
to. OF esning out OF the hands of the collective
REPRESENTATIVE body and TO put them INTO me na,as
6als ~ Tew-York woke the citizens from tner nor
nal apathy and great sweep took place OF al a,e
Commissionershp of Police young man OF srg bo
yigor and of high culture. Theodore Roosepe, waG t
ben used 10 sec for centuries in one mans nands'
Il is plain that the tendency OF the one1
,cwara q kind of one-man rule BY this we do not
mean mpsT.1Snb or what we do mean is that
the American peope sem he 20 20 gve eei him
free hand
HOW DEMOCRACY IS WORKING OUT.
Thus democracy IS In point of fact working out
very differently from the purely Prlorl c cor
tSei,sts The American Constitution when made
was denounced by the followers Of Jefferson as hay
ns s having undone the fruits OF the Revolutionary
struggle Democratic theorists In TINS CouHt,E IN
Go1win conceived OF an almost Anarchist common
wealth in which, as the Socialist leader in Ger
many Herr Bebe put It. the OF OF things
What democracy in actual working in the most
democratic countries seems on the contrary: s 10
making for is very strong personal rune, "a s nndey
within the constitutional limits no count ana u1u ,
the ultimate sanction ana autnory oi ne Indeed q
rooted distrIst Of representative bodies seems TO be
al but universal IN an 5S9p hn Of the referendum
shows It TO have grown in Switzerland American ,nI1
be- Of a large body which has collective power y
less efficient and more likely 10 be open 10 coTrus
Influences than Is a single person chosen ad noe IN
Enrland we are not altogether escaping this ex-
perencc for It cannot be doubted that the authorg
81 Tho House OF Commons is not what II was during
rni1lje-class suffrage. But here II Is the Cabinet
witch Is gaining at the expense Of the House OF
Commons that Is . say collective body is party
s,perecdirg another the Premier not occupying any
comm andng position unless he Is commanding per-
sonal,ty. H., -.
Direct authority IN England is partially vei.ed ex-
cept IN the case Of the judge. You cannot ether
IN rotjons. or local matters put your finger on any
one irlrjauaI and say there Is the reai govern
ment Pvt in the Tinted states this II )ust wnai
car nc done alike IN Federal State and municipal
snars Al through me indiyidua: is clothed Win
he f. rosnonsihlo not TO elective BODY but TO the
community I, Is true That there has heen criticism
OF The nowers given the Mayor under the new char
ter but ON The whole. New-York seems 10 be con-
ten. what are the reasons for the divergence be-
tween English and American tendencies IN this re-
spacto WHY would nobody dream OF concerning