The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-12
M YORS
OF Many Brit
ish Cities
WEAR RICH ROBES,
And Titles and Royal Fa-
vor Come Their Way.


tons, the voters at municipal elections
in the cities of Great Britain and Ire
land, have to decide each year at the
polls issues similar to those that are
to be passed upon by the voters of
Worcester on Tuesday The burgesses
(as those entitled to the municipal
franchise are called), elect their alder
men and councilmen by wards, and the
all important controversies which go
to the enlivement of a city campaign
in the "old" countries are pretty much
the same ae those which agitate the
public mind each recurring December
on this side of the Atlantic.
The important exceptions are the
election of mayor and license question.
Across the water, a mayor is not chosen
outside the membership of the city
government. He must be either an
alderman or a member Of the council,
and he is chosen for the Office of chief
magistrate by the votes Of his corpor-
ate associates. The general mass of the
voters have nothing directly to do with
electing the mayor, save only so far as
their choice of aldermen and council
men may affect the election. The
mayor is elected for a term of one year.
He is paid a salary generous enough to
enable him to support the dignity of his
position but civic dignity comes high
with our transatlantic cousins, and
precious little has the mayor of his sal
airy when his year of office is ended.
He is supposed to head every sub
scription list that the charitable public
sees fit to inaugurate, and the different
local charitable institutions expect sub
at regular seasons of the year. Then
his official regalia costs him a nice
purse of sovereigns, though it is
whispered secret in the civic circles of
some cities that the splendid scarlet
cloak with it's rich and costly trim
mings, and the imposing Napoleon hat
of beaver, have been known to descend
in the line of official succession, some
what in the way thai heirloomS come
down from one generation to another
in proud ancestral families, except
that a little monetary consideration
enters into the succession. There are
times, however, when a mayor has to
go to the expense of a complete outfit
of official robes all made for himself,
as for instance when a man of dnninu-
tive proportions gets the office, and he
finds that the two or three mayors be-
fore him were men twice his size. Then
bargain, and a fashionable tailor has
to be called into consultation.
The question of license is not an ele-
ment in municipal contests. This for
the reason that there is no local option
regime and license" prevails in all
the cities and towns without interrupt
ton year after year A few years ago,
getting a few of the liberal leaders
committed to the local option idea. and
these leaders made speeches in favor
of giving it a trial. But the next gen
eral election showed those statesmen,
notably Sir William Harcourt, who lost
his seat for Derby wholly on that ac-
count, as he declared himself, that it
is mighty dangerous business f6f any
political party or leaders of it to
| monkey with John Bulls beer"
So every year there is license and the
only revenue derived from the business
! is the small internal revenue tax of
few pounds, which goes directly into
the imperial treasury; the municipal
cash box does not receive one penny.
The granting of the licenses, which are
every year renewed, except when the
police authorities show good cause for
non-reneWal, is in she hands of the
recorder. The result of this system is
! that the liquor license issue never
arises in municipal politics, and the
free and Independent voter marks his
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