The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-01
MUNICIPAL REFORM
10 PURIFY CITY POLITICS
A Address by Samuel q. oApsn. Prsei-
dent OF the Boston Lsague-Nasionsi
Politics should Not Interfere
with City Affairr.

Indianapolis. Ind, Nov. 3o.-The sixth
conference OF the Municipal League be
q this afternoon In this city. The
organisation is representative OF many
municipal leagues. good citizenship
oeaEues and the like from all over tn
1country. state organizations are REP
resented. This is the most important
meeting of the league since h forma
zion Of the organization. Its purpose
ss 3 discuss what It regards as the nrst
essential of general municipal reform.
ehe model system OF government. RI
task of preparing such a system wa
undertaken by the organization at a
meeting IN Louisville in 1897. A com
mittee OF eve was appointed. charged
with the duty of preparing essential
principles" and working a plan or sys-
tenn consistent with American indus
trial and political conditions. The re
suit OF this work is a set OF general
state constitutional arrangements and
municipal corporation acts. which the
committee believe will accomplish all
that is sought.
Among the delegates are many distin-
guished students OF political economy.
who are known as advocates of a new
system OF municipal government.
! Charles Richardson. vice-president. II
presiding. After welcoming the dele
gates by Governor Mount and Mayor
Taggat, Secretary Clinton r. Woodruff
of Philadelphia read his annual report.
the subject OF which was The Advance
Move for Municipal Reform" DIR. l.. s.
Rowe. professor of municipal govern
! ment In the University OF Pennsylva-
mia. then presented the report of the
committee on municipal programme.
At the Propylaeum tonight the even
1ng session of the league was held. Be-
sides the delegates. there was a large
attendance OF local people. Among the
addresses delivered was on by Samuel
lB. Capen. president Of the Boston Mu-
knicipal league.
Samuel b. Capen. president OF the
Municipal league OF Boston, spoke
about The Final Work OF the Nine
teenth Century" He said In part:
The old contest for the integrity OF
che nation IL forever settled. The new
conflict In for purity in the government
of the great cities. the municipal units.
which so largely control the nation.
This IN the final work of the century
!. He called attention to the following
per1ls: Political indifference, the po-
litical boss. the concentrated power OF
great wealth. the prevailing idea that
the combination between the boss and
selfish wealth II SO strong that we
I, cannot destroy it-fancied helplessness
which is a form of atheism not to be
. tolerated for a moment: the tendency
: of the American people to worship
what IL vuigarly called smart with
\ out thought OF the morality OF actions;
the ignorance OF the average citizen
with regard to municipal matters.
What per centage OF our citizens have
ever read the charter of the city where
they reside. or have anything but the
most superficial knowledge OF our va
rious departments? Where there is
Ignorance there is always infinite peril
of q craftsmanship which goes blindly,
stumbling along. because IL knows
nothing better. What adds to the
peril In our great cities Is The lack OF
the conservative and restraining force
which exists In society where men
largely own their homes. The majority
now in our cities have Etle or nothing
at stake, and hence lack this motive
TO interest themselves In civic mat
tiers. And IL Is well to keep ever in
mind that the tendency to live I'm the
great cities. where these perils are
the greatest. ~ probably TO continue
In answering the question what are
the things TO be done 20 help complete
this dnai work OF the purifying OF our
municipal government. Mr.. Ca2en
said:
Teach everywhere. In the home and
IN the school, and from the pulpit
and the platform and the press. that
citizenship In a republic Is a sacred
trust. With the proper conception OF
citizenship as a trust we shall speedily
recognize the duties incumbent upor
us In fulfilling this trust. We shall
ask ourselves constantly. what Is best
for the community as a whole? Such
conception OF "a duty will lead US
to an intelligent interest in all public