The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-09
TOWN MEETINGS OF TODAY
IDEAL DEMOCRACY As IT rs ExKAE-
PLIFIED IN CONNECTICUT.

-Ourtoue Dual Form OF GOvernmo emit
In Some Places in the Nutmeg state.
Democracy In its simplest form was exempli-
fed In Connecticut on last Monday. when every
town in the State. with n few exceptions. held
its annual town meeting. at which officers for
the ensuing year were elected. the appropria-
lions for town expenses were made. the rate OF
tax was fixed, and other business that was
deemed eXpedient" was transacted. Switzer-
land Itself is no nearer an approach to the ideal
democracy than Connecticut. The meetings
In any OF the towns. from those of 500 inhabi-
tants to those OF 10000. were all that the most
rabid democratic Utopian could desire. At
these meetings the voters OF the town assem-
BILE and conduct the affairs Of the town them.
selves. The poorest. most miserable wretch
In the community feels It as incumbent on
him to attend this assembly as do the town
fathers themselves. and he never fails to take
advantage Of an opportunity to let those more
fortunatesones know that In the town meeting.
at least, he. is their equal.
On the first Monday In October in Connecti-
cut no man has n peer. The wealthy mingle
with the poor. the intelligent with the litter
ate. and all leRislate for themselves. On these
occasions sociability reigns supreme. Every
one seems to be imbued with a spirit Of broth
erly love and revels In the Joys OF equal rights.
1t is not at all an uncommon thing to see one
OF the most digniied men In a town good
naturedly slap a poor ragged fellow on the
back and ask him how the electionsis going.
and the ragged fellow takes 1t as the highest
compliment to know that such a dignitary
thinks It worth while to speak to him and for
the time being he feels that this is a pretty
square world. despite all that is said against It.
The town meeting is peculiarly a New Eng
land institution. but in Connecticut its sim
plicity is more strikingly apparent than else
where. Boston looked to the annual assembly
OF its voters for its local legislation for many
years. At last the town had grown so that only
a ridiculously small percentage Of her voters
could assemble in her largest building. Even
then the Bostonians chung to the old form OF
government with characteristic fortitude until
the town meeting became a ~travesty on govern
ment by the people. Then at last did Boston
reluctantly take upon itself a representative
form OF government, and, by the way. Boston
Is still alive. despite the fact that some ultra
town-meeting men predicted the downfall ofthe
Hub when a change In government was made.
In many towns in Connecticut the town meet
ing has already been outgrown. but 1t will be
many years before this method Of government
adopted by the colonial fathers is aboli shed.
The town meeting came will Connecticut.
and with it will live for many years to come. On
the first Monday in October the annual assem-
DJ 40 " AAVAN IA Z NSNNh ~ Nl0 SlobC Win
the exceptions Of Hartford. New Haven. Bridge
port. Naugatuck and Derby. 1t took many
years OF agitation before these towns shook
of the shackles Of colonialism. There are two
reasons why 1t is a difficult matter for a town In
Connecticut to assume a more up-to-date sys-
TEN Of government. One is the firm grasp
tradition has on the average Connecticut man.
and the other is the hold some office seekers
have on the voters. or course. in the smaller
towns the town meeting will always be in
vogue. 1t is in the larger towns. where the
double system Of government and also OF taxa
ton is i'll force, that there is now evident an
undercurrent OF discomfort with the condi-
ton of affairs.
This double system Of governmentis a very odd
arrangement, and is as ridiculous as it is odd. 1t
consists OF the thickly populated part of a town
being Incorporated as q city. The town gov
eminent goes on Just the same as formerly,
and the city government d~oes-well. a good
does. Under the township it would be impos-
sible for q community, of. say, 10000 popula-
There is the sewerage system. street pavement,
and a thousand and one other things to be
constitutional scope Of the se Iea Hsr.'V Who sre
the executive head Of the town. But then the
question arises. If the city, government is a
ment? When this is put the tradition man
will wax eloquent regarding the sacredness Of
cials and the would be town officials will pull
all the wires they can control and will work
Ilhc lIDJdlb " save lHlb 10TH. q government,
lived its usefulness.
to the the a1h5 sKssen q T SRerer are tWo Il tS Gnfin sets e
officials; with. one would say At first thought.
about the the sane work to do ~ There are IN tn,
course. the Collector Of Taxes. together with a
long string Of minor officials. while in the city
mon Council or Board Of Aldermen. or both.
look after the legislative functions, and there
There e'G are "a also n two taxes 8 'e In the as sprfnE tbs
town tax is due and in the fall the property
9Sn s9 o1 Tsestye il tR %d5lt tax see Slll tbd fr9 3Ps the the city city:
e rarely the case. The selectmen look after
ways outside the city limits. together with the
9a9pers. The streets within thn the city 66oun-
Gil. but in nearly every town an appropriation
is made. at the annual meeting sufficient TO pay
f f. mfII q Inn TINS he EXPENSE ssan tb on n, the tp Part tso%Hie the city cn{
are on very friendly terms.
The average taxpayer. however. cannot see
the necessity for this dual system. and it
must be confessed there is not much logic to
1t. There does not appear to be. a sufficient
grown its town government. It does not do
away with I entirely-and obtain a city, char;
the functions heretofore .devolying upon the
town officials. This change OF government |
would be simple, were it not for the reasons
found tradition spellbinders and there will
also be found a number of office seekers. To-
BbliiC -thty ulhluko " llSSCIN S II bldtuH uuO. |
In the five cities named the city and town
20 are consolidated and everything
goes along smoothly. The city government |
covers the entire town and the surplus officers
are dispensed with. as Is also the payment OF |
their salaries. In this way the taxes are some
what reduced. There is no double tax, which
is 80 Objectionable to many. 1t cannot be
said that any Of the cities that have become
consolidated are any the. worse for it. On the
other hand. the people living under the dual
system cannot become reconciled TO it and are
constantly grumbling. Consolidation must
ZONE through the Legislature. This accounts |
for the difficulty in realizing 1t; The Repre-
in the General Assembly are for the
most part In the same boat with the town off,
Gals, That iis, they are not In public office
for their health. They know that consolida-
ton means the cutting of OF many offices.
Hence enormous pressure has to be brought
TO bear before a community can bring Its dual
system of government to an end.
But to come back 10 the town meeting. 1t
is a picturesque feature OF American politics.
Since the secret ballot law has gone into eff
feet II has lost much OF its charm, but 1t is
still an interesting form OF government. At
. o'clock in the morning the meeting is called
the party in power; The moderator reads