New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-14
CITY GOVERNMENT.
poRMAN B. EAToN's PLAN TO shO
NoN-PARTIsAN RULE.

bout
-, 81 r,unicipal government reNoiNVs a.
- +b,,gs Every examination or eNist''e 00'
49, ,otr+s 10 them as the root or evil anu
-, de,,ce Of his ideal charter is calcui"'eO
40. merely for their regulation, out lot ''''
-u,ua+,or The break with every PRAGUE ''',
-. rrevails in the conduct OF America" -
.H-,,-t and complete. His ideas OF nun
..sh,n business administration anu "''' -,
= ~. no means new-they are ma
Nv, indeed. rather the commonplace "a
r,o,.ernroent Club argument-out the
49,, ~ securing them except by radioal "ie'''01'
&, 60 frankly faced and accepted tha' '"e -,
Inc structure may seem municipal Ne
"s ~, q nossible code for an actual peop'e'
,rhe nroblen that Mr.. Eaton has set i0' t,aA
-. e, ~ devise some machinery ny
-. ,oo6 practical administration "l"S
10 achieved but the desires ana 'noue
- oo,,rolling body OF electors chanseu d
ri. ,,ight seem to be an attempt 10
-. human nature which would require 'V
.A,,, more than a statute. or even ~,
.,,t,ora1 amendment Nevertheless MI LAW
.s,.,,s 3, NAV gradually. yet with reasohoo.e
-.,s,uoes he brought about by the sli'ip'7
.sa..,o, ~ the so-caNed free voting -
49,. rlan hitherto tried with good results
abroad and on a limited scale in some S"'''
towns here. notably in Pennsylvania
This free voting" system is intended 10 Dream
i"'S .,...to,e and secure minority
COW" p"' =. so.,,,ros tho election Of off,
represent '''" -. ,,,,ossiblitv OF ap-
GERS !" '"o0"' . .ho choice 81 single
pNlhE '"'' 49, o.+hor,s nrincipal rea-
Once % .,-a,t,. - the popular election Of
s''' oa,,,,,.o with large powers. and for
u" -, - q minority representing coun-
49, .b,er citv authority. charged with
~ -, -.,on.,or % MAYOR and other executive
...,o,s,hle 70 Il Instead of elect
.a,,onr,an from q small district.
9. 80 olect several from a considerable
.~,.or,. on common ticket IT, FOR instance,
.1-a 40 e,.e ~ he chosen. every elector VIII
$50 i've votes 10 cast. and he may distribute
them as he will. all five for one man. ''i 'o'
one and tvo for another, or one for each OF iiVe'
-rnn. a minority. by concentrating their vote.
can secure one or more representatives accord
,ne 10 their number whereas under the present
system they would have no voice al all ,"o
more than one-sixth Of the voters 'oU'u
one-ffth II the council and TWO more ina"
third two-ffths Consequently, a numerous
council such as Mr. Eaton proposes. party
chosen from the whole city and partly from
large districts. might represent all classes par
t,es and conditions. This system reinforced
hv laws making independent nominations easier
end hv the creation OF q public sentiment ad-
verse 70 National party interference In local
contests would. # seems 10 Mr.. Eaton Tree
the city from the domination or vicious eieme"'s'
The experience Of English cities which IN 'ne
Nrst quarter OF the century we're as badly gov
<-rod &c Ours are now. suggests that suca
eoto,,o NAV, No, he altorether hopeless. There
-. oor~.,,tion and intense craftsmanship
.,~,.,.s ,,rd.r aristocratic patronage. and the
-. 80 hon rae,,lariv I'm th. direction of
,r,,.-.e,r, ,,a ,eos nor turn from
800 10 declaring that good
Inc p'oD'o''- a., ,-,assit,o ,,.,tb universal
Guy 49,, s., 800. ,s the
outrage anu ''"' 90. ..os ,,,,,
municipal dictator WIN" '''