The Portland daily press., 1899-01-19

The New York Post administers very
cold comfort to the taxpayers of that city
who are now complaining of the high
cost of lammany government. IL re-
minds them that "they would not take
the trouble when tbs consolidation
scheme was first proposed to exert them
selves for its defeat" that ''they wer,
equally indifferent and iethargic when
the new charter was pending; that
when the consequences Of putting into
the hands Of Croker the government
Of the new city was held up to them, they
were still too careless of their own In
terest to bring about Cookers defeat. "
In short the Post tells them that II they
are now sweating under high and In
creasing tax rate they have only them
selves to blame. This Is doubtless true.
We could wish that 1t was true only of
New York. But there is scarcely NUM-
people of which are not suffering more or
less in consequence of their own In
difference and inattention to public
affairs. Maine is not free from 1t GER
tainly, neither 10 the county Of Cumber-
land nor the city of Portland. A strik-
ing piece OF evidence OF how little in.
fluence the majority of the people OF
Maine of high character and excellent
financial and social standing really exert
in public affairs was contained In the
reply of the Speaker of the House of Rep
resen tatives made to the gentleman who
pre- sented petition signed by hundreds
of well known business men recommend
inv his appointment ON a a certain com
mittee-"1hese people have no influence
with me-" Yet these people were all of
them people of character and standing
and many of them very influential In
commercial and industrial affairs. Had
the business in hand been anything but
the public business their names would
have had great weight. But they had
none, or none as compared with i've
gentlemen whom he named, because he
knew that the most OF them were not &C
tive in politics and could be safe
| ly ign ored in matters political.
| II the two hundred gentlemen
whom he ignored had been In the habit
of turning out at cauouses and getting
Others to turn out, and quite as strenuous
to see that pub lie affairs were managed
according to their views rs the 1--WE men
were to see that their wishes were given
heed to does nybody suppose that the
two hundred would have 'cut no
ice" with the speaker 1t makes very
little difference what the business Is,
L., M uffatrE nf "a
municipality. or of a bank, or of FAC
tory il the great majority OF the people In
interest give 1t no attention 1t must
necessarily get into the hands OF few
and gradually be run in way 20 suit
this few. The Indifference of the average
citizens is very largely responsible for the
existence of the boss which he is wont to
denoun ce so vigorously. Public affairs
must be attended to by somebody and II
tho people whose duty it is TO look after
them will not do SO they have not much
ground for complaint If they fall into the
hands of persons whose first consideration
In their management is not always the
public welfare. All the charters and
checks and regulations that human In
genulty can devise cannot offset the indit'
ference of the citizens. When we consider
how hard it IL to get the attention even,
of the average citizen to IA matter that
affects him as a member of the common
wealth only and has no bearing on any
special interest of his the wonder Is, not
that .here is some bad government, but
that there is so much which is good. /.