The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-06
the Texas statute to find something entirely adequate
to its purposes.
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ONE MANS EXPERIENCE.

Inc disagreement of Il Modern City" is the
ttle OF an article contributed by Mayor Harrison of
chicago, recently to the Philadelphia Evening Post
IL Is such contribution to the literature of munich
PAL government as must provoke thought the part
OF all who read it, whatever be their politics
1t IS the fashion among certain class of political
society as well among that great class numarcal
~ who, without being willing to even Inconvenience
themselves in the betterment public affairs ara
ever ready with their criticisms of public officials
to denounce such men as Mayor Harrison as ready
to yield all to the influence corruptonsts and Of
hceseekers in politics. The article in question gives
the lie efectually to such views, and reveals Chi
Cages mayor as man with the highest conceptions
OF pubic duty, engaged every hour struggle with
the degrading influences which prevail in the no.
htlcal life of every great American city.
Mayor Harrison opens his article with this nror
nant sentence: Il confess that after more than two
years management of the affairs of the most raDdIr
growing municipality in this country fear for the
character Of future municipal government if edu,
cation Of the masses does not progress more rapidly
than it has" He proceeds to point out that lcgis
latures will not be honest in the face of public
apathy; that governors will not touch the public
pulse II It's beat be indistnct, and that mayors win
not respect public criticism which is confined ia
tnoSe VINO are continually mouthng about reforms
and attempting nothing that is practical or pactic
aDe. lie draws a striking contrast between the
principles which prevail in the selection of their
agents by private and public corporations respect-
lively. private corporation hires it's leading CONN.,
sci from among the ablest men available in his call.
ing and pays him often more than five times the
amount which the public corporation paws for tina
services of its chief legal adviser 1t makes his Do
sition depend upon his ability and efficient conduct
While the public corporation makes it's selection Of
us counsel as does Of its other officials on cOnsider
ations depending conditions which have littIe+s
nothing to do with his ability or honesty The pub
lie official is chosen only for term which barely
enables him to master the details of his official work
before the term expires and he is called on either
to withdraw or to such influences for his reten-
ton in position few really competent and self
proposition" says Mayor Harrison, "to ask the Or
binary to faithfully for millions Of public
money and property on a two years term of Office
and pcayune salary"
Men like Mayor Harrison take the material at
their hands and make the most of it. They do not
Sulk and say the uncleanliness of it all too much
for them, and contemptuousy turn away from the
task which their citizenship their individual am
blti0ns, as the case may be, imposes on them. For
doing this they are abused and other good patriotic
and self-sacrifcing men feel warned to keep away
from the public service as involving individual loss
pecuniarily and in selfrespect and as presenting
no tangible opportunity for doing good.
The masses will not educate themselves in such
matters They must be educated; and unless men
of the stamp of Carter H. Harrison are sustained I'm
what efforts they put forward, however slight the
tangible results may appear to be- the prospect Of
improvement in our standard of municipal admin
istration must grow more remote time passes