New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-14

| Mayor. under
Eaton considers the embodiment 81 vicious par
,isanshin "a could be secured from proper
council The new charter was indeed, mos
imperfect but the chief trouble was the lack Oh
a sufficient non-partisan citizenship.
Mr. Eaton also has a tendency to secure soou
government much as French courts try cases
on general impressions Of right and wrong anu
without much regard 10 legal technicallues' re
! suggests that it is important that no parry
| boss. leader or agent should have any Iecos-
nized privilege or be allowed any participation
in connection with the naturalization OF foreign
ers" But a party boss or leader is not lh d
| class apart to be dealt with by special law lie
may be regarded moral leper perhaps out
until somebody's moral ntuitions take the place
Of legislation as the origin Of statutes, it is i'm
possible to compel party leader not 10 exercise
political influence or to refrain from promoting
naturalization. Writing in opposition to COM
pulsory voting. he declares 1T would be better
/ 70 fine the low politicians and party leaders who
| caused them Che low voteIs) 10 register and 10
Use the money thus collected 10 reward the vile
! voters who should have the shame and decency
n keen away from the polls" But who IS TO
decide which voter Is vile and which politician
low? Individual reformers have distinct i'm
pressons on the subject, but their prejudices or
intuitions are hardly legal evidence. Again
the same habit appears in discussing nomina-
ton certificates where argument IS made TOT
requiring few signers TO a certificate on the
ground that one signed by a few well known
and highly esteemed citizens would be not only
a basis for confidence. but q legitimate advan-
toee in every way" And II is also proposed
that as a precaution against bad faith. those
who sign a certificate Of nomination might he
required 10 state under oath that they believe
their candidate worthy Of the office for when
he Is proposed that they intend 10 vote for hl'l
and that they believe he Will receive say at
least one-ffth OF the votes cast for the office
Just what IS 10 be done when few unknown
or despised citizens make nominations is left 10
the Imagination. Perhaps they would not make
any and perhaps they would he required to
furnish double the number Of signatures needed
for a nomination by good men. As for believing
a nominee worthy" there was never a candi-
date so vile that his partisans We're not ready
TO take that oath, and also 10 swear to vote for
him. and TO predict that he would have not
merely one-hfth. but more than half ~ m" vote.
and be triumphantly elected.
such remarks az these are quite aside from
the main purpose OF the volume. which IS 10
make a careful scientific examination into the
problem Of city government with an eye 10 prac-
teal conditions and a regard for human nature
as 1t is and legal principles as they are The
plan 10 deal with an actual political situa-
ton. not 10 cherish Utopian dreams and intro
duce new state Of society. makes these defects
far more serious than they otherwise would be.
for they raise suspicious 81 the authors good
Judgment IN the formulation Of schemes which
otherwise seem practicable enough They put
the whole work unnecessarily I'm the air. Less
serious defects are mistakes Of dates and mis-
statement Of laws Mr.. Eaton's reiterated be-
lief that the Schieren and Strong reform move
ments in Brooklyn and New-York we're stimuli
taneous in 1894. when the former occurred In
1893. does not invalidate his arguments. Neither
does his statement that the new constitution
abolished our eight judicial districts and ere
atcd four departments, when in fact districts
and departments remain as before, though the
courts are partially reorganized in them.
Mir Eaton has written a book that IS difficult
TO read He has system Of divisions and sub
divisions Of numbered and suD-numbered para
graphs. in the most approved form Of scientific
method which is most confusing In actual IF
feet What rule Of logical division was followed
Il would puzzle the average reader TO find out.
Moreover. there 10 so much repetition Of ideas
that the book IL dnduly swollen. Nevertheless
/ q e q valuable contribution 20 the study Of
/ puViCiOal II
theories Every remedy proposed is one well
known abroad or advocated by other reformers
But Mr. Eaton has succeeded in combining
various propositions into one consistent whole
and has outlined a charter which. while widely
different from anything known IN the United
States does not in any way violate our funda-
mental ideas Of government. and does offer an
/ instrument apparently calculated 10 make non
nartisan administration easier Of attainment
He IS not led away, as some reformers have
/ heen by false theories Of home rule He recog
u,zes the State as the fountain Of authority,
with moral and legal right TO give or withhold
mower A plea for liberty to have bad govern
r,ent III enforced laws and open immortality
lust because city majority so desires has no toll
Grafton from him The Legislatures duty Is 10
secure the best city administration it can de-
wise whether II lets city voters elect mayors,
has Governors appoint them-as they did for
years IN this State-or intrusts local affairs 10
Board as in Washington. with the total aboli-
ton Of municipal suffrage The only test Is eX-
uediency Mr. Eaton believes in large powers OF
local self-government founded on proved ca
pacty 70 WELD them wisely. But he is free from
| the cant which has for years obscured the sub
| iect Otherwise he could hardly have cut out
| from his scheme the popular election Of mayor
| and substituted election hy tho council That
would be no gain with such councils as We now
| have But with such councils as AIr Eaton
thinks could be secured by free voting" a great
advance would be made Thus free voting" s.
the cornerstone OF his system Home rule. length
Of terms. powers n officials everything are
mere details Of his plan II voting Will give
us the night kind Of rulers There must be
several rulers to give minoritles a chance. Bur
4 6oa 4
the success Of this primary method ~ constitut-
ing a government and the problem is solved
The weak point Is that nobody can tell how FAR
the politicians could manipulate minoriuos az
Well as majorties. Yet in spite Of that too
threatening possibility. the scheme is an at