The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-31

MUNICIPAL MIsGOVERNMENT.
Mayor Harrison Of Chicago writes inter-
estincly ia the Philadelphia Saturday
Evening Post on 1.-THE lIissovernmeut Of
the Modern CIV" II would probably not
be "a literally correct summary of his ar
! tele to say that he believes the people of
! cities have such government as they de
| serve; but he comes very close to *
! pressing that opinion. Public apathy lie
declares is the root Of official mismanoEe-
ment and dishones .y LEGISLATURES win
not be honest in the face OF public apathy.
and Governors VIII not touch the public
pulse If its beat is indisuncu nor will
mayors respect public criticism III it is
confined merely 10 the mounting Of parad-
ing reform Organizations TOO often de-
vised 20 conceal the VOLTS head under the
skin of the lamb
The fountain head Of municipal govern
meut. Mayor Harrison says, IS the legis-
latuIe Leading avs for the government
Of ciues are made there. Every state has
At least one great city, financial and com
mercial center This municipality is re-
sarded with strong sentiments of prejudice
vote Is necessity when municipal mat
tiers are pending IN the House or Senate"
This rural legislator Is always prepared
10 believe the worst said % the municipal
ity." and it is his desire TO shift as much
of the burden Of taxation upon the city as
he can possibly escape from. whether that
shifting be just or not" This legislator is.
therefore, ripe" for the Vaccinations Of
the promoter of bills against the best in
torests of The municipality. Corrupt acts,
or acts inimtcal TO the good of the city,
may be passed by the legislature ana
transmitted 70 members Of the municipal
government chosen by much the same
methods which prevail in the election Of
legislators. Indeed. It may be that the
legislators who put the bills through the
legislature and the municipal officials TO
whom the acts are transmitted are invo,v-
ed with each other in political schemes
for mutual benefit, or in the interest of
corporations.
The electorate-the people-do not 'ook
closely enough after their own interests,
says Mayor Harrison. They permit schem-
ers to manage their affairs notwithstand-
ing the magnitude of interests involved
He draws a comparison between the aver
age corporation and the average munich
palty. The corporation concerns itself
with respect to the moral character of its
managers. "If the taxpayers manifested
as much concern in the moral character of
their rulers as the corporations do he
says. lit would be next TO impossible to
corrupt men VINO hold office" But in
the case Of the municipal office it is often
question of chow many votes can he
control?" rather than of a candidates fit
ness and moral character Again, the cor
poraton official is well paid while the av-
erage municipal official is in-paid and
hold his office for a short uime-seldom
longer than two years. This being true,
''the successful candidate, unless of more
than ordinary caliber feels that it is an
impossibiity for him to master the details
of his official work during the period of his
term. and that, therefore, he should bend
his energies 10 making all the money he
can out Of his position in order to recon-
pense him for his loss of private business
during the time he is removed from it on
account of the office" The Mayor asserts
that it is an Immoral proposition TO ask
the ordinary man to care faithfully for
millions of public money and property on
two-year term of Office and a picayune
salary"
Mayor Harrison. however, does not regard
the problem of municipal government as
being an abstruse one. He says that it is
as simple as A b c. when those who form
the foundation of that government refuse
TO act until they see A rule he lays
down is this: Let the taxpayers take as
deep an interest in the life and acts of the
rulers as the corporation does, or the pri-
vate individual with an ak to grind, and
all the power of gold cannot keep officials
from being honest to the people, their
oath and their God