The San Francisco call., 1899-07-01
NEGLECT OF POLITICAL DUTIES.

q CORRESPONDENT Of the Edinburgh Scots
| ! man makes the corruption disclosed in New
York by the Mazet Committee the foundation
for sermon The failure of municipal government
in the United States The Tammany administration
in New York, he maintains, is worse than that OF
other large American cities. and perhaps so bad
that in Chicago, where the citizens were recently
compelled to bring the city authorities to terms by
threatening to lynch them.
While the argument is not altogether fair and the
conclusions such could be drawn from the evi-
dence only by foreigner, and will not receive the
sanction OF Americans. there is much in the article
that merits consideration. 1t is sometimes worth
while to ourselves others see us, and that is
particularly true with respect municipal politics.
department OF our public life in which every ntelli-
gent man recognizes that reform is necessary
The correspondent OF the Scotsman attributes the
evils of municipal government in the United States
not to form of administration, not to universal
suffrage not to a corrupt condition OF society but to
the neglect OF the larger portion OF the people pay
due attention municipal affairs To that extent his
conclusions will be indorsed by most Americans
themselves: We may admit that our cities are ad-
ministered much, il any, worse than those Of lands
where there is not so much in the way of criticism,
but all will agree there would be Improvement all
taxpayers performed their full share of political duties
In commenting on this phase of the subject the
critic says there four classes OF people in American
cities so distinct almost constitute separate
worlds-"one living public plunder another la
borously devoting itself altrusn third attending
exclusively to business, and fourth, as everywhere,
floating through life the wings OF pleasure But
it is only at election times that the philanthropstS
the men of business and the people of culture and
leisure take hand in the game of politics. and then
they prove themselves such novices that the bosses
and their myrmdons lead them whittier they will
Over and over again they have tried independent
movement but the result has always been either dire
failure or temporary success followed by relapse
into still lower depths of municipal depravity. Nor
is the cause Of this far seek 1t is to be found in
the complicated machinery which has grown up in
connection with the administration of public affairs
and particularly in connection with the choice of pub
lie representatives The result is to make rdepen-
dent action next to impossible.
However prone we may be to resent foreign cr-
csm the essential soundness OF that statement is not
be denied. 1t is, moreover. OF timely interest to
the people of San Francisco by reason of its peril
nence to the approaching municipal campaign Here
as elsewhere independent have been tried
and have failed A good government be obtained
only through an organized party and in the cond-
tons now prevailing be obtained only through
the Republican party 1t therefore behooves our ct
zens to bestir themselves at and make sure Of
good nominations the Republican ticket The
bosses can be beaten and will be beaten If the tax
PAYERS of San Francisco attend to their political duty
with vigor and promptness.