Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1900-04-21
YOUNG men ENTER The MUNICIPAL
DISCUSSION.
Continued from page ~

But our party organizations are new
er educative forces. They run with the
tide of popular sentiment; they never
pause to ask the question, rs it
right?" Leaders of the party machine
never take up an issue, unless they
think they can win a majority through
such issue. They do not follow Henry
Clay's principle: Il would rather be
right than be President" The Offices
are the objective point Of party activ
ity. In Great Britain, as well as in our
own nation, great political reforms
have resulted from the campaigns of
education, in which clubs, Independent
or party organizations, have conducted
at different periods.
Non-PnrtisoDs Ineffec tive.
believe however, that, here and IN
this our formative period, these clubs.
in order to be most effective, should be
partisan organizations. ! have nevc?
been a hide-bound, knuckle-close par
tisan; but the result of my experience
Is, that non-partisan organizations are
short-lived and ineffective. They are
spasmodic and iconoclastic, non-insti-
tutional and constructive. In times of
great public excitement, arising ont 81
some extraordinary official malfeas-
ance, some reckless abuse of power, or
shameless corruption; and when all the
large party organizations blindly mis-
calculate or ignore public sentiment.
partisan movements succeed for 4
time. as In the election of Mayor
Strong, in New York. and Mayor
Schieren, in Brooklyn. But even In
New England towns where the highest
percentage of intelligent and indepen-
dent character Is found among the cleo
torate, 1t is impossible to carry ru non
partisan municipal organizations. II
may be perfectly correct ideal way
Of managing the affairs of city; but
nowhere in any American cities has II
ever succeeded, because as Washing
ton says, the party spirit unfortunately
Is inseparable from our nature.
At certain eventful periods in muui-
cipalities, citizens organize non-parti.
san clubs. because they feel that their
parties have fallen under the contro'
Of corrupt leaders. But they have
themselves to blame for tho deganer.
acy of their party organi sations. They
rail AGAINST the Boss" but they arc
too blind to see that he Is the creature
of their own inactivity. Everywhere
under our form of government, there Is
provided the local meeting for tho
election Of delegates to nominating
conventions, or the primary election
ut which citizens vote direct for thc
persons whom they wish to represen'
them, either in nominating c0nven
tons, or on party tickets. II, instead
of remaining at home. and leaving tn
field to the Boss" men of characte
and intelligence would go into thei
neighborhood meetings, or attend thei
primaries, they would make themselve
felt: they would elect as delegates L
nominating conventions reliable an
patriotic men; they would nom:nat
for Offices men whose character am
capacity would stand as guarantee
that the government would he honest
ly administered. For after all, villa
7 Pope says Is true:
{ For forms Of government let fool
, contest;
What's best administered Is best"
II one half the energy and wisdom
e Seth Low, had been expended With
the party, the probabilities are thu
that master Of municipal science woul
now be Mayor Of Greater New York.
Clubs As Aids.
Instead of making Independent aom
j nations, municipal leagues can al