The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-07-20
FRIDAY, JULY 20. 1900.
PARTY POLITICS AND MUNICH
PALfTIES.

There IS a widespread view of municipali-
ties which regards them as large CONNER
cial concerns to be run solely for the bene-
fit OF t,ls citizens who may to that extent
De regarded as stockholders. This view of
tbs municipal government is not altogether
erroneous. and certainly would have saved
much loss and much peculation had it al
ways been followed. as rule, by the peo-
pie in electing their officers and by the
officers In administering their trusts.
But il is not sufficient 10 regard a city
solely as a stock company. It is more. It
IS an agency for carrying out the State
Jaws. so far as they concern cities, for the
city elects Its own officers. both the police
man who arrests the offender and the jus
tee who tries him. II elects its own judges
and 1t has, TO a Very large degree. the
entire control over its own taxes and in
ternal affairs. Now, in SO far as a city is
pure.y a private affair of the citizens, it
does not concern the rest of the State one
way another. and should b. ASSOCIATED
from all national politics. But. as is very
well pointed out in an article in the Inter-
national Monthly for June on Political
parties and City Government the city
is a large field in which the State political
parties are in honor bound to attempt to
carry out the laws which they have en-
acted in the Legislature, and therefore +he
great parties, Democratic and Republican,
are morally bound to attempt 10 control
the votes OF the city in order 10 make their
1zr-iSl eff To-
votes ara controlled for the purpose of en-
forcing, say, Prohibition laws, they will
doubtless be controlled for the purpose OF
putting in street cleaning officials that will
De of the same political party as the
judges and police justices. And so the cit-
zen who may or may not believe in prohi-
hition finds the question OF clean streets
mixed up with some other questions with
which il IS absolutely announcement
The writer OF the article in question,
Prof Frank J. Goodnow. of Columbia
University. makes the poin. that SO long
as the city is an fundamentally for carry
Ing out party legislation enacted in The
Legislature. it viii necessarily be expose to
tho intervention OF the party in affairs that
do not originate from different political
tenets. and for this reason Prof Goodnow
thinks that it is visionary to hope TO elimi-
nate party politics from municipal affairs
How deeply the affairs of great cities are
influenced by national politics IS we'll
fhown by the influence which Mr.. Croker
possesses in the Democratic councils CT this
country. II seems true beyond all perad-
venture that had Mr.. Croker allowed Sena-
tor D. B. Hill 10 take the position on the
platform committee 10 which Senator Hill
was entitled, both by his previous services
and by his natural ability, the specific dec
,aration for sixteen TO one would not have
appeared in the Democratic Platform. Had
tha: declaration been left out it would
haze been alleged by some Of MI. HIS op-
ponents that il was deep laid plot on the
part OF MI He'll 10 make such a platform
as would inevitably prevent Mr.. Bryan
obtaining The nomination for himself. That
IS one view of the case.
The other story comes from the Roches-
ter Herald, OF New York, and to the effect
that -dr. Croker kept Mir. Iiil of the plat
form NOT from any desire 10 wound Mr..
aiill's feelings. but from a deep laid plot
with the Republican party by which Mr..
Croker was 10 hep make a platform that
would eliminate a sreas number OF Demo
cratic voters BY forcing upon them an I'M
welcome issue. for which service Mr.. Plat.
was 10 agree not To JOIN with the Good
Government: people in New York this fall in
their effort 10 break down the nefarsous
Tammany r,ule. OF course, such q charge
as this IS we'll nigh Impossible 10 prove.
and vii! be believed o. disbeiiered according
10 a personal previous political utilization
and regard for Mr.. Croker. To us it seems
unlikely that such cordial relations exist
between Croker and Platt. Nor do we be-
l.evs thai the good Democrats in New
York. Ta,nmanyises though they be. would
- either foolish enough o. weak enough