New-York tribune., 1901-06-19
coLER HITS REFoRMERS.
THE CONTROLLER SAYS THEY ARE MAR
ROW MINDED AND DON'T KNOW
WHAT THEY'RE TALK
ING ABOUT.

finder the caption. Mistakes Of ProfesslohaA f'e
formers Controller Bird :. Coler has an arucie iA
this weeks independent" Tie applies tle term
..professional reforners" 10 those We'll meaning
hut narrow minded who are constantly asl'a,-
ing for the correction OF political or socla4 c"lu
tions IN large cities" According 10 Mr. Coier uh'g
are always against something, never for ahyli'iHs
Their only policy Is destruction, their PLATFORM -
denunciation. and the science Of government OF
finance is 10 them q closed book. Mr.. Coler says
that at the outset such rcformers make a iata ms
take. A slight disturbance al one polht mas re-
vealed 10 them the fact that the water OF d ioo'
Is foul and unclean They promptly seize STICKS
and poles and disturb the pollution below the SUI
face turn some Of il up TO the light scatter the
poison then retire the safe seelusion OF IN
di,idual respectabiity leaving the disturbed water
10 settle back 10 its former condition. lie con-
rinues thus:
Constructive and intelligent reform would leave
face while IL devised a complete and practical
the entire pool by draining out the poison and by the
Introduction Of pure and fresh water. The political
worst feature. and municipal government is never
suecessfny reformed or peTmanehiIy l, III lh9prOESa 9,
ment. corruption IN another intelligence IN one
board Ignorance in another and class the govern
ment as a whole as fair or medium To improve
city government II must be improved as a whole
slow II il is enduring but ii must extend all along
the line Gain a litte this year li,tle more next,
but keep gaining and let no feature OF the system
be neglected in the general betterment
With show the name OF reform IN
the government 81 the great cities OF this country
has come 10 he regarded as synonymous with
best efforts Of the wisest men. The Blue Laws OF
Puritan New-knglan4 ana the intolerance ot me
successfully enforced peaceably endured IN the
great cities OF America. where an races creeds and
social conditions are SO largely represented in the
population, ARD each Is a political factor strong
who would make their own standard of personal
virtue the public standard and limit personal lib
erty 10 their own horizon of Unreasonng intol-
erance. many Stumbling blocks delaying the
in large cities. Personal liberty without license
must be pTeserTea ane eXiSnGed ra{aeF y Ih2n sun
population and voting strength in every large city,
and in advised attempts 10 curb or suppress that
dangerous TO good order and fatal 10 good govern
The professional reforniers; when they enter
politics present platforms built Of stale pautSGes
like this: we would suppress gambling ana me
s- " 49, ~,ar 5itt,rs - "a - ,.,attor ND cor-
ii Sesiy1 ts Pu0i' business honestly 'h' ''onoin-
The first three propositions are Impossible 10 a
very large extent until human nature itself is
changed The absolute enforcement Of the sunday
law is not desired by nnetenths OF the population
thing or nothing; therefore the entire platform
mass of unreasonabeness and impossihilties
ssi m Tsducing taXes and eTpenses e The true
economy in municipal business consists in getting
duces expenses and taxes may be IN the end in
extrayagaut but good value in the expenditure
OF money. The policy OF reduction is purely mega
tive policy. Any large business house can reduce
us expenses, but ii is not always good business
10 do so
In the city Of NeW-York. be more definite. there
are some features and departments Of city govern
ment where the mere reduction OF expenditures
would be foolish, if not criminal. A city with vast
natural resources. public franchises and utilities
that can be converted into profitable investments
cannot AFFORD 10 be hampered in development by q
mere unreasoning decision TO spend less money.
y True reform must have constructive aul pro-
Eressve policy. The educational interests Of
city Ike Newly Ork must not be managed upon
basis of merely saving money IN the budget. The
parks, museums. art galleries and libraries might
as well he closed administered the principle
OF spending less them from year 10 year.
And the great charities OF the city-rhe never
ending night the humanity, ever
pouring out Of crowded habtations and the mills
OF unfortunate enVironment-tO save that humanity
while II is young and train il into material for
Intelligent ctizenshY-there 5 a field for true re-
form task for the combined effort Of constructive
statesmanship and broad philanthrOphy The re-
torm tnat viii succeed must be a movement with a
broad and liberal policy for building up a mere
negative iOrce 10 stop progress in order 10 show
smaller expense account. II must be a move
ment broad enough 10 embrace an the vast and
complicated interests that must be wisely man
aged In order 10 produce better citizenship as well
as better politics and cheaper government The
spirit OF Intolerance and narrow minded economy
n