The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-11-10

would be to get nd OF the illusion, to beoi,
with. that the members Of Congress, vh.a
sitting on committees. are engaged IN
national legislation In the common sem.
Of the term. They are no more engaged
In national legislation than a County Cour
Judge Is; they are really engaged In thu
judicial or semi-judicial sitting OF evidencs
and in administrative recommendation,
or suggestions.
"In order, therefore, TO let the light full,
in upon the committee rooms, they should
be turned into judicial chambers, and,
instead Of a dozen or more members ali.
ting around a table. admitting or r~ejectins
evidence as they choose. and giving 10 il
Just what weight they choose. let them ii,
as a jury TO hear the evidence on both side.
presented and argued by opposing counsel
as In any other court Of law. with the door,
open, the Press cooking on and REPORTING
the pI oceedings or not az the case NAV bs
This alone would 60 a long way in keepin,
the report on the bill In a line with the real
weight Of the evidence, and for very de-
cency would make members pause. Tn.
consequence would be that the bills now
brought in-three out OF every four ~
which are ~strangled without being reported
upon, for fear OF the veto OF the Presiden,
would be still further reduced in mum.
Der; and 30 the extra time required bv tho
new arrangement would be more than
compensated by the lessened amount O,
work TO be done"
As for the State Legislatures, our author
would have the people of a given Sta,s
continue TO pack such legislative measure,
as they are fully agreed upon into their
State Constitution, where they will remain
beyond the reach of the Legislature until
such time as the light has been fully let IN
upon the latter by means similar TO thos,
which AVE been suggested in the case Of
Congress.
Leaving Congress- and the State lAgs.
latures, Mr.. Crozier comes 10 the consider.
alton of the State Judges and the Judges
Of the cities. Here again he finds that
the old and rotten plank in American po.
litical platforms-the mania for Utopian
Equality-has worked much mischief. BE.
tween 1912 and the outbreak Of the Civil
War. when this passion for equality burned
most fercely, the appointment Of these
Judges, which. until then, with a single
exception, had been In the hands Of the
Governors Of the States or of the State
Legislatures, or OF the Governors with ne
consent OF their councils, was transferred
10 the hands OF the People themselves,
in nearly all the States, and, instead Of The
old tenure for life or during good behavior,
the office, except in three or four STATES,
was granted only for an average Of from
eight to ton years" The author goes On
70 note that -these Judges are in most
cases miserably and inadequately paid;
they are not drawn from the highest ranks
OF the bar; are often nominated by bosses
and rings. on whose good graces they have
then to depend for their reelection; and,
although kept wonderfully straight by tic
influence Of the FederasCourts which exist
beside them, by the Bar and by public
opinion. they are, nevertheless, an add
tional element favoring instability. cor
ruption or vulgarity in tho State Here
again, however. Mr.. Crozier thinks that
the remedy is obvious. and scarcely needs
pointing out, namely, to make the Office
more dignifcd and respectable by select
ing the best men and paying them better
salaries: TO let them be again appointed
by the Governor OF the State. with or with
out the concurrence of the Legislature or
Council: and. above all. 10 do what nothing
but the mania for equality or a prefer
natural fear Of tyranny could have undona.
namely, to let the tenure Of their Office be
for life or during good behavior. as Il used
10 he.
Thus Ia Mr.. Crozier brought at last 10
the marsh AZ the foot Of the mountain.
namely. 10 the ~corruptions OF city govern
ment and 10 the more notorious despotism
Of the Boss and the Ring. upon which orr
author has enlarged in the seventh chapter
OF the second part Of this volume. Here,
again. he contends that only a minimum -
organic change In existing institutions Is
necessary, all that IL wanted being, frs' 20
le, in the light Of public opinion on a ma
chinery which. although ustenslbly uIsV
to the light. L., PRACTICAL y In almost total
darkness. secondly, To stop the eternal
rot6 ton 81 the election wheels, a r0'a' %
which har the same binding effect ou no
electors a. darkness, aud, thirdly ~ poe
lease the indIyidual. o. all muHlcipa. aNtFs
from those Federal party ties which con TO-.
him IN this darkness 20 march 20 The s
and Ia vote for whateveT lIsis ~ card
dates the boss a. the head ~ the Fe1enl
partv organization Ia the city ,hposs, .'
nominate. Holding fact 10 thu" '''e-
principles, Mr. Crpzier think iit' ""
should tegin our OIsfauons bN 'Af.H Z
down IA" walls 81 the innumsrahIe l.~
aud-pornor nominating booths o. 'he 'as
IGrlors - public houses ami 'I-"' a''.
a. the doors ~ which IA. bose. hy station
a small contingent ~ his ragged r-gu-r'-
Uust sufficient 10 turn the polling BOO 70
- his own nomins-sD T. enabled IE" one
other Napoleon, "a cOnquer ih' 90" n
general 10y c~onquerins n hnt Co., d''a'
le' tlis walls ~ These election rrnk"fls- r.
thrown down 40 that the Ugh % I.."
Opinion may fall full and fuel 900 fH. v. "
voting ara 10 ths end -tl' r.H.a'
- the Ity Iounoil. Instead - -I ..r
nAtst separately hy IA. littlr WHnI U..r
should H. nominated in twu uIIs-l'' .H. .
10 tho whol. city after hAttng .lf ''s.
u"iT r-tsCtiN. programme a. %
MunlciIal and MOI. a. ~ pIr-e
fsi"rsl I1uy tasis We ar' f.Il
that thu dif.frnus- i.i - o.l u.rr l"Is
sus~ having 40 LsarnE s'ar.
Munt1I~l n.eds ~ uAks then 'f fa
huntriIal politics - cnnffslnIUF
suft.s and 10 80 tlosi sl snd tslFira
az N ussh Ssf. sunuuslF g. Fl
.ho~ ttnu lac y.fs 90 usIr 81
bl he uulH - tlsou lAu
Tie t=ftsf a. snnfa he dl..TUs
niuy~l from t.fnfal Iaub
suflsuf suuld iaw 'us fs
~nl.fstsli snd 81 . dinsf'If HH
fuaf siah 4. kUsl uuf -
siuia thw lSsislsi ufu - 10
be ntsiIH~t 49, IHifs leo
lsa-s slhfYld H. fusst "H'