The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-24
mIs1AKEs or REFoRMERs.

city, who has some reputation himself as
a reformer. has in the Independent an
article on the MISTAKES ~ Professional
he has reference to those "well-mea ming
but narrow minded men who are con-
stantly agltating for the correction of
political or social conditions in large
cities" They go about their self-im-
posed work with much clustering and
laundering. They are forever against
something; never for anything Their only
policy is destruction; their platform is
denunciation.'' Mr. Coler asserts that
the science of government or finance is
to them as a closed book. They know
nothing of the problems with which they
undertake to grapple. but imagine that
any opinion conceived by them is infalli-
BILE. These professional reformers AFRO
gate to themselves the title of "the better
element and seek to force the commu-
nifty to their way of thinking Their in
tentions are good, beyond all doubt, but
Mr.. Coler says they make the fetal mis-
take at the start of stirring up the pol
luton below the surface of the municipal
pool before they have made arrangements
for draining off all of the contaminated
water and replacing it with a pure and
fresh supply. When, with sticks and
poles, they have turned some of the pol
tuition to light and scattered the poison,
they "retire to the safe seclusion of their
individual responsibility, leaving the dis
condition"
In some of the great cities the very
name of reform has come to be regard
ed as the synonym of bigotry and intol-
erance "a reputation fatal to the best eff
forts of the wisest men," 1.-The blue laws
of Puritan New England and the intol-
erance of the egotistical virtue of the
Pharisees," continues the Controller, "can
never again be successfully enforced or
peacefully endured in the great cities of
America, where all races, creeds and So
ciai conditions largely represented
in the population, and each is a political
factor strong enough to command con-
sheraton The reformers who would
make their own standard of personal vir-
tue the public standard, and limit per-
sonal liberty to their own horizon of UNI
reasoning Intolerance. are so many
stumbling blocks, delaying the real i'm
pnovement of political and social condi-
tions in large cities" Personal liberty
without license, should be preserved and
extended. rather than suppressed. Ill
advised attempts to suppress or restrain
legitimate personal liberty will inevita-
bly, result in failure.
When professional reformers enter pol
itics, Controller Coler says, they present
platforms built of stale platitudes which,
reduced to their substance, mean some
thing like this: 1--WE would suppress
gambling and the social evil, enforce all
Sunday laws, make the city. good and
virtuous by force. reduce expenditures
and taxation, and conduct the public
business honestly and economically"
Commenting on this platform Controller
Coler says: 1.-The first three propositions
are impossible to very large extent I'M
til human nature itself is changed. The
absolute enforcement of the Sunday law
is not desired by nine-tenths of the popu-
lation. The fifth is absurd, and the others
may mean anything or nothing. therefore
the entire platform ~ the professional
reformer is a mistake, or q mass of I'M
reasonableness and impossibilitdes."
Constructive and intelligent reform
moves slowly and surely along well-de-
fined lines. 1t does not become hysterical
or spasmodic. 1t understands what II
wishes to do and the means to be en-
ployed, before It attempts an undertake
ing. 1t provides for a pure water supply
before It stirs the pollution from the bot
tom OF the pool Economy in city gov
eminent does not necessarily imply
spending less money. Any business house
can reduce it's expenses but 1t is not al
ways good policy to make such reduction
True economy is in getting the best value
for money expended. and not in spending
the least possible amount True reform
must be constructive, not destructive. II
must be positive force. not a negative
force II must be broad minded, not mar
row and intolerant. It must dominate
! by reason, and not by force For a re-
form movement to be attended with COM
plete success II must be broad enough
to embrace all the vast and complicated
interests that must be wisely managed in
order to produce better citizenship as
well as better politics and cheaper gov
eminent"