New-York tribune., 1902-12-22
GOVERNMENT BY IDEAL.

To the Editor OF The Ir1Dune.
Sir: There are several phrases in current use ex-
pressiye OF the power by which government rules,
government by the crown. government by the
majority government by injunction But there
Is one force which is not yet clearly defined In the
minds OF people, and that Is government by
ideal
Honest men sometimes wonder why certain Of
our leaders have been severely in earnest against
Tammany. Their language has sometimes sounded
almost virulent. If could get the thought de-
fined I believe should find that the ground Of
complaint is that Tammany government is a gov
ernment without an ideal So far I recall it
has never invented phrase suited to stir the
nober feelings OF humanity in civic relations.
Its ideaIity is
There are two forms OF the civic ideal one OF
which may, for the purposes Of argument, be de-
scribed as the physical IDEAL According to this.
our wants are simple. We want well paved streets
and want them kept clean. We want well built
houses. admitting full supply OF light and air.
and no rear tenement houses We want a good
supply Of pure water and good sewerage system
We want adequate supplied OF good food and fuel
and an effective transportation system; we want
a vigi1ant board Of health to protect physical
0rdeg This A9 is perfeay Tsai w dened deal
There is equally well defined belief that Tam
been felt that IN so far as Tammany carried out
these wishes i did so under the pressure OF an i
every one OF these items Tammany would let down
the st4nddrG II II CUuiu + pt t S S I, o Iai is
II is a party without ideals This alone is enough
convict it-that il does not even have physical
ideal.
But that is not the whole story. 1t has been
proved again and again that physical ideal was
ever long sustained except by the force Of an
other and higher ideakthe personal ideal OF civic
building if it were house community OF clever
rogues The chief value Of any administration is
not to show Eyabls town, but group or high
minded 1neu in charge of affairs. We want in our
who know mat personal honor means, OF high
spirit and fearless temper men who realize that
in their ideal of civic honor the reputation OF the
queen city of this half OF the world stands or
That is the chief Indictment against Tanmany,
that in its widest enthusiasm II never dreamed
the physical ideal will be lost. AS soon as an
adnnStra to be proud OF the civic char
acter food will be adulterated, streets Will be
dirty the general health Will be neglected A high
cal life But, after all, the most bitter element in
having a government like Tamnany is the knowi-
edge that we should be ashamed TO think the
Thoughts which know they do think
Is It possible that the majority OF the voters Of
this proud city realize the shame OF the step
which IL is feared. they contemplate taking? Very
likely many readers of The Tribune would pre-
fer a Republican government. But that is utter
ly out of the question The choice in fact. Will be
between a continuance of the fusion adrnfnistra-
ton. or a return to Tammany. We have at our
by a civic ideal Of the most splendid lustre. In
BROOKLYN he exhibited the highest example OF
municipal government up to that time attained
In this city, out of obscure institution, he
created one of the first universities OF the land
It is such a man and such an ideal that 1t Is our
intention to abandon
IL cannot be that 1t will really come TO pass
surely before November the city will come to
itself and resolve to maintain the ideal OF civic
honor. MELN! LIE r. bA1L'f'A.