The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-10-11
4 IN TIE BLOW.

The discovery and application Of new. improved
features Of municipal administration are achieve
ments that belong TO The largest and most corrupt
Of United States cities. Smaller municipalities
have fnauguratei innovations Of old principles dur
ing the past few years. hut the principles have been
clarified and emphasized 10y the greater cities. and
these cities have indicated the methods 10y which
these principles might be devoted To purposes OF
common benefit.
When charters were constructed the formulators
understood what results were desired and. in gem
eral. they knew how the results ought 10 DE ac-
quired. They did not and could not foresee that
the organic laws which they instituted and the sys-
TENS which these laws created would operate sue
c~essfully: although. like true patriots. the. felt con-
fdent that their pioneer efforts. executed in snceri-
ty. would produce good. and they hoped for more
good than evil.
Much that is evil has followed and much that is
good has developed. Defects in laws and systems
We're found in the beginning and by INSCRIPTIONS
promoters were used TO defraud public treasures
and for the possession Of valuable grants and i'm
portant privileges. About the defects were built
UP strong and thoroughly organized plans OF cor
ruption. The powers which controlled the plans OF
crime became more ami more potential. while pub
lie energy became weaker and vice became more
firmly implanted in municipal systems.
Great moral and material loss WAS incurred by
the affected ities-and all have been affected
through these transactions: yet. ut the same time,
the acquisition OF valuable franchises and privileges
by private concerns not only enriched the corpora
tons but substantially accelerated physical pros
perity. So. even the most detrimental Of the evils
have had highly beneficial consequences.
Were the start TO be made again. under similar
circumstances and lack Of experience. it is probable
that the same mistakes would he made. Large,
complex systems must be worked ont gradually.
whereas enterprise moves rapidly. Enterprise
could not await the solution OF the municipal prob
lem. and the evils enSued from lneNperience and
almost necessary haste in lawmaking.
Without the experience which the large cities
have had in their management, without their mis-
fortunes and losses. and even without the instruct
i've misfortune Of official corruption. it is ques-
tiOnable whether the SYSTEMS which ltimately VIII
be established would be nearly as eTectual as they
give assurance Of being. Carnivals of crime can
on any ethics Of business or by any rules of promo
tiers. But corruption in public office seems to have
assembled the revolutions which preceded the
founding OF separate governments.
From the distressing experiences Of the large
municipalities stable. practical systems Of admins
tration will issue. Probably no one city will solve
the whole problem, for experience. conditions. pur-
suits and tendencies vary according to localities.
local resources, local enterprise and local character
istics. Together. the chief among the large cities
are calculating principles and suggesting policies.
and by exchanging ideas each will some time arrive
at safe conclusions regarding the forms of mu-
nicipal government.