The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-07
THURSDAY, APRIL z, 1904.
DUTY GOES WITH POWER.


The adoption by an overwhelming
vote in Chicago of the principles of the
Mueller law" at the spring election is
no surprise The law was passed by
the legislature just following the great
struggle with the traction companies
in Chicago. It authorizes cities in I'LL
nois to construct, own, operate and
lease street railways, and gives them
power to provide the necessary funds.
The traction companies made a des-
perate raid on the city for renewal Of
their franchises, promising big i'm
provements, and giving in the mean
time as execrable a service as is to be
found, probably, in the United States.
They were met by this singing blow
from the shoulder. At the same time
the people also voted by a small ma
jOrity to have members of their school
board elected by direct vote Of the peo-
pie instead of appointed by the mayor.
Laying aside the inconvenience and
injustice which the street railway COM
panies had imposed upon the people, it
is a fact that almost any community
would vote tomorrow as Chicago did.
1t is not the question Of municipal own
ership merely that counts, but the join
ing with it Of this proposal to make
members Of the board of education
elective is very instructive. You can
always get a majority vote for a pro-
posed or alleged addition to the civic
power of the voter. He will invariably
grasp what seems to him to be a new
privilege, without the least regard to
the performance of the duties and re-
responsibilities that go with it.
If anything at all is established by
the past history of Chicago, it is that
the operation by the city of a vast sys-
tenn Of street railways would result
only in giving a worse service than
that hitherto received, if this is posi-
bic, at the cost Of monumental corrup-
ton. We do not know of a city in the
United States where local independence
in political action and high civic ideals
have made such progress that it's pub
lie utilities could safely be operated by
its political representatives. Least Of
all is this true Of Chicago. The history
of all past CRAFTS will look small and
silly in comparison with that of a city
like Chicago, owning and operating it's
own street railway system, with an in
come and oUtgo annually of tens of
thousands of millions, all passing
through the hands Of the practical pol
iticians.
The same trait, as we have said,
shows in the action of the second prop
osition. 1t is generally accepted now
by most thoughtful students of mu-
nicipal problems that good government
is most easily secured where RESPONSE
bility is centered in one person, per-
hitting him to name his associates
and subOrdinates generally. This CEN
tering Of responsibility is no panacea
and writes no guarantee Of good gov
eminent. 1t simply makes it easier to
punish the man responsible for bad
government. The mayor who has a
large discretion and a general appoint
ing power cannot escape censure or
evade the penalty If his appointees are
mere corrupt political hacks.
Nevertheless, the electors Of Chicago
have declared that members of the
board Of education, men having charge
Of interests peculiarly sacred and most
alien to party politics, shall be chosen
by party conventions; which is the
same as saying that they must be
named by party conventions as the re-
ward Of party service. It would be
hard to find a more deplorable and de-