The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-03

not be urged against he proposition now be-
fore your committee. for the board to-day Is
composed OF the Mayor. the Comptroller, the
President OF the Board OF Aldermen and the
Presidents Of the various boroughs. all Of
whom are elected by the people although, OF
course. the constituency OF each Borough
President IL limited by the boundaries OF his
borough In many ways II is, therefore,
boy more representative Of the people az
large than the Board Of Aldermen could ever
possibly be, even were the Board OF Aldermen
made up OF the class OF citizens which ldealists
have hoped for, and vhich radical enthusiasts
had prophesied would be chosen in the fruitlon
Of time Each Alderman Is elected by his
own Aldermanic district by his own Limited
bailiwick. and the President OF the Board OF
by the qualified voters Of the whole city on
the other hand. we have three members OF
the Board Of Estimate and Apportionment
out Of the eight-the Mayor, the Comptroller
and the President Of the Board Of Aldermen
elected by the citizens at large and each OF
the Borough Presidents elected by tar
greater number Of electors than Ia any menu
Der OF the Board OF Aldermen even little
Staten Island producing three Aldermen as
in contrast to one Borough President. Inc
Aldermen are no more democratic, ana no
nearer TO the people than are the members
Of the Board Of Estimate. Zach Alderman
Is elected by a relatively small constituency,
and aside from any moral training, his Ken
must be narrower and his view more CIR
CumsCribed in the very nature OF thlhgs
than that OF public officers chosen by "IueT
and more enlarged electorate.
As a member Of the Charter Revision COM
mission Of 1900, never. for one moment pc
leved that the Board Of Aldermen was the
proper local authority in which TO vest the
vast powers given by the Charter, or that u
was a safe repository for the safeguarding
OF the best interests Of our people ana OF our
city. With q meagre salary and its tendency
TO become the reward or spoil Of petty 20,
ltical ambition, the Office OF Alderman 1id
not appeal to my imagination, nor dld ~ hoia
out any bright promise Of local reform, IN
view Of the record OF the past "a mus rAtrl
by the testimony in the case OF thu People
mvfurtrr." And although no fragrant scan
dal may have as yet come To light. ~ Wouln
require more than human CredqHty 20 beueNe
that the inaction Of the Board ef Aide rmen
within the last few years ln the cases OF many
important applications. has not been innu-
enced by the hope OF gain OF reward 10 stmu-
late their lanRuoT, and to induce the constdcfa-
ton OF the long delayed report.
All that the people OF this city want Is That
the constitutional safeguard shall be- pre-
served that is to say. that some local ou-
hority shall protect the interests Of the NUM-
or In grants Of a kindred nature, and i -
manifest that the local authority should D"
the best possible local authority. hGt me
people now ask that a. the officers hitherto
selected to be such local authorities are false 70
their trust and have been proven, on repeated
occasions, unworthy OF the public confidence
and hostile TO the business interests OF the
city, that they shall be divested OF power
forthwith and that their former powers rhau
DF transferred TO men more worthy uilNA b'NAtl
fitted by education and by their prominence
in the community for the honest dHq earnest
exercise OF the discretion vested IN them
II the makers Of the Constitution had IN
tended 20 confer lasting and perpetual power
on tho Board Of Aldermen they would have
said 80. But they wished 20 leave the power
Of deciding who the local authority should he
10 the Legislature, and, rs 10 the SELECTION OF
such local authorities, the legislatu re Is para,
mount. What body could be better selected
than the Board OF Estimate and Apporton-
inenty II is made mp Of the highest elective
officers in the city IL - constituted Of men
OF rtninenCe, who, irrespective OF we parry
TO which they may belong, command large
measure Of public confidence. aud no member
Of the Board Of Estimate can AFFORD 70 be
slothful or dishonest la matters affecting
the public interest. II he should so ran.
he would at once be called 10 severe ac-
Of the city and IN the great questions Affect
ing the common veal the voice OF the press IA
almost always raised IN behalf Of the best
tory Of the past were different and the Alder
men had been honest and active instead oi
being, At least negatively dishonest and
siOthiul the proposed transfer Of power from
microscopic politicians 10 men OF larger
and more dignfed mould would appeal 10
every student Of good government, and 10
every public spirited citizen Ms wise aud DencI-
icent. II dark sus picions had remained un;
lnaction charltaby be ascribed TO ignorance
or Incidence, the remedial legislation asked
for should still be granted. hut our case II
made more urgent BY the imPer alive need Of
a change In existing law. The gloomy his-
tory and the dark record OF the action taken
by the Municipal assembly and its successor,
the Board Of Aldermen, upon applications Tor
franchises for the last six years need no
trenchant pen or sCathng oratoTy 70 expose
statement, frame an indictment with many
counts or specifications.
The GermHn proyerb, amt 0ibi rrsidnd.
or orice gives understanding, has not been
found to apply 20 our Aldermen. lncum-
benCy Of this once has not as rule developed
mr. all tEa al oil 10 an lFa
has developed sordid and commercial ten
denotes. and indifference, II not active hos
tility, TO the Interests Of the Commonwealth.
The situation il dire and dire conditions
demand crucial remedies.
IL has been shown TO your honorable conf
mittee that The amendments now before YOU
for action are IN accordance with the spirit
and the letter Of the Constitution, and that
the proposed legislation is absolutely and
entirely within your conceded powers
Aside from the record OF the past years,
the business interests OF our city and the pub
lie welfare demand the granting Of this rene
dial legislation, and this would have been true
had the actions Of the Board Of Aldermen
been comparatively harmless. but the sY-
denCe against them IL Overwhelming. They
have been recresnt 10 their trust: they
have abused their powers against the inter
ests Of the people aud the. city ia which they
and nOufeasauce, they have hindered and
DELAYED aud Obstrurted plans for rapid tran
sit and tie extension OF transportation IA
cilities. they have constituted themselves
enemies OF civilization and progress A dark
cloud OF suspicion hovers over the Alder
manic chamber, and although the proof
Of dishonesty or yenAty must, In the nature
Of things. be impossible TO produce, the in
jury TO our citizens and the wrong TO the
various companies affected. remain the same
whatever be its cause whatever be the
motives or inducement operative In the minds
Of those who deny. speedy and prompt Jus
tice There Is but one remedy. aud that
remedy Ia in your hands. The power OF con-
troll Of our streets. and the right OF granting
franCh ises and consents must be az once and
forever taken away from these men thew must
be shorn Of their power; they must no longer
be our local authorities. but must be rele gated
where they will have little power and can
work no substantial injury 10 the general
public.
The relief we ask for il not sought by my
clients alone. II II asked IN behalf OF the
great body Of our citizenship IL h asked In
behalf OF the progress and advancement Of
The great city Of New YORK. and hs comedian