Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-09
CITY GOVERNMENT
Washington the Best Ruled
Municipality.
CITIZENS SATISFIED
GOOD ADMINISTRATION AT
TRACTS PEAcE-LovING PEOPLE.
Improvement Of the Capital Since the
Civil War-Corruption in
other Towns.

| Goodwin Smith. In the Independent.
| I have Just become a member of the Ma
| tional Municipal League, which has for Its
| object the improvement of municipal gov
| eminent. Mr.. Bryce speaks of the govern
| ment Of great cities the one conspicuous
| failure of the United States. 1t Is gen.
orally regarded as about the most knotty
problem which we have to solve upon this
| continent. To me 1t seems that the prob
| lem is really solved, and that the difficulty
| with which we have to contend Is that Of
getting the solution adopted. There is on
| this continent, SO far as can learn, one
city thoroughly and securely well governed.
| That city is Washington, which is admin
| istered, not by an annually elected mayor
| and council, but by an expert, stable and
| really responsible government. All the serv-
| ices there appear to be good; everybody
seems to be well satisfied. There is no sus-
| picion Of jobbery or corruption. Residence
1 am told. is attracted by the goodness Of
| the administration. Half the expense. 1t
| is true, is contributed by the federal gov
eminent. But the federal government, an
assessor told me. owns q very large part Of
| the interest, and from whatever source the
money comes, the purity OF the administra-
| ton Is the same Wonderful is the improve
| ment in the city since the time when 1 was
| the guest Of Seward and had to pick my
| way through a quagmire from his door to
| the state buildings, where was to have the
Observation-Disclosures honor OF an interview
| with Abraham Lincoln.
From cities on the continent under an
elective form of government is heard In
accents more or less acute the same cry of
| woe. 1t Is needless to recount the munich
pal history of New York, where the domina-
| ton of Tammany. lawless as 1t is. seems to
be the final resource of despair. The ac-
counts of municipal government at Phila-
delphia represent a reign of organized
brigandage. such as 1t would seem hardly
possible to believe that community of
free men could endure. From Minneapolis
the other day came appalling revelations.
They are coming now from ST. Louis. Very
bad, am told, has been the state of affairs
at Syracuse. Chicago is notorious, and has
had no parallel In Europe.
Honesty In Canada.
In Canada we have happily not had the
gross corruption of some Of your great
American cities. OF jobbery we have prob
| ably had our share. An honest member of
a city council has been known to leave it,
saying that he was sick of it, as there never
was straight vote. But our general com.
plants have been of lack Of special capa city,
of stability, of foresight. or real RESPONSE
bility. leading to northumberland and
waste. In Toronto our elections are trou-
bled by the ambition and cupidity of rival
sects and nationalities. They have more
than once been troubled and are always in
danger Of being troubled by the action of
political party. An atteTcNt at financial
crisis to put leading I,aancier In the
| mayoralty was baff1ed by popular jealousy
acting through an unlimited suffrage. BY
the same influence a ward politician was
once elected as water commissioner against
our most eminent engineer. With the sys-
| tenn of annual elections forcing the alder
men to be always angling for votes. demo-
gogism Is inevitable and Its influence Is
greatly felt. A step has recently been taken
in the right direction by the partial separa-
ton of the administrative from the lcgis-
latiye functions Of the council through the
institution of an elective board of con-
trollers We can hardly yet judge with GER
tainty of the result. But this at all events
Is a recognition Of the right principle, that
of separation OF the administrative from the
legislative or political and consignment of
the administrative to expert hands.
Pillage in st. Louis.
At intervals. when maiadministration and
pilIage have reached an intolerable point,
the suffering community loses patience;
some one like Mr.. Folk at st. Louis, Il
found to take the lead; and there is a spas
modic movement Of reform. William
Tweed's gang is broken up and its leader IL
put into Sing Sing. But the spasm of re-
form Is soon followed by relapse, and cor
ruption resumes its sway. You have q
general reign of abuse modified by occa-
sional commissions.
We are trying to run q city with village
organization. That, In few words, appears
to be the real account of the trouble. The
system OF popular election may do for a
village the conceEns OF which are sinapleL