Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1905-04-27
The Observer.

intelligent foreign critics of our insti.
tutions and also what American obser-
vers of foreign institutions have to say
regarding municipal administration in
America as compared with municipal
administration in Europe, this feature
of our government is the weak part of
our system. Europe" says DR. Ly-
man Abbott "has many things that we
do not want, but we should certainly
be better off if wa could import the
European way Of administering city
government"
What are some Of the causes Of the
present evil condition of municipal
government in this country?
One cause has been n prevented cor
ruption Of what is popular govern
ment on the part Of citizens OF foreign
birth. Ignorant foreigners have inter
preted freedom as meaning license,
and the right to pursue happiness as
an open door to anything that will put
money in ones purse. The sovereign.
ty of the people means to them the
sovereign right of each one to push
himself ahead without regard to any
restraining authority or obligation.
Another cause of municipal concep-
ton has been the rapid development
of American communities. The siren.
uous American has as a rule been too
much absorbed in industry and the
profits accrueing therefrom to give
much attention to civic affairs. We
have moreover, developed too rapidly
to have any well established traditions
of the right sort behind us. European
municipalities have been in eXistance
for centuries, and in each there is a
body of traditions which on the whole
make for civic respect and honesty.
There is always before the English or
French citizen an ideal of what city
government is and should be that eff
fectually prevents him from looking
upon city politics as field for private
graft. Old world traditions may seem
to us as slow and antiquated, but they
carry with them safe guards for civic
honesty and purity which we as yet
lack. In time we shall develop body
of traditions that may do for us what
the traditions of all world cities do for
them.
We have spoken of the absorption,
of the strenuous American in indus
trial rather than in civic affairs. The
attitude of Americans towards their
municipal service has been exceeding
ly tolerant and easy going, 50 much
so that it is considered almost an i'm
pertinence for the average citizen to
venture to make inquisition into the
manner in which public offices are
being administered. In this respect
we may we'll profit by the attitude of
our English cousins, who, if they are
sometimes too pugnacious and too
prone to magnify tritles into causes Of
great disputes, are nevertheless by the
same token little disposed, if they
know it, to submit to inafiicient or cor
cuptsservice on the part Of public ser.
wants. They pay more practical heed
than do we to the injunction of Her
bert Spencer that it should always be
assumed that an official is possible
rascal until it has been proved conclu-
sively that he is honest Our charitable
habit has been to assume that every of
fetal is honest until it has been proved
conclusively that he is dishonest This
attitude is as pleasant as it is charlt-
able, but it makes it easy for unscrupu.
lous officials to benefit themselves at
the expense of the public with little
risk of detection. 1t is unpleasant and
it seems at first sight to be uncharitable
to assume that public official is pos
sibly dishonest until it has been prov
ed conclusively that he is honest,
nevertheless, were the public to as
sumo this attitude and maintain it con-
stantly, the result would be a great i'm
provement in the character of our
public service. The price of public
purity and honesty, as we'll as of
liberty, is eternal vigilance. In our
present easy going attitude we GER
tainly are not true to the best prin-
ciples of Washington and jefferson.
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