The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-05
BOYS CHOOSE OWN RULERS.
EOyL RLLE I Success IN THE
gEBREW ORPH.tN ASYLUM.
Ibraham shapiro Elected Mayor After n
Heated u Clean Fought Campaign
-Dr. Bernstein, Who started the
scheme. Plans 20 Extend IL TO the Girls.

Fellow fIllHeuT. you Wahk NuC DCcb uAnu
for this Office, the highest in your gift as
citizens OF THE State, and you won't be
.atisrcd with any second rate maj WANT
N tell Won that abraham Shapiro IS a man
AZ the people. The friend Of the ommon
citizen. He is one Of YOU: he knows all the
trick. that you know. tie knows how to
ran away from here and how 10 get back
again. he knows hiding places around here
hat most Of you AVE never heard OF.
And IN addition tO il al, he's the smartest
nan in the whole place. David Angus can't
,ouch him. Maybe he's the second best,
but that wont GO. You want the best
Tli- was the campaign issue. and il was
developed to the highest point OF the SPELL
binder . art in the Mayoralty election some
davs ago in the city community OF the
Hebrew ShelteIing Guardian Society Or
ohan Asylum, at Broadway INC lSOth street.
Vow hat the election is over and party heat
and partisan fervor ave abated. the Mayor
and TIM City Fathers are benignly ruling
, model community without the aid of a
police department. a Parkhurst society
or a Tlmmany Hall, and the community
ssettlins down upon solid basis as a city.
catching the administration while a penal
code is being drawn up.
TIE city government in the institution
takes the place OF a system OF monitor rule.
which was always Unsatisfactory to the
heads Of the institution. 1t was abolished
as soon as the 400 boys and $50 girls in the
nome were instructed in the essentials Of
the new system. The girls have not yet
recoived tho privilege Of suffrage, but as
loon as they are seen to be capable Of self
government, they will have a community OF
their own.
T. all began when DR.. Ludwig B. Bern
stein. superintendent, announced. after in
s%truction Of the most prominent boys in
the home, that all the boys from 5 years to
IS, were to be citizens, to live in districts,
and 10 have a mayor and a city council, a
borough pre~ident and a sanitary chief
with COURT and laws Of their own. 1t was
to be q nation, righteous and ~law-ablding,
and independent, save mat Dr. bernstein
asked Tor a Ittle power just tho right to
nelp along ana advise in the ounoll OF
state.
forthv ith. Abraham Shapiro, David
angus and other leaders formed a constItu-
damsntal law Of the Boys hepublic,
having in its preamble ITS object, TO secure
for its citizens the privileges n advantages
Of self gov eminent and to impress upon
them tie duties OF good and intelligent
American citizenship
Immediately. the community plunged into
r campaign Tor the election Of a may or. a
borougn n. esldsnt. and councilmeu from
TIE went live colncl districts, each with
\ pcpnlltion OF w enty-fiye or thirty voters.
Spsse ers' bureaus were organized and
orators. from beds in the doTmitories or
-osD boxes in the play yards, held forth to
cheering audiences. where n, e~-year-old
voters made up for lack OF understanding
ABBOTT what Il all meant by the abundance
If their cnthuSlssm.
CORPORATIONS don't figure in this CAM
naiyT. aid the ffteen-year-Old manager
Of one candidates. interests. ant there
ron'L We any cuckroaches or rats or mud
TIng around here. either. We're out for
ne lest man. Angus Is n good one. but
NLapr, hotter. 20 you know what TO do.
Angie g orators were not quiet. and they
hammered in tie past record OF tbeir fave rite
son d. he chief slogan. Look what he's
done. Hes the best athlete here; he's
generous and good TO very one OF you,
and he's a. smart a. they come. But, the
hest Of it, j. that he was good enough to
work i'm pr. !'ern-tein'S office. And If DIR.
~Bern..ain thinks hos good enough for him,
he's III" best man 10 be mayor OF this city
The nominating COW entions were COM
nosed Gi delegates from the five b~oroughs,
each made up Of five districts, the number OF
delegates from each borough proportioned
20 ifN ~ tibk ~ dkt " III COiitlIlhllAls
When the printed ballots were circulated
and counted Abraham shapiro was found
10 have heen eletted mayor, David Angus.
III. opponent. was oonsoled with the bor-
puEh presidency. and "A counci had been
returned composed of twenty-five of the
not iu'rIti rcLt members OF the COM
nuntv. PHy~ whose latent executive
ability bad never been shown to the au-
rhorlties were sought out n elected, and
na dsr government was vindicsted.
he administ ration has been most sue
rr eH| Though the p,nal code has not
got been comTletcd the Embossed judiciary
has been doing noble service. When
Johnny Mark stole his neighbor's bread
at the table sud threw Il at III boy across
the wav. or when Jacob Newman was late
at school. they were tried before a jury
II seven OF their peers, elected by popular
vote. They defended themselves against
the charge brought 10y Borough President
Anga-, public prosecutor. They lost the
privilege Of receiving fruit on the next two
visiting days as punishment.
~ whom Willie Einstein swiped n piece
oi bread when the overSeer was not looL ing.
he had committed a grave offence involving
his honor. and he received q more severe
ocuolty. II remained for Harry Simons to
wtrage tho community. He was an anar-
ehit. He brcathed disseI SION and strife
against the constituted authorities.
I'm eat with my knife and fire bread
ground here az long as | like, In srite OF
your MAY OTS and BoTough Presidents and
Cltv Councils. Who are you, anyhow?
Dr. Bernstein is the only one that can run
me
\ Grand jury Of seven citizens and Ave
Councilnen, the Mayor presiding. and the
Borough President prosecuting. was
stT3iEhtwsy cony ened. Simon@ was in
bcte1 and pleaded guilty on the first count
of 1cuud1ct unbecUmiug a gentleman"
but NOT guilty On the second count y iolat-
ing s.th5rity."
WHIT is authority" said his counsel.
Authority Is merely a TeIati . matter,
and the authority Of the law Of the courts,
~ a." people II often oy erthrown.7 He
won't 20 deeply into the matter that he
finally proved that there was no authority
~ al, wheTeupon Or. Bernstein abolished
'-r counsel for defence" for good and all.
Simons WAS found guilty and sentenced TO
di-Icnprahle discharge from the City
Council.
The constitution makes IL a duty" for
.t.h citizen 10 cast his vote. The Borough
P-'sident must see that all councilmen
faithfully perform their duty. the sanitary
chief takes care Of the cleanliness Of the
fairgrounds and yards, while the Council
man rn"st hook after the general cleanliness
~ al citizens in his district" and has power
~ legally exercise his authority over all
citizens during recreation periods.
Mayor shapiro said yesterday hat his
citizens were happy and enthusiastic over
10 new Fundamental law Of the land. They