Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-09
Municipal Birthdays and Misrule

Last week the city of Pittsburg cele-
brated it's 1iOth anniversary and this
week Philadelphia is making merry on
the occasion of completing 22J years of
municipal life. These events emphasize
the fact that we are acquiring in this
country what historians call perspective
We are gaining that which many Euro
pean travellers are prone to note the
chief lack of the country, namely, a
background of antiquity. There may be
some comfort in the reflection for proud
Americans but upon Analysing the situa-
ton as it's exists today in terms of true
civilization. it is to be doubted whether
one will find much joy. There Is no more
unpleasantly patent truth today than that
We have lamentably failed in a large
measure in evolving a method of munic-
ipal management. Our political system
is at its worst in our large cities. We
have so few we'll administered communi-
ties. where business principles operate
in all affairs and where honesty Is the
dominating policy. that they are pointed
out as exceptional 1t is common to
speak. for instance, of Washington as a
model municipality, reputation which
the National capital amply deserves by
high standard of official integrity. The
fact does not escape the student of
American politics that this is the only
American community which is managed
without the assistance of the voter.
The truth is the suffrage has been
brought to a deplorably low point of eff
fectiveness and honor in American mu-
nicipal politics. City governments are
regarded as the natural prey of the pro-
fessional politician. Office is rated as an
asset and places are distributed as re-
wards for partisan activity and fidelity
Pickings, large and small. are scattered
about as backsheesh. Contracts are let
with the sole idea of permitting a maxi
mum of graft to those who are on 1.-The
inside
This is not the pessimistic view of those
who see only the evil in the world. 1t
is the plain fact disclosed repeatedly in
our cities as result of exposures, revolu-
tions and temporary reforms. So often
have the denominations of municipal poll
tics been laid bare that the marvel today
is that an intelligent people should con-
tinue to trust their interests to such a
wasteful. demoraiizing system.
The trouble in our municipal affairs is
that few citizens take the trouble to vote
except in presidential years, and fewer
still bother themselves about the affairs
of party organization, the primaries, etc.
The average business man pleads pres
sure of affairs. and is willing to relegate
to crowd of constituencies pilferers tina
management of corporation which af-
fects him at every turn, his health his
comfort. his purse and his family Occa-
sionaly the good citizen awakes to the
sense of his duty and the professional
politician is routed. But another year the
officehoding class. the grafters and the
hangers-On of municipal government take
advantage of the inattention OF the nom
professional voters and slip back into
power.
Both Pittsburg and Philadelphia are
glazing examples of how the American
people mismanage their most important
business interests. Maybe when the
former city celebrates its 2OOth birthday
and the latter its 27.th they will have ar
rived at the point of realizing the munich
pal progress and success are not meas
ured wholly by the bank statements, the
population tables or the acreage covered
by buildings. 1t Is the hope of the best
citizens today that that day OF realiza-
ton will come much sooner.