Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11

cation TO the amalrS OF washington Elk
perience and observation do not teach that
| a municipality which is reasonably well
governed will display wisdom by demand
| ing change of system In order to assim-
| late itself to ordinary American cities.
| The latter are VIGOROUSLY m1sgoverned.
Incompetent and dishonest officials have
been too often chosen in partisan con-
| tests. immense municipal debts have been
contra cted and excessive taxation has
| been imposed. Statistics show that while
| state Indebtedness has decreased between
the last TWO censuSes. municipal indebt-
edness has vastly increased, far more rap
| idly than population and valuation. and
| its amount in American municipalities is
now estimated at a billion dollars. The
| deplorable financial condition Of so many
| Of our large cities is due, in the main, to
unlimited popular suffrage. which mas CIV
| en- to non-taxpaying. irresponsible voters
! the power to expend, eXtravag antly and
corruptly, the money supplied by tax
payers.
Municipal Corruption.
1t has placed the contributors and non
contributors to a fund upon an equal foot
ing In the matter Of deciding how and by
whom the fund shall be disbursed. 1t
| mas enabled the latter. under the guise Of
taxation. to make a division of the con-
trihutions of the former It has legal
ized the virtual confscation of accunu-
1aled wealth by aggregated paupers
Lnder Its workings, robbers at the head
OF ORGANIZED bands of destitute and des-
perate followers have been permitted to
seize, through mere force Of numbers. the
purse or more than one city and to spend
us contents at pleasure. The intolera BILE
missovernrnent Of many American cities
ii aI nor on'y caused the suggestion of such
scueihes II reform as the limitation of
suffrage TO taxpayers and minority ron
reSentatlon but 1t has led even to the
oold proposition that all power of self
government be withdrawn from these mu-
t .hteipali.ies, and that the management of
.lIeir aHalrs be Entrusted to the state leg
islature-a plan which, if adopted, would
place them In respect to their internal ad-
mlnlstrat1on In condition similar to that
OF washington In theory the powers ex-
erclsed by the officers of cities are by
delegation from the people of the whole
state. In whom the ultimate sovereignty
as modified by the Constitution of the
united states. resides. In New York
from 17I7 TO 1921. the officers of munich
pal corporations were appointed by the
governor and four senators chosen every
year by four subdivisions of the assem-
bly, Instances of the intervention of the
state government into the affairs Of cities
amounting In some cases to indirect dis
REIMBURSEMENT. have not been lacking in
later years. There are serious objections
however, TO the plan Of granting exclu-
s1Ve control over cities to the state gov
eminent. and it Is not likely that the
proposition can muster many advocates
But the mere fact that the suggestion
has been made indicates that the evils
which our municipalities endure are so
great that the condition Of Washington
is viewed by some as preferable. The
capital may we'll hesitate before it de-
rnands a privilege which its possessors are
eager to resign, before 1t seeks to bind
upon its own shoulders the burden of
which other cities are making desperate
enorts to relieve themselves, before it
asks as boon the main source of NUM-
c1pal woes. If the doctrine were generally
accepted that universal suffrage is de-
manded by republican principles only in
the choice of those officers who exercise
purely governmental functions, and not in
the selection Of agents by municipal cor
poratfons to perform duties affecting pri-
vate property interests, and If Congress
might be depended upon to grant to the
taxpayers of the District the financial adj
ministrat1on of the capital, some of the
objections against an elective system
would be removed. But there Is no prob
ability OF such action by Congress. The
same spirit which would force republican
forms of government to be observed in
the District, though republican rights are
not granted Herewith. would deny prop
erty qualification for voters. The munich
pal affairs of the city are now managed
by commission appointed by the Presi-
dent, and compared with the manner and
cost of the performance of similar duties
In other cities the work is we'll and cheap
ly done. If this method of government
should be abandoned. and the UNIVERSAL
suffrage system adopted. there is no rea-
son to believe that Washington would es-
cape the maladministration which prevails
in other large cities. The conditions
which cause popular suffrage TO be bane-
full in the latter exist to considerable
degree at the capital. and in one or two
respects Washington has additional disad-
vantages with which to contend The char
acte- Of the voting population of the city.
though 1t would not be proper ground Of
objection If 1t were proposed to invest the
residents Of the District with the full
rights Of American citizenship, may be
noted when the evils Of suffrage are Offer
ed without It's substantial benefits About
one-third Of the inha bitants Of Washing
ton are colored. and this number includes
thousands of the worst as we'll as the
best specimens of the race. In addition
to the permanent colored element an
army of recruits would be attracted by
elections to the city from the farms OF
Maryland and Virginia. to be used as
voting material by political bosses" and
to be supported as loafers. partly by the
wages Of politics. partly by charity and
partly by jail nourishment. The floating
be large at the capital. where off1ceseek-
ers most do congregate. but with the ac-
cessions that elections bring the solid citi-
zens would almost certainly be over
Wnelmeo.
The commission government, which a
sham representative system would dis
place. has the advantage of bringing the
United States and the National capital
into those close relations which were an
ticipated in the plans OF our forefathers.
The members of the commission are ap-
pointed by the President. to whom they
| report. and the nominations OF two of
them are approved BY the Senate. The
treasurer of the United States is treas
urer Of the District. Congress alone is
responsible for all general legislation.
The true relations Of Washington to the
general government are thus suggested
at every turn. If the city were permitted
TO elect local officers and pass local laws
it would remove itself to that extent from
national &C !sideration members of Con-
gress would be permitted fewer opportuni-
ties of learning their full responsibilities
in respect to the nations ward. while the
privilege gained would have no compen-
sating advantage.
1t is true that commission governments
are not unobjectionable. but it is believed
that the most serious of their evils may
be avoided more readily than those of the
alternative system. Among the possible
dangers Of such government for Wash
that the executive may appoint as Com
missioners. not bona fide citizens of the
District, interested in its welfare alone.
but his own favorteS. on the score OF
personal friendship. Or as reward for
political services. Secondly, that such
Commissioners. when appointed. will use
the minor positions under their control
as similar political rewards to aid the par
ty or the political boss" in whose inter