New-York tribune., 1909-03-08
THE NEKT CITY CAMPAIGN.

Tall, of the next mayoralty campaign IS al
ready so far advanced as to permit Us TO know
that certain men are being "menuoned VINO
would he acceptable to the Citizens Omon-
That body will make no nominations Itself. we
are informed in the public prints, but VIII re
strict itself to exercising sort Of censorship OF
nominations i committee of one hundred the
report is may he formed, 10 give, if possible, a
non-partiSan character 10 the opposition 10
Tammany. but no attempt at fusion, of reaolehJ
memory. will be encouraged. Mushroom par
ties Snringng profuSely into being when mu-
nicipaI campaign financed by representatives
of New York'S commercial classes is impending.
will find q cold reception. All of these deter
limitations show that the lessons Of previous
municinal campaigns Of a fusion or non-partlSan
character have not been wholly lost. Many
Dreyio1Is fusions have been grotesque and dis
creditahIp The Citizens Union, admirable as
some Of its services have been, has proved its
emptiness as. a political party. And there are
many other experiences of past campaigns that
may proftahly be avoided in making pomina-
tionS this year.
There is one lesson. however. that goes deeper
than any of these mentioned. and on its being
aDnrahended depends any real progress toward
radeeming the city from Tammany, 10 wit,
avoidance Of the mistake Of making a nomina-
lion which represents only minority sentiment
in the community and of putting In once II
the nominee is successful. an administration
whose svmpathfes are not sufficiently broad to
hold the support of a majority OF the popu"-
ton The Low administration was a case III
1,ofnt II was excellent admirable in its way,
but il went over the heads and certainly never
touched the hearts Of the people of this city.
The very adiectives associated with it, "buSi-
neSSlike." "non-partisan." sent cold shiyers down
the hacks of the vast mass Of the population
If the movement for good government IS to
be permanently successful it must know the
ppople of this city with whom il has to deal.
If must know what their needs and wants are
and how to make itself popular with them 1t
must have very human side iamnaiy WINS
by hestewing its sympathies abundantly on the
people while it has its hands in their pocket
books A good government movement VIII he
even more successful if it is equally prodigal
with its svmpathies but more scrupulous with
lis hands Let no one make the mistake OF
thinking that a personiied account book VIII
ever be popular. Nothing Will alieuate the
masses of New York like figures. The Bureau
Of Municipal Research is doing an excellent in
deed. an Indispensable service; but if the next
administration Is inspired solely with its spirit
and the spirit and purposes of the various tax
payers' associations" il will only serve the pur-
poses of an interregnum. Those who wish TO
cause business methods, economy and intell-
gent bookkeeping to be practised By the city
must be as wise as Serpents.
What we mean is that if reform in govern
nent is to succeed it must justify Itself TO the
average citizen. It must give him something
for his money that Tammany administration
does not give. 1t must look at things from MS
point of view. II must reach him in some IN
innate way and hold him. And this does not
necassariIy mean a programme of extravagant
paternaliSm.