The Paducah evening sun., 1910-03-30
Democracy and the Cities.

Yet. as a matter OF fact, and not
TO make any concession to fustian
patriotism. the failure so broadly
marked upon municipalities is not
really ours. but a systems. We have
done the best We could with the tools
we have: the fault Is with the tools:
they are worn out. antiquated.
For about four nfths OF the time
our municipal affairs are perfectly
rotten and we all know they are rot
ten and say they are rotten. but pa
uently endure the roitenness. feeling.
perhaps. that rOttenness Is sent upon
as as a visitation from the gods.
"Of a sudden. In the fifth year. we
say that We can endure rottenneSs no
more. The time has come to throw
on the ha'eful yoke OF Tammany In
New York. OF OF the Ring In Phila-
delphia, or OF the Coke gang in Gin
cinnau. or OF the Butler gang in st.
Louis. or OF the Hinkey-Dink Trac-
tion gang In Chicago. or OF the Reuf-
Railroad gang In San Francisco.
Some uncontrolied newspapers tell
lus this snd valiantly lead us to the
assault The pulpit sounds the alarm,
the underlying moral sentiment is
aroused. a nOn-partisan committee
Is formed. Our best citizens turn
from their private affairs and devote
themselves sedulously TO the cause
OF reform. We feel that to do away
with rottenness we must. with great
care. choose. for each public Office
only the wise and the good. To this
also the uncontrolled newspapers We
hemently exhort US: 50 exhorts the
pulpit: 20 exhort all the moral
guldes
"We proceed to exercise great care.
We search. We weigh. we consider.
We choose good men. splendid men,
exalted characters: the president OF
college. the head OF a great busi-
ness concern, men of learning and of
spotles. reputation. To these, our
wisest and best. We entrust our gov
ernment feeling a sweet Joy in the
thought that ali will now be we'll.
We have followed the formula; We
are now to be governed by the wise
and the good: We settle back to OBJ
serve the triumphant entry Of right
eousness.
"It never comes. The same old
conditions persist in the same old
way. OF the work OF the municipal
Iity. the wise and the good make a
hst az bad as that made by their uu-
wise and not good predecessors.
Nothing Is in any way different ex-
cept that now the gentlemen that
steer the mismanaged machine are
members of our set, and previously
they we're members of somebody
else's.
"This goes on for two years. Then
the general public. disappointed and
dlsgusted. returns to its normal state
of apathy. back comes Tammany,
and. the circle OF farce having been
completed. we are now ready to be
gin again where we were five years
ago.
This is the history OF every city
! In America-under the representative
OF thumb-hand theory of govern
ment."
People Not 10 Blame.
For what government there Is, the
people are IN no way responsible.
They have practically nothing to do
with il They do not choose the
MAYOR nor the treasurer. nor the as
SCISSOR nor the clerk. nor the alder
men. nor any othe officer under the
heavens that is supposed to serve
them. All these funetionaries are Sc
lected BY political boss or the ma
chine Is the real ruler of the city,
drawing support from the public
service corporations, and giving them
In return the privileges that enable
them to make dividends on their
watered stock and maintain the ma
chine that is so profitable to them.
incidentally. these are privileges that
really belong to the people thus ex-
plotted, but this fact is always con
veniently obscured to the people and
overlooked by the city legislators.
Stripped OF the pretense with
which we habtually clothe our pub
lie performances this Is a fair sum