The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-16
HOW ID GOVERN
 A GREAT CITY Mayor Gaynor Discusses Ger tain Municipal Problems DOING WITHOUT BOSS" Why the "Business Man in Politics., Is Not Always n suceess--LoysIty to Political Parties F Local
 Elections
DOING WITHOUT BOSS"

From the Century Magazine.
 As the times for election periodically approach, the same demand of a large number of people is regularly heard :: Just select some merchant or business man and let him run the city govern ment as he runs his own business - How easy it sounds! But this Is one of the worst delusions concerning city gov ernment. It is true that the business affairs of city should be carried on in business way, and that goed business and technical men should be put at the head of departments and details; but for the general management and political control-a prime essential which cannot be dispensed with-something more is needed. The government of a large city machine. It has. prescribed by law, all sorts of necessary checks and limitations upon official power.
 A business man may do just as he likes in his business. but not as 8 mayor or in any public office. There he Is a mere instrument to carry out the laws.
 His power of attorney Is the law.
 The chief obstacle to the nomination and election of fit men to city office Is national and state party prejudice or big otry carried into local politics. It should never be mentioned there. The motto of every sensible man should be, national politics and issues for national elections, state politics and issues for state cleo tions, and local politics and issues, and none other, for local elections. Every time this Is said people who talk moro than they think, including some news paper editorial writers, immediately cry out that 1t is visionary. that parties cannot be done away with. that they are necessary. Certainly they are necessary. and here is no suggestion of doing away with them.
 voters in local elections should cross the national party lino freely, being in fiuenced by local considerations only. Ger tafnly voter who will vote for the candidates of a party in local election simply because he believes in protec- tive tariff, or In free trade. or in a tar if for revenue only or in a single stand ard of metallic money, which has noth- ing whatever to do with the case, Is doing very stupid if not degrading thing. He Is responsible for local bosses his party prejudice plays right Into the hands of the boss.
 Nothing should influence the voter in a local election except the local questions of men and measures which are up for consideration. And 1t Is misnomer to call officials non-partisan who are elect led in this discriminating way. They are partisans, but only on local issues, and 1t is entirely seemly and proper for them to make their appointments to onice or place from the local party which elect ed them.
 An inevitable cause of corrupt local government is the control of the govern ment or the conduct of officials by out side bosses or organizations The long era of that condition is passing. When the writer of this article 50 stated in Tammany hall during the last mayoralty contest in the city of New York he re- ceived more ridcule than sober cohsidera- ton for it. And yet we are on the eve of being completely emancipated from such condition. Only an ignorant or cor rupt community could elect a mayor who would be such tool A public official should act from a sense of official respon- sibility only. This does not mean that he should ignore politicians or party leaders. or refuse to consult With them or listen to them, but only that In the end he should follow his own enlightened official Judgment in every official act. A mayor. governor or President may learn much in respect of what not to do. as well as of what to do, by listening to the advice of political leaders, or Nsven po- litical boses. as they are called. It is only weakling who will declare after reaching some high office that he will have nothing to do with politicians and it Is always painful to see such an official 30 distrustful of his own forti- tude or integrity, or else so confident that he knows everything, as to assume such an attitude. It is the sign of little man.