The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1910-10-05
DEGREES
BUSINESS MAYOR
Training Necessary For Any
Public Office, He Insists.
SEES help N PROVIDENCE.

Local Politics and Conditions and
None Other Should Control Local
Elections, Asserts New York City's
Chief Executive - Foreign Voters
Called Intelligent and Discriminating.
The matter of municipal problems il
handled by Mayor william J.. Gaynor
of New York in an article entitled
1.-THE Problem Of Efficient City Gov.
ernment," published in the September
number Of the Century Magazine and
apparently written shortly before the
mayor was stricken down by the bull
let Of an assassin.
In it Mr.. Gaynor emphasizes the
need of making reforms gradually, de.
claring that good growth has to be
slow growth. as a rule. 1t is Gods
order of the universe in all things, ma.
terial and mental" Proceeding, the
mayor says:
"The great problem Of all Is to get
the government of large cities into
honest and competent hands. 1t is in
this that we have long signally failed.
# a dishonest political tool was not
chosen an incompetent was, and often
In the name Of reform. And In the
case Of an honest incompetent the gen.
eral result is in effect the same as In
that of a dishonest competent. But
the contempt Of the community in the
end is always greater for the former
than for the latter. for with all his
fine professions he does nothing.
Business Idea Decried.
"As the times for election periodi-
cally approach" continues Mayor Gay
nor. 1.-THE same demand of a large num-
Der Of people is regularly heard, Just
select some merchant or business man
and let him run the city government
as he runs his own business How
easy it sounds! But this Is one of the
worst decisions concerning city gov
eminent. 1t is true that the business
affairs of a city should be carried on
In a business way and that good bust
ness and technical men should be put
at the head Of departments and de-
tails, but for the general management
and political control-a prime essential
which cannot be dispensed with-some.
thing more is needed.
NO me has a right to aspire to be
the mayor of a large city in which the
mayor Is given the large and control
ling powers which have grown to be
the rule in American cities without
having first qualified himself by study
ing law and government and by 'prac-
teal experience therein. Government
Is a science to be learned like any 9TH
er science. This does not mean that a
mayor must be a lawyer. Any man Of
good ability can prepare himself for
the mayoralty Of a city, as for the gov
ernorship Of a state or for the presi-
dency Of the United States. by devot-
ing a sufficient number of years there
to-"
In his discussion Of what q mayor
who is honest and capable may do
Mayor Gaynor expresses a religious
feeling unusual in the utterances of
public men. The right kind of mayor,
he tells us, "cannot help turning for
guidance and help to him who helps
all who turn to him sincerely" And
he adds, II feel certain that the
able men who are my associates in the
government Of the city Of New York
are all of this same feeling"
Believes In Local Politics.
That a mayor should be chosen alb.
solutely aside from national or state
politics is one of Mayor Gaynor's chief
points. "The motto of every sensible
mar should be-" he says, national pol
tiles and issues for national elections,
state politics and issues for state cleo
tons and local politics and issues, and
none other, for local elections"
In the control of local officials or To-
cal government by outside bosses or
organizations Mayor Gaynor sees an
inevitable cause Of corrupt local gov
eminent, but he holds that "the long
era Of that condition is passing"
Discussing the charge, so often made,
that the foreign vote" Is responsible
for bad conditions in our city govern
ments, Mayor Gaynor asserts that 'the
major part Of the foreign vote in the
city Of New York is discriminating and
intelligent; it is also unselish." He
hits several body blows at pseudo re-
formers and 'leading citizens" who
have axes of their own to grind in all
they do, ostensibly for better govern
ment, and describes some Of their