The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-01-02
A MAYORS ADVICE.


has been giving advice to New York
In the New York World of December
oS he tells what Chicago has achieved
in recent years, especially under bis
!, administration, for good government
and municipal progress.
Chicago's mayor declares that New
4 York has not yet walked up TO the fact
y that a city is greater than its servants,
whether they be rapid transit corpora
tions, or gas, electric or telephone COM
psnies; that the public conscience has
4 has been in Chicago Of getting proper
Compensation in exchange for the valu-
able franchises; that it is be-
cause the public conscience has been
awakened that Chicago is the most pro-
Sgressive city in America. He tells how
Chicago was once corrupt and contented,
land how now it is fairly pure and unde-
l'hled. We read, for example, that the
mayor has broken up the "redhght' y
district in order to stop the CONNER
! ciallzation Of vice-an experiment, by
the way, in which the mayor himself
1 has little faith-that he has stopped
+ speculation in theater tickets, that he
has banished the tango from public
dances, that ne has crushed the gang
sters with q wreckiug crew Of fifty
policemen, who, as he says, "were the
toughest bunch of cops in the depart
meDt, fellows who would 90 through
blood up to their necks to get their
man, and who if they had to shoot
would shoot to kill He adds that he
has eliminated graft IL the police depart
ment, wiped out gambling, placed the
uniformed police under the constant
scrutiny of a score of civilian investi-
gators, ventilated the movipg-picture
houses, which were germ-ridden death
: traps, and accomplished other reforms
that have made Chicago at least sancti-
monious and satisfied with its vir-
tues, if not altogether sinless and
sanity.
The world will be glad to hear Of Chi
cago's regeneration. Not so very long
ago all the vicious elements, no matter
how far they had wandered from South
State street, turned toward Chicago as
the mecca of all proficient criminals.
And now, save the mark, we find Chi
cago preaching to New York. With
reform mayor in control OF New York IS
administration, perhaps we may soon
find Gotham preaching back at the
Windy City.
One bit of advice given by Mayor
Harrison will be OF advantage to New
York. There is good reason to believe,
however, that it is superfluous, as
Mayor Mitchell must already have been
saturated with similar advice during
his war on Tammany. Mayor Harrison
says; "Another thing, and this is of
very decided Importance, is never to do
anything on the basis Of friendship for
any man. Service to the public is the
i only thing that should be considered.
The very minute a man begins to do
things-eveu little trivial things-for
friendship, he gets into trouble" This
lis Spartan advice. 1t is far removed
from the old ideals Of Tammany and
even of the Chicago Democracy. In
decd, it is stern doctrine that has in
IT something Of forbidding nature. To
remember ones friends has been con-
( sidered a virtue since men began to
foregather in crowds. It has been
valued as highly among civilized man as
among savages. Tammany was found
ed on the theory that an organization
which stood by its friends, in honesty
or in dishonesty, in fair weather or in
z foul, in good times or in bad, could be
ruler of the people. But now we
have come upon such severe days that
friendship in politics Is no longer vir.
tue, nay, not even an amiable weak
nese. Perhaps Mayor Mitchell Will find
the golden mean by which be NAV pre-.
serve balance between corrupt friend.
ship and absolute ingratitude, but as
working theory in honest administration
TIE advice of Mayor Harrison is Of