Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-11-21
HIGH BROW NOT
The one WANTED
Good Government for Cities Must
Be Based On Dollar Sign.

baltimore. Nov. 20.-Political reform
organizations must come down TO
earth; they must remove 'the sign OF
the high brow and substitute the 'dol-
lar mark which alone, apparently, IS
sufficiently potent to be effective ac-
cording to q report to the National
Municipal league today by its commit
tee on plan Of political organization.
The committee has not completed
it's work, and the report is described
as only an "interlocutory expression"
It was prepared by the chairman, A.
Leo We'll, president Of the Voters
League of Pittsburgh.
In part, the report is as follows:
"A plan of political organization
which relies for its support upon that
class who have reached the elevation
where they look down upon selfishness
and are moved solely by altruistic con-
siderations, must fail. The number is
too limited.
No Highbrow Attitude.
1T will not do for the so-callec
high brow to inyeigh against the com
placency Of the average citizen. This
gets him nowhere. 1t will not do to
assume that all voters are cOrruptly
influenced when they support political
faction. This presupposes the pre-
p]onderance OF corruption. The trouble
is. perhaps, that while the one form
of organization follows the natural Iii
| stincts of man, the other ignores them
and relies upon a conception OF citizen
ship as appeals only to the idealls;s,
the theorists, the purists and the
dreamers. A plan of political organl-
cation, to succeed, to secure the 1oi-
lowing required to via at the polls,
must be built upon the handspring OF
human action, to wit: self-interes;.
Your committee believes that it can
be demonstrated Except where the
F., contest is purely personal, between
men. not measures), that in the cam
paign for good government, as con
trasted with the machine government.
the selfish interests of the citizen arc
at stake. Too much stress is laid
upon patriotism. civic pride and the
like, and too little upon what the con-
tinuance of poor government or Hnsli-
tuition of good means to the purse ann
the person of the individual Citizen
Some Hypocrites.
There was much justification, the
report continued, in the charge that =
large number of those who were fonnc
among the reformers, so called, did
not qualify by registration or other
legal formality to exercise the rights
of citizenship. The mere voice OF
civic obligation not being loud enough
to call them from their personal pur-
suits to the performance of their pub
lie obligations
A general awakening was going on,
i, however, tand&4there was an ever. in
creasing number who wanted good
government out Of purely selfish
motives.
AS to the financing Of SUCH politica,
organizations the report noted the
Cleveland plan. and urged that il
might he followed by other cities. In
} the city of Cleveland the president or
a large trust company conceived the
plan of getting some Of its citizens OF
wealth to provide Ia their wills for
bequests to foundation, devoted to- the
city's welfare, and a large amount,
running UP into millions, has been al
Icduy IIltS lilNOl dLCu III ouN' "IlS'
The money, of course. will be avail
able only upon the death of the Dene-
factors. Some of these amounts. how
ever, have already become available
through death, and in consequence an
organization is being effected in that
city having for it's purpose the general
welfare Of the CITY,"
The report concluded with the COM
mittee's appeal for suggestions as:
"How best to show that good gov.
ernment means personal good to the
individual. g.
"How to inform the community that
good government is a selfish PROPOSE.
ton, not an altruistic dream.
"HOw to remove from such organ.
cations the sign of the high brow and
substitute the dollar mark which
alone, apparently, is sufficiently DO.
tent to he effective.
"How to bring such organizations
down to earth where they will appeal
to inhabitants thereof