The Alaska daily empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1912-1926, 1922-05-23
The Riddle of the CrOkers.
New York World.)


The death of Richard Croker inevitably reopens
the question of municipal government in the United
States, and municipal government is the one con-
spcuous failure of American institutions
The Federal Government, the whole, func-
lions well. Presidents may bunder from time to
time and Congress may make fool of itself as sys-
tematcay the present Congress is engaged
in doing, but the standard of Federal administration
is high and the Federal authority is everywhere re
speced no matter how much grumbling may be done
about this thing that thing in Washington.
Many of the States have shown true-leadership
in public affairs, and the worst of them is al
most certain to be better governed then the largest
city within its boundaries. was one of the original
theories of American politics that the closer govern
touched the daily life of the people the more
jealous they would be in regard to it and the more
vigorously they would resist abuses but the contrary
has proved to be the fact through century and a
quarter of actual experience
Good and viruous people like to deude them
selves in the belief that the Tweeds the Kellys the
Crokers and the MuTphys nteropers and usurp-
and to rule reluctant populations that tenn
porarily incapable of casting off the yoke. The truth
is that the Tweeds and the Keys and the Crokers
and the Murphys have all been fairly atve
of the prevailing municipal standards of their day.
The kind of government with which they den-
titled either the kind of government that
jorty wanted the kind that the majority was
willing to accept.
Almost without exception municipal bosses are
only municipal bosses When they try to extend their
sway they come to grief. Tweed managed to obtain a
foothold in Albany and that the beginning of
the end for Tweed. Kelly fought Cleveland and
finished himself Croker and Murphy equally
without influence in the national councils of their
party. For forty years Tammany and it's boss have
been greeted with cries of derison in Democratic
National Conventions, and that is the general
perience of city bosses who try to NEEDLE in national
jolitcs. In their larger relations the American peo
pie will not tolerate the kind of leadership that they
take matter of course in their municipal affairs
What the psychological is do not pre-
tend to understand but the fact remains that the
American people take the most pride in the Govern
ment that is furthest from them and show the least
in the Government that is closest to them.
Otherwise there would be Crokers and Murphys
and the Eearss would find nobody ready do bust
with them.
James Bryce gave 1T as his opinion after long
lifetime of study that city of than 800 600
Inhabitants govern itself well That may be true,
but it does not clear UP the American enigma. In
this country cites of less than 600 usually
those of 1900 have little to boast as those
of 100000. No city in the United States is we'll
administered any city of corresponding size in
England, France Germany, and what call good
city government here would hardly be tolerated
there; yet nobody comparing national administra
ton of government with their national administration
Of government with their national administration
would feel called to apologize for anything.
The World does not undertake to solve the rid
die of the Crokers. but there 1t is for anybody who
thinks he can guess the answer.