

MISGOVERNMENT OF GREAT CITIES. 309 



Mr. Shorey here admits judgment by confession, and his opportu- 

 nities for knowing whereof he affirms are especially favorable. With- 

 out waiting to determine whether, as Mr. Shorey says, the man who 

 makes merchandise of a public trust is less culpable than the other 

 man who purchases what the trustee offers for sale, we will at least 

 agree that we have fallen upon evil times, if the public interests are to 

 be subordinated to the office-holder's cupidity. 



It is not strange if private corporations, finding that they can only 

 obtain legitimate privileges and authority by the payment of a certain 

 largess or bounty, attempt to secure, perhaps, by the payment of an 

 additional fee, perquisites and privileges which a proper regard for 

 the public interests would deny them. 



The magnitude of this danger can not be exaggerated. Private 

 rights and interests are jeopardized, and, if maintained at all, are only 

 so maintained at the price of an expensive litigation, which is a sub- 

 stantial denial of justice. Competition is prevented or crushed out 

 by the potent agency of gold, and the public, bound hand and foot by 

 its own trusted agents, is surrendered to the greed and avarice of pri- 

 vate corporations. 



The practice of purchasing municipal legislation is not peculiar to 

 American cities. Thomas Hare, in " Macmillan's Magazine," says, as 

 to London : " The ascertained cost of legislation, to the companies 

 who are forced to seek it, is enormous. Railway bills have cost from 

 £650 to £1,000 per mile. Power to make twenty-nine miles of rail- 

 road cost the Hereford Company £250,000, equal to $1,250,000 ; and, 

 before a spade was put in the ground, the Great Northern Railway 

 had paid £420,000, or $2,100,000, in parliamentary costs ! " 



Is it not reasonable to expect that companies paying such enormous 

 charges will attempt to obtain privileges and concessions somewhat 

 commensurate with the outlay involved ; and that they will endeavor 

 to recoup from the public the money which they have paid in securing 

 their charter privileges ? 



No opposition will be offered to this proposition : 



" It should be practicable for any corporation to obtain a legiti- 

 mate and proper franchise without the payment of fees for legislative 

 favors. It ought always to be understood that illegitimate privileges 

 or concessions prejudicial to the interests of the community could not 

 be obtained at any price." 



The recent developments in the matter of the Broadway Surface 

 Railroad disclose a condition of affairs not only disgraceful to the 

 venal participants in the infamy, but perilous to the community. It 

 does not seem too much to demand that the municipal government 

 be placed on a basis which will protect the public against such a pros- 

 titution of municipal powers. 



The security of the public in all these cases is in the personnel of 

 the city government. If it is practicable to put into that government 



