188 PEKILS. — THE CITY. 



Who are these men? The wise, the good, the learned- 

 men who have earned the confidence of their fellow- 

 citizens by the purity of their lives, the splendor of their 

 talents, their i:>robity in public trusts, their deep study 

 of the problems of government? No ; they are gamblers, 

 saloon-keepers, pugilists, or worse, who have made a 

 trade of controlling votes and of buying and selling 

 offices and official acts."^ It has come to this, that hold- 

 ing a municipal office in a large city almost impeaches a 

 man's character. Known integrity and competency 

 hopelessly incapacitate a man for any office in the gift 

 of a city rabble. In a certain western city, the admin- 

 istration of the mayor had convinced good citizens that 

 he gave constant aid and comfort to gamblers, thieves, 

 saloon-keepers and all the worst elements of society. 

 He became a candidate for a second term. The i^romi- 

 nent men and press of both parties and the ministry of 

 all denominations united in a Citizens' League to defeat 

 him ; but he was triumphantly returned to office by the 

 "lewd fellows of the baser sort." And again, after a 

 desperate struggle on the part of the better elements to 

 defeat him, he was re-elected to a third term of office. 



Popular government in the city is degenerating into 

 government by a "boss." During his visit to this 

 country, Herbert Spencer said : ' ' You retain the forms 

 of freedom ; but so far as I can gather, there has been a 

 considerable loss of the substance. It is true that those 

 who rule you do not do it by means of retainers armed 

 with swords ; but they do it through regiments of men 

 armed with voting papers, who obey the word of com- 

 mand as loyally as did the dependents of the old feudal 

 nobles, and who thus enable their leaders to override the 



1 Progress and Poverty, p. 382. The twenty-eight leaders of Tam- 

 many," which organization governs New York City, are thus classified by 

 The Evening Post: Twenty-eight professional politicians; one convicted 

 murderer; one tried for murder and acquitted; one indicted for felonious 

 assault; one indicted for bribery; four professional gamblers; five gam- 

 bling-house or " dive " keepers; four liquor-dealers; five former liquor- 

 dealers; three sons of liquor-dealers; three former pugilists; four former 

 "toughs; " six members of the Tweed gang, and seventeen office holders. 



