MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT IN GERMANY. 75 



standard of efficiency that should prevail. We see too 

 often the worst men in charge, and the best citizens either 

 totally repelled by the character of the associations pre- 

 vailing in our city halls, or only spasmodically aroused 

 to take a share in the management of local affairs ; and 

 when they do come forward they are apt to find themselves 

 hopelessly handicapped in their efforts by the radical de- 

 fects of the system and the numerous adverse influences 

 prevailing around them. We see the spirit of sectionalism 

 dominating the councils of the city, and the system of gov- 

 ernment operating to encourage the men representing the 

 different localities in combining to " log-roll" extravagant 

 measures into operation, for the gratification of their con- 

 stituencies and to the injury of the community as a 

 whole. This curse of sectionalism, so discouraging to pub- 

 lic spirit and giving evil character to our entire political 

 structure from the councils of our nation down to the 

 wards and precincts in our cities has of late been on the 

 increase. In our own city government of Boston it has 

 been extended, through legislative action, for the sake 

 of political results, and it forms a most undesirable feat- 

 ure of nearly all the municipal governments in Massachu- 

 setts. As to our Massachusetts cities in general, there 

 is too great a diversity of form. The varieties of city 

 charters existing have something of the appearance of ex- 

 perimental samples. Some cities have powers which other 

 cities have not. There is no ground for showing favorit- 

 ism to localities any more than to individuals, and the 

 plea of "peculiar local needs" in excuse for these differ- 

 ences is a specious one. There is no reason why any one 

 city should have different rights or privileges from those 

 enjoyed by another. Our cities in Massachusetts have 

 now become so numerous that the legislature might do 

 well to provide for a special commission to study the ques- 



