Mr. Charles Richardson, vice-president of the National Municipal League,
in seeking the causes for the non-participation of large taxpayers in
efforts to secure good government in cities, finds the following among
other reasons:
1st. Because they fear that their opposition to influential
politicians may be punished by an increase in their assessments for
taxation, or by a loss of custom or employment, or by some other
action injurious to their personal or business interests.
2nd. Because as investors, employees, or otherwise, they have or
hope to have some pecuniary interests in corporations, contracts,
or offices, which would be much less profitable under a government
too pure to be corrupted, and too intelligent to be outwitted.
3rd. Because they believe that it pays better in dollars and cents
to submit to existing abuses than to expend the time and money
required for a long and difficult series of political contests.
4th. Because they consider that national legislation affects their
personal interests far more than any probable action of their local
government, and that their national party must therefore be
supported in its efforts to strengthen itself by securing complete
control of local affairs.
5th. Because they believe the local machine of the opposition party
is still worse than their own, and that to promote its success by
wasting their votes on a third ticket would only be jumping out of
the frying pan into the fire.
6th. Because they have no faith in the possibility of subjecting
politics to the principles of common honesty, or public affairs to
the methods of intelligent business.
This list is not complete, but it is sufficiently formidable to
show that the progress of reform principles among the taxpayers
must continue to be slow and difficult, unless city government can
be made to appear much more important and interesting than it has
hitherto seemed to be.