The Twentieth Century City (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1898 edition. Excerpt: ...of schemes to defeat the will of democracy ever devised in the world." Evidently democracy in our larger cities has failed. So general has become the distrust of our cities, that for years we have relied on the country vote to save the state and nation from the consequences of the city vote. And though our great cities have shown themselves incapable of selfgovernment, they have not brought upon either the country or themselves the full natural consequences of their ignorance and corruption, because in important particulars the state has controlled and restrained them. We are now prepared to weigh the gravity of the fact that more than onehalf of our population will soon be urban, and that in due time we shall be a nation of cities. If the rate of the movement of population from country to city, between 1880 and 1890, continues until 1920, there will then be in the United States 10,000,000 more people in our cities than outside of them. If the rate of growth above referred to is not sustained, it will make a difference of a few years only, as the preponderance of our city population in the near future must be regarded as certain. The cities will then no longer accept limitations from the state, but, when they have become fully conscious of their power, will take into their hands not only their own affairs, but also those of the state and of the nation. What if the cities are then incapable of self-government? If their gov eminent is then "a conspicuous failure" what will become of our free institutions? Someone will quote Lord Macaulay's saying that the remedy for the evils of liberty is more liberty; but whether this prescription is wise, or otherwise, depends. No form of government is absolutely best. That is best which...