Mr. Edward M. Shepard's Lecture

Mr. Edward M. Shepard, of New York, lectured last evening in the New Lecture Hall on "The Puritan and the Government of the Modern American City." Mr. Shepard pointed out that the growth of American cities has been so great that our political development and public life in the future must be largely dominated by conditions in the cities. There is, therefore, no greater political work than that of maintaining a high standard of municipal government. For a high standard to be possible in our heterogeneously populated cities Mr. Shepard said that these two principles must be adhered to--both in conflict with certain ideas of Puritanic reform: first, that partisanship should be maintained and strengthened in municipal politics,--always assuming that partisanship mean not service of party as an end, but the holding of party as a means to carry out policies for the general good; second, that municipal government should be a rule of order and liberty, rather than of order and constraint. There should be two parties in municipal politics: on one hand, the firm party in power, on the other, an eager party of criticism. And the government should give the maximum of order, but all liberty consistent with order and with decency.