The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-02-04
County and Town Supervisor
ta. System.

There is now a bill before the Legisla-
ture of this State, to change the Co. Sup
eryisor system back to the Town Super
visor system, as it existed prior to 1861.
The people OF the county we, believe,
were not generally favorable TO the change
at the time it was made; what the present
state. of public sentiment may be, we have
not the means Of judging. The argu-
rment we think is in favor of the Town
system of Supervisors We reproduce a
portion of the report made in the Assem-
bly, in 1861 from the minority of the
committee, on Town and County organ
iZation. @jsi bah
Section 20 of article of the Constitu-
ton declares as follows. "The Legislature
may confer upon the Boards of Supervis-
ors of the several counties OF the State
such power of tlocal legislation and adj
ministrative character as they shall from
time to time prescribe" ~ f
To suppose the trainers Of the Consti
tuition intended to confer the power OF
! local legislation upon three or more com
mssioners i'll county-evasively by this
bill called Supervisors is absurd. The
term supervisor has acquired a legal sig
MITIGATION in all states, where such person
is known as town or county officer.
The trainers of the BILL now before the
Legislature were obliged to resort TO eva
sion and misnomer, by substituting the
name OF Supervisor for that Of COMMITS
sioner-thus attempting to shun, the OBJ
vious intent Of the Constitution. 1t is a
+ noticeable fact that all the petitions,
which have been offered in the Legisla-
ture pray for the creation of county
Commissioner" The office of Commission
. er being unknown to the Constitution, this
bill proposes indirectly, to create such Of
fcer by labelling him Supervisor
This bill ought not to pass, because it
is retrogressiveaand incompatible with the
progress of governments. the enlightened
, tendency of free government, is the diff
fusion of representative power, among
, the people; this bill contracts the represen-
tative privileges of the people, and con-
centrates power in a few. Every organ
lied town is distinct corporation, and
sustains similar relations to county that,
q county sustains to a state. kThe system Of
|county supervisors gives each town its
local representative, SO that the local
rights Of each town may receive proper
attention. The commissioner system Sc
cures no such advantages to the people
AS has already been stated, the Consti-
tuition of the state contemplates the inyes-
ting of boards of supervisors with power
, of local legislation. Is it intended if the
commissioner system is adopted, to confer
on commissioners the power of legislation,
to the extent which the constitution con-
, templates, shall be conferred on boards of
supervisors? The reasoning that small
bodies are as safe repositories OF power as
large ones, is fallacious, and entirely at
variance with the theory of our govern
ment; indeed if this theory is correct,
then the popular doctrine of represen.
tative government is mere sham. Fur
thermore, if few men can transact bust
ness as safely and satisfactorily tor the
people of county, as larger number,
then there can be no good reason
assigned why the theory of small
Legislative bodies, should not be adj
opted by the state. The same degree
OF: intelligence and business talent is pre-
sumed to reside in the counties as in the
state, for the state is made up of counties.
Proceeding then, on this principle,
the Legislature, instead of fixing the basis
of representation in the Assembly at one
hundred, should reduce it to twenty, and
the Senate should be proportionately di
m;nished If it is urged that large leg
slature is demanded, to secure the rights
lof the counties in the state, then it holds
also good, that system of county govern
ment, which represents the local demands
of each town, Is equally desirable.
But the reason urged for q change in our
system of county government, is, that it
will save expense; indeed, this is about
the only reason set forth in the petitions
asking for change, and by those who
seek this measure of legislation. It is
thefore proposed to deprive three fourths
of the towns in the state of an immedi |
ate representation in county legislation,
in order to secure a small saving of mon
ey. The idea that a cheap government is |
the best, is an absurdity. Wisconsin
might so contriye a government, that the |
bare expense of running it's machinery,
would cost but a triffe. But while saw
ing of money for the mere business of
governing, might besecured, the rights Of
persons and property would be imperil-
led, and all the advantages Of a represen
tative government entirely defeated. Cheap
governments, like cheap schools, may
crafty a propensity for supposed money
saving but have no merit on the score oil
enlightened economy IF il is better econo-
my for a county To trust the management {
OF Its affairs to three or four men, than tol
fifteen or twenty, then by parity Of reas-
oning,a small legislative body would be
money saving to the State A State Board
of Commissioners, composed Of some half
dozen men, could, no doubt, do the law
making for the people, at d far less ex-