Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-03-26
Springfield gepnhlie
MONDAY EVENING. MARCH rs. 1883.

MONDAY EVENING MARCH rs. 1888.
THE PROPOSED CHtNGE OF GRIDE.
We are not OF those who hold our present
city government utterly incompetent and
wholly bad; indeed. we believe that we
have one of the best governed cities in the
state, that our taxes and debt are as low, If
not over, than any other city of our size
in the state. and yet we know radical
change of Somekind is necessary, either in
the administration or form of our govern
ment, and in our issue of March 9th, before
the Inauguration of the present reform
movement, We called attention to this
matter by showing from statistics of many
eastern and western cities that
while our rate of taxation was
much higher We have poorer
streets and fewer improvements. The first
question TO be determined. then. is-What
Is responsible for the existing condition of
affairs? Is it the class of men we elect to
office? Is il the form of our government
or is it both? Having determined this
question, We can then intelligently seek a
remedy and discuss the changes proposed
by the committee. Laws do not execute
themselves, and no matter how wise or
good they may be in themselves, they will
not result in the best possible good unless
administered by honest and competent
men. We now have many good mel in
our city council, board of education and
city offices, and always have had. The
responsibility, therefore. does not rest
wholly with the class of men elected to
Office, but partly, at least, with our form of
government. Exceptionally good men have
been nominated for the Offices this spring:
it is our duty to elect them and to so i'm
prove our form of government that they
can give us better results than have hereto
fore been realized or possible.
We believe the.constitution of the United
States is the wisest and best form of gov
ernment by the people, whether in large
communities or in small that has ever
been devised by man. The distinctive
features of this are first legislative de-
partment, having all the legislative power;
second an executive exercising all the ex-
ecutive power, and third judicial depart
ment having all the judicial power
Prior to the creation of our police court.
the mayor exercised the judicial rather than
the executive power, and the council had
bsth the legislative and executive power.
The police court was enc step in the right
direction. but the council, our city legisla-
ture, still retains and exercises the execu-
tive power, and the next step should be to
divorce this power from the legislative and
vest it in the executive department.
We have not the only city in which this
conditi on exists, nor is this the first time
the separation of the legislative and execu-
tive functions has been suggested as REM
edy.
The Commercial Gdzette, a year
ago, in an able srticle on Gov
ernment of Cities" among other
things, said: Governor Tilden appointed
afommission in 1877; the Pennsylvania
Legislature one in 1876, to report acomplete
organic law for all the cities of thuse states; !
the city of St Louis the same for COM |
plete charter for that city, in 1877; the cit
les of Boston, Mass, and Buffalo, !
\. Y, the same in 1884. These COM
missions all set forth that the grea. |
defect in the city governments is in |
that joining of legislative and executive |
functions which has grown from the par
iSh and village orders, and in that distribu- |
tion of administration among boards which |
dissipates responsibility among the admin
istrators, and practically destroys the re-
sponsibility to the electors. In short, they
set forth that the people have had no
chance to govern themselves, because there |
has been no real organization of |
& gDyernment, and they all advise
a large increase of the responsibility Of the |
executive"
1t appears, therefore, that the distinctive
fe ature of the plan recommended by the
committee-yiz., the separation of the ex-
ecutive from the legislative functiOn-is not
only correct in principle, but has the sane
ton of examination and experience else
where. of some details in the plan we do
not approve, tut we think it is step in
the right direction, that better results,
10 wer taxes, and more and better improve
ments are not only possible, but probable,
und er the reform, and that therefore every
citizen, notwithstanding he may take ex-
ception to some of the minor details of the
plan, should vote ''for advancement"
The plan does not make any radical
changes, and most of the objections that
have been offered soon vanish under discus
sion or a more careful examination of the
plan. i
Already the city council has directed the
solicitor to prepare bill for police COM
mission, and under existing laws this could be
had by appointment only, and the bill would
probably have provided for the appoint
nent OF the commission, as the commits
,ions in Dayton and Cincinnati are ap-
pointed viz: by the governor. or as in
Nenla by the judge of the common pleas {
,ourt. No one objected to this and on Just
what principle man fayOrs the appoint
nent of these commissions by the governor,
elected by the whole state, or by a Judge,
,!ected by a large district, and objects to
heir appointment by a mayor, subject to
he approval of city council, both elected
'oleIy by the electors of the city, we con-
ess our inability to understand. The other
,oards are public works. library, hospital,