The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1890-12-18
nom. JOHN q. MoHHoT on MuEIo'
IfAL hEfohm,i


Hon, John u, MonnOt contributes Q
valuable article 10 the Cleveland Press
Of December Is, on the needed reform
Ia municipal government, lie first
calls attention 70 the various political
sehemea, which have been enacted into
law by the two political parties In con
tTol, from time 10 time, Of the Ohio
legislature, and how huftful some OF
these schemes have been 10 the tax
payers Of tho municipalities disturbed
with such legislation, His plan OF gov
enment, stated briefly Is as follows
sin nay opinion this abuse of the leg
ialatiye power ID prolific OF more bad
city government than any other one
cause, What ID needed Is general law
under which all cities Of certain grades
shall DO organized and governed ana q
constitutional amendment forbiddlng
all local legislation Let the cities be
organized under this general municipal
code aud lot the bs no Legislative In
terferenee, An cities OF the same class
win then be governed according 10 tho
aame general law, This new municipal
code should be based upon tho aocalled
federal plan, No government 10 good
that 10 not responsible 10 q central
authority, Upon themayOr should rent
the responsibility Of The conduct Of the
city government Hence he should
have the power OF appointment and re'
moyal Of all heads OF departments, who
would be responsible 10 him aud he TO
the people, No true responsibility for
malfeaaanoe aud malyeraatlona can at
zach 10 him unless he has tho absolute
power OF appointment, coupled with
tho power 70 remove for cause,
True, II 10 urged that TO thus clotfe the
mayor with sufficient power 10 hold the
subordinate officers responsible, Ia 10
give him the means whereby hO can
build up q political machine and thus
secure his own reelection, In answer
10 this critIciam II may be said that II
he gives 10 the city an efficient and eco
nomical administration he ought 10
be selected, and II no does not do
this no machine will long keep him In
onlce, This evil OF patronage ana
power Ia leba Objectionable than the OK
iatence OF u set OF officers elected orap-
pointed without responsibility 10 any
central authority, For examples To
whom 10 the street commissioners or
chief Of police, or the council commit
tee on sidewalks, or sewers, or lights,
OF the city OF Canton responalbleY The
street commissioner la responsible TO
no one. the chief OF police Ia In the
same situation; the sidewalks and sew
ers Of the city are each under the con-
troll OF an irresponsible committee OF
three or more oounolmen, who receive
no pay for their services, and are re
sponaible 10 no one, Our city govern
ment ia u government OF irresponsible,
non aalarled commlttees.'
10 will be seen by the above state
mbnt that Mr.. Monnot desires n gov
where there is q responsible
head, and where the people can lx that
responsibility, and Mr., Monnot would
TX that responsibility on the Mayor,
lle goes further than this He would
divorce city government from politics
entirely, no that the entire city govern
ment would be run on strictly business
principles. This is doubtless the cor
rect principle, but how can that princi'
pie be enforced In city where the Of
llcera aro all nominated by party eau
1u0Sos, and whore there Is no chance TO
give business principles chance,
Grover Cleveland, rs President OF the
United states, gave this country a busl-
ness administration, aud conceded 10
be the best for q quarter Of u century
Of our history, lie was beaten, how
ever for reelection, by combine
of all the Vicious elements
Of our politics, supported by
Of corruption money,
and u mere machine man, the tool Of
trusts and combines was placed In the
White uouse. Now everything from
the spIttoon cleaner Of a department
clerk 10 justice Of the supreme court is
q am0chlne Republican. Even the fed
eral oensus Is u delusion, cheat aud a
lle, This record teaches ua that in Or
dor 10 secure any substantial reform In
government, whether federal, state or
we must have the hearty
interest aud co operation Of the whole
body Of our citizens, We shall refer TO
this subject more at length In the i'm
future,
We see merit, however,
In Mr.. Monnots proposition to
have q general municipal code for the
government Of all cities Of the same
grade Opposition TO ripper legislation
Is Democratic. Home rule is now, and
always has been, bed rock Democratic