The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-05
LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM.
Suggestion for a Substitute for
Boards of County Commissioners.
e Editor of the indianapolis Journal:

To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
The Republican party by its platform,
stands pledged to reform our county and
township governments. 1t is gratifying to
know that the leaders of the party are al
ready manifesting a determination to keep
that pledge. The plan for the government
of these subdivisions Of the State was adopt
ed long years ago, at time when COON
skins were legal tender and when the pio-
neer settlers were devotng their days TO
telling trees and their nights to burning
log heaps. This region was then thinly
populated, and it would seem that the sys-
tenn was devised for the special purpose OF
causing the people as little concern as pos
sible. Like all political expedients. it is full
of inherent evils. AS result of the system
there is scarcely a county or township in
the State that has not been scandalized by
official corruption. The reformation of these
governments has been too long delayed, and
now that the work is about to be under
taken it is of the utmost Importance that
it should be well done and that the scheme
now adopted should be in line with the best
thought of the age.
When an exhaustive analysis has been
made it will be found that the system is
best which offers the fullest opportunity for
the development of the individual. How to
govern d great extent of territory without
encroaching upon the freedom of the indi-
vidual has been the political problem of
the ages. Greece sacrificed union to lib
erty. Rome sacrificed liberty to union. In
both cases the result was disastrous. The
authors of the federal Constitution over
came the difficulty by placing every citizen
of this Nation under dual government.
The federal government within it's proper
sphere is made supreme. The state govern
ment within it's proper sphere is also SUI
preme. This is said to be the greatest piece
of constructive craftsmanship the world
has ever known. 1t made it possible for
Webster to proclaim, Liberty and Union.
now and forever, one and inseparable."
l believe that the attention of the people
generally is given to national affairs to such
an extent that local government suffers
from neglect This condition, if continued,
will react disastrously upon the federal gov
eminent itself and ultimately result in polit-
ical stagnation and decay. The federal
structure is best supported when it rests
on the shoulders of strong men and women
who are accustomed to manage well their
home affairs. Such changes, therefore,
should be brought about as will place the
local government more directly in the hands
of the people and permit more general
participation by the taxpayers themselves
in the actual management of township and
county affairs.
When the Massachusetts convention was
celebrating upon the federal Constitution,
which had been submitted to it for adop1
ton or rejection, that section which au-
thorized Congress to establish home for
the national government, and for that pur-
pose to exercise exclusive control over a
tract of land not exceeding ten miles square,
was pointed out as Il source of danger The
idea of setting aside one hundred square
miles of territory over which Congress
might wreak its tyranny was appalling. One
delegate graVely announced that if this dis
trict We're reduced to one square mile he
might withdraw his objections to the Con-
Sututlon. Contrast the condition of mind
which then prevailed among our New Eng
land forefathers who knew the value of
Sef-goVernment with the mental stupidity
displayed by us in the matter of local gov
eminent The county in which live elk
harD has an area of nearly five hundred
corporated towns and sixteen townships,
and has q total population of more than
nifty thousand. And yet the entire business
interests Of this county are in the hands
OF three men. Could absurdity go further?
III any two of them see fit to combine
against the third then the two have I'M
pounded sway. They make all contracts, al
low all Claims fix the tax rate and disburse
the funds This vast volume Of business
that is astonishing There is no time for
thought discussion or enlightenment They
can transact the public business in a cellar
or in a garnet with equal facility and the
taxpayers be none the wiser. The county is
a public corporation; the commissioners
constitute its board of directors. What pri-
vate corporation would be content to in
trust business of such magnitude in the
hands of three directors only?
AS board of directors it is their prov
1nce to manage the business interests of the
county, but in addition to this they also
Tor certain purposes, constitute a court
They act in double capacity. AS a court
they must pass upon questions of law, con-
duct trials, hear and determine cases 1t is
We'll known that the average board of com
mHlssioners Is not qualified to discharge the
functions oil a court. But few commission
ers have any knowledge of the law and
know but little about demurrers, answers
are they enabled to perform their duties as
judges? 1t is done by substitute. by proxy
Ihey employ a lawyer, who is generally
styled the county attorney" By reason of
his knowledge of the law he virtually be-
comes the court and the commissioners De-
come his servants. This fact is all the more
astonishing When we remember that there
Is no such officer as county attorney known
to the law. Neither the Constitution nor
the Legislature has provided for such an
agent.
The evils pertaining to county government
cannot be remedied by any method for the
making of contracts allowing claims and
auditing accounts that the Legislature may
prescribe. The disease lies deeper than any
seclusion and eXclusiveness in the conduct
of public business. Too much of ii is done
behind closed doors and drawn curtains
The cure can be found only in a system that
Will bring everything into the sunlight-a
system that will lead to elaboration and
discussion, and any government other than
government by free full and fair discus
sion is tyranny. To attain this result the
board Of commissioners should be super
seeded by county council composed of rep
resentatives from every township. ii should
be a legislative body pure and simple, and
all judicial power should be transferred to
the circuit court. where 1t belongs.
We have drifted too far away from the
principle so dear to the hearts of English
speaking people and which has given them
their proud position in the worlds affairs.
We must return to the principle of home
by the people and for the people. To be
skillful performer on the piano one must
have constant practice at the keyboard.
Likewise, If we are TO be a nation of self
governing citizens we must have actual eN-
perience in the art of self-government We
Importance OF local self-goVernment. IL is
the saving principle of our Republic Ii is
the fountain of youth 1t supplies the means
by which a nation may be perpetually re-
newed The nation that drinks of its pure
water can no more grow old than humanity
can grow old The nation that will not suf-
fer this fountain to be polluted can only
perish when humanity shall perish. The
fact that a people are vigilant and exacting
i'm their local affairs is the most hopeful in
dication of future security. To the average
citizen home rule Is vastly more important
than federal control The county court
house is near at hand; Washington is far
away. If township, town. city, county and
state governments are guided by wisdom,
prudence and economy the people can with