Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-24
NoNpARrISAN CRY GOvERNMENr-


1t goes without saying that the tend
ency of American municipal manage
ment is on the line of the nonpartisan
ideal. The difficulty encountered UP TO
this time by municipal reform advo-
Gates has been to imprOyise a scheme
for nonpartisan nominations without
making choice of candidates nominated
by existing parties or organizing an in
dependent party pledged to municipal
reform.
The most novel and by all odds the
most practical scheme for diyesting
municipal government from all party
bias has been i~mprovised and recon-
mended by the municipal code commits
sion of Ohio. That commission was ap-
pointed by Governor Bushnell in April,
1898, and its report will be submitted
to the legislature about to convene in
January.
The Ohio ideal charter for the gov
eminent of cities divides all municipali-
ties into two clasSes-cities and villages.
The only difference between cities Is in
the number of officers created by city
ordinances. The responsibility for
municipal government is divided be-
tween mayor and council. The eXecu-
tive functions de~volving upon the
mayor are limited only by the num-
Der and character of appointivc offices,
which are subdivided into four depart
ments on what is known as the federal
ala, nh, I-,l, - tlA, gn,,V, an gt
ments will be appointed by the mayor
without advice or confirmation by the
council and will be responsible TO the
mayor alone. The mayor may remove
mt will any of these directors. This
plan fixes the responsibility for the mis-
use of power on one man, who will be
accountable to the voters for every fail
urc to perform executive duties.
To guard against a misuse of the APP
pointing power Il complete merit sys-
TEN will be applied to every executive
officer. except the mayor and heads of
departments. The city councils are to
be reduced to one chamber, composed of
seven members, three of whom shall be
elected by the city at large and four by
councilmanic districts.
The most novel and interesting fea-
ture Of the new departure is, however.
the nonpartisan election scheme. Nomi-
nations for municipal offices are to he
made by petition only, and no nominal
ton by caucus or convention will be
recognized. Political designation of
pnnlilntnS on thn hnllpt is nrphiIital
so that every voter will be compelled to
make intelligent selection. When party
conventions, caucuses or nominations
by primary elections are abolished the
nonpartisan principle will have fair
play.
Another striking feature of the pro-
posed Ohio code for cities is to be found
in dealing with franchises. 1t is pro-
posed that every city shall have the
right to own, control and manage its
own telephone, gas, electric lighting and
water plants after the people have de-
cided upon such action. Cities of over
$4,000 population shall nave the right
to own and operate their own street car
lines. No council can ALLEVIATE by gift,
sale or lease any franchise for any
public utility excepting upon submis-
sion to and approval by the people.
Abundant provision is, however, made
for protecting the rights of owners of
existing franchises.
The home rule section of the pro-
posed Ohio code Is also an innovation
that will meet with great favor among
municipal reformers. The amplest
power of self-government will be given
the municipalities, based upon the con
viction that the people of any given To-
cality know far better what they need
than the members of a legislature re-
siding in a hundred other localities.
Whether this Ohio idea will meet the
sanction of the incoming Ohio legisla-
ture is still p~rOblematic. The changes
proposed in the method of city govern
ment are so radically at variance with
the existing machinery for governing
Ohio cities. excepting alone in the fed
eral plan of responsible department
heads, that it is doubtful whether n
majority of the legislature can be con
verted. The pressure from political
bosses and corporation lobbyists will
also be hard to resist. In any event
the Ohio idea will become Il subject of
discussion in every section of the coun-
try and some, if not all, the reforms it
proposes will be engrafted upon the
charters of American cities.