The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1903-02-05
About Town Government.

iciatiFe W TOPIC thhJ Il DplHR gwen II
tention BY our cit z.ns a. tni- tim:
Gardiner, January 27th, 1903
Mr. Lewis Anderson,
o"heRan. Maine
NJ dear Mr.. Anderson:
have been away for 4 WeeH
and found your letter on my return. Ia.
nlghf. The copy Of the Act 10 establish
a Town Council turned up this morning
am keenly interested In the question
OF municipal government, and especially
so IN the phase Of it which you are bring
Ing 10 an issue at SkOwhegan | Wish
therefore that had time enough 10 cot
slider your letter more carefully and 10
answer II more fully before your meet
ing tonight.
On general principles | favor town
government, and | have always been
glad that Skowhegan ard Brunswick
have resisted the temptation to adopt n
city charter There is no better govern
ed municipality in the country than
Brookline, Mass, where, in spite of thu
great size OF the place and the enormous
number of voters they still adhere to the
old town meeting. They have recently
proposed changing their method some
what, by having Town Council elected
TO attend to the ordinary business of the
place, but, as | understand, they propose
to continue the town meeting for all in
portant questions by providing for sp-
peal and reference from the decision Of
the Town Council
Brunswick, too, is about the best gov
erned place in our State, and they al
here to the old town meeting.
The practical objection to governmei I
by town meeting may however become
so acute as to demand radical cure. In
Brunswick and Bowdoin they have al
unusual proportion of highly intelligent
citizens, who give time and thought TO
municipal questions and see to il that
their town meetings are really open
meetings aud that things are intelligently
discussed. Most Of us are not so lucky,
and when 1t gets to the point where H
great proportion of the citizens are un-
able or unwilling to express themselves
II Is time to do something about IL
our sketch OF the way things are run
by smart, tOnguey lawyers puts the
whole thing in nut she'll
| believe that the one thing we all
ought to fight, first, last and all the time
is professional politics and city chart
er opens the door to the whole outfit of
that despicable profession. We have a
city charter here and we know by sad
experience. | cannot think of a sing lie
intelligent, public spirited man in Gaidi.
ner, who would not do every thing In his
power TO substitute a town council for
our present city government II it were
possible by any legitimate means to
make the change. We are working now
to cobble up some of the holes in our
system but have little hope of accom-
plishing much. The real Influence in
favor of the city form of government
comes, almost always, from those who
see profit for themselves In the jobbery
for which the machinery of city gov.
eminent gives the opportunity. Small
city governments run the expenses up,
as you say, and | think, If you look
around, you will agree with me that
every one of them is rotten. | know we
are, and Bath and Augusta and Water
vile, there may be some sheep among
the goats but | have not found them.
Ny conviction is that If you want to
give yourselves over to the politicians,
bound hand aud foot, you want to take
out city charter.
AS to booming the town and all that,
old fashioned simplicity in the town of
Skowhegan, which you would be very
sorry to lose. When a man gets too big
to live in house and has to have a "resi-
dence" or "mansion" | think be Is
bidding for importance in the cheapest
kind of way. You will give up an indl-
viduality and dignity which is worth
money besides being satisfaction to
~ ha, do,
good old town name.
In your proposed Act it seems to me
that you have hit the best working form
of government. | wish we could do the
same thing. | would change a few
things, if could, though the main point
is, believe, just right. | would not have
any division with wards, but would elect
all my aldermen at large. The excuse
for wards is that mans interest and
vote is bounded by his own immediate
vicinity; but it is pretty poor man who
cannot see round the town of Skowhegan
and vote as ntelligently for the good of
the town as he would for his own street,
block or ward. You know as well as |
do-probably better-that Glasgow
from being one of the worst governed
cities in the world is now almost the
best; and that the entering wedge of he
force which drove the politicians out of
trade there was the adjustment of the
ward idea ia the election of alderme n.
Local divisions are exactly what the poll
tician needs; he can always "work"
wards enough to make good government
difficult, but he is thrown out where you
elect at large. If you cannot adopt this
principle fully Gas am very sure Is the
case, for people are not awake to it yeti
you might have, say q of your council
elected by the citizens at large. This
modification would, think, be popular,
and know it would work we'll.
| would have a provision for referen-
DUN ON any measure-properly restrict.
ed of eourse-by petition orotherwise. |
would also have provision for nomina.
tons by direct primaries under the gen.
eral ballot law. The caucus ia the
stronghold of the political thimble-rigger
Wherever they have direct primary
law it has worked like a charm. Politi-
clans hate 1t, and that is the best COM
mendation you can have of it.
| wish | could write more, but | must
stop II | am going to catch the noon
mail.
Sincerely yours,
HENRY RICHARDS.