Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-03-28
lcopyr,kht 1904 BY Frederick upham Adamsl

Copyright 1904. by Fred
".
YIN all save outer form the cities OF
Great Britain are much more DEM
ocratic In their methods Of gov
eminent than are ours. With
them the citizen exercises direct in
terest in public affairs. The city coun-
Gil is truly the representative Of the
mass of the electorate. 1t is tmpossi-
BILE for the members Of a council to go
far astray even If they were so dis
posed. The manner in which they do
these things on the other side may best
be illustrated by an instance which
came under my personal observation.
The city Of Manchester owns and OPP
crates its street railways, and it is also
q large stakeholder In the Manchester
Ship Canal company. For some time
It has been deemed necessary to raise
more money for the enlargement and
Improvement Of both Of these great en-
terprises, and for months prior to my
visit to Manchester special committees
If the council had been working on
ways and means to authorize and COM
plete these improvements. A bill was
finally drawn petitioning parliament
for power to issue bonds amounting to
a total Of about $7,b00,00O to raise
funds for these purposes. The council
adopted the measure. Ny attention
was first directed to the matter by
reading huge posters displayed in vari-
GUS parts Of the city announcing town
meeting of the free voters of Manches-
ter for the purpose Of taking final &C.
Issue.
1t Yves then that learned that in
this, az in all other important matters,
the voters had the right Of referen-
dunn. William Henry Talbot, for gen
GRAFTON the town clerk Of Manchester
; invited me to seat on the platform
and had opportunity to witness the
workings Of democracy in country
, classed as monarchy.
The huge gothic hall In which the
} free and Independent burgesses Of
J Manchester assembled to pass on the
! recommendations Of their common
council is capable Of seating four OF
five thousand persons, but 1t was moi
half filed when we entered. To the
right Of the platform was large mar
Of Manchester and Stafford showing the
plan Of the proposed street railway ex
tensions and the enlargement Of the
docking facilities.
RI Suppose" asked Town Clerk Tai
bot, that majority Of those present
vote against this measure. Does that
defeat all chance Of its passage"
ut would for the time being" re
sponded Mr.. Talbot. 1.-THE council
would hesitate to breach the matter
again, for a long while at least
lis there any decided opposition Il
the bIlf' asked. "Are there no prt
vate interests whose profits will be i'm
periled by the passage Of this act?"
Certainly there are" was the reply
1T authorizes the construction Of ten
, ement houses and cottages which vii
compete with those owned by members
Of the landlords association, and some
! Of them are here. and others are repre-
scented by their attorneys. Then many
ratepayers are opposed to the build
ing Of more trans or improving the
ship canal. They are here and will bt
heard"
, There are more than 100000 voters II
+ Manchester, and not more than 5000 Of
a them were In the hall when Lord May
e Tor Sham took his chair and adjusted
the official chain which was suspended
around his neck. was mystifed by
; the lack Of attendance on the part Of
the electorate Of Manchester.
What is there to prevent the oppos
. ing interests to this bill from packing
S the hall with their partisansY' asked
! my mind wandering back to Chicago
a New York and others centers of civil
f zation with which was familiar.
= mo one would dare attempt such {
thing" said the astounded and doubtful
y town clerk.
!, "But suppose they dared do it ant
e succeeded" ! insisted. what would
happen then7"
l. There would be bloody riot, dom
p you know" said Mr.. Talbot, with {
3 bland smile, and before could ques
ton him further the lord mayor mo
toned him to open the meeting. From
3 other sources equally reliable I hay,
q learned that Mr.. Talbot's prediction O.
L violence in the event Of q packed meet
y lins was entirely justinable.
The town clerk read the proposet
bill, and 1t was voted to take it up AM
q discuss It by sections. The lord mayo
moved the passage Of each section an,
70 called on some member Of the council
to second his motion. The question wa
then open to general debate, and an,
IS citizen Of Manchester could speak 70
IS or against It, Many speeches wer
|. made, and as result some unimpor
+ tant amendments were agreed to, an,
when every one had had his say tn
= motion to indorse the action of th
- council was put and passed without
: dissenting vote
What struck me as extraordinar,
1t WINS this: Here was q measure whicl
n combined in itself all that is radical IL
J. the movement for public ownership
It committed the city to closer part
. nership with private business cor
. tporatton 1t authorized large expendi
ture for houses which would compel
with those owned by landlords. It Pre-
g posed an extension Of municipal tram