Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1907-01-27
BY C. ARTHUR WILLIAMS

trary. the power Of the individual vo-
ter is increased and the boss and his
ability ana opportunity TO graft are
disposed OF more effectively than by
any other system vet worked out.
Even an honest MAYOR can make little
progress toward reform if a majority
Of his aldermen. councilmen or as
semblymen. as the case may be. are
against him IN more than one in
stance the forces which have placed
such mayor in office have been pow
erless To prevent the election Of dis
honest or incompetent minor officials.
OF OF u majority of the legislative body
from districts or wards which are sim
in control of corrupt politicians. I'm
der the commission plan such a mis-
carriage of the peoples viii is wen
nigh impossible. The commissioners
are all elected from the city at large.
with tie result that the ward heller
and he district leader are either shorn
of much of their power for evil or are
destroyed completely. The usual COM
binations and trades are difficult or
not possible of accomplishment. The
necessity of eiecting a board the MEM
bers Of which will give to the affairs
Of the city the same careful and rom
est attention they would bestow on
those OF any ordinary corporation of
which the were the directors. brings
business men to the front as candi-
dates. Representative men. who
would not consent to stand for alder
manic positions. knowing that. if sue
cessful at thee polls. they might sub
Sequently be rendered impOtent by a
corrupt majority in council. have been
found 10 be willing To announce them
selves for commissionerships The idea
of handling a city i'm business way
appeals to the business element Good
citizens who fail in their duty by being
9p3thetic in ordinary elections. be-
cause OF the apparent hopelessness Of
beating accomplished and dishonest
politicians at their own game. become
Interested in the election Of other good
citizens under the commission system.
corrupt or Inefficient commission
could work as much injury To a com
munity as an unfit board Of aldermen.
perhaps, but its election is much less
likely. At least. that has been the ex-
perience in Texas. and il is not plain
that the results achieved there can not
be successfully duplicated elsewhere.
Galveton at first attempted To copy
the District of Columbia plan very
closely. Under usual circumstances
any suggestion Of disfrauchisement
would have provoked an irresistible
storm Of protest. but when the people
awakened to the seriousness Of the
condition OF their town and its finan-
ces after the great storm they were
not only willin. but. apparently. anx-
ious. To forego the right Of suffrage
in order that the necessary steps To-
ward the rehabilitation Of the stricken
community might be made possible
Such steps could not be taken under
the old aldermanic form Of govern
ment with its attendant disturbing
elections. its cheap and disreputable
politics ana its large opportunities for
graft and waste. \ change was nee
essary. \ strictly business admins
tration was imperative. out Of the
serious consideration Of these facts by
the philosophical men of the place
the idea of turning affairs over to a
governor of the state. came into be-
ing
The state legislature was requested
to enact a law providing for the in
stallatiOn of the new system. Some of
its members. however. refused to sup
port any bill Qivesting the city's voters
of the right 10 select their own offic-
ials even though the voters them
selves were willing To relinquiSh that
right as a matter Of public policy. u
timately n compromise was affected
by which it was stipulated that the
proposed commission should be made
up OF three men appointed by the gov
erEO- and two elected by the people.
Such "A board took charge and contin-
Ued in control for some eighteen
months Then the state court Of
criminal appeals. in disposing Of a po-
lice case carried up to it, declared by