The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-10-11
MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS.
CITY OF GALVESTON
GIBBETS GRAFT.
rom Omaha QNeb.) News.

From Omaha (Neb.) News
lave you ever heard Of an Ameri-
can city without graft, without fee
grabbing, without crooked politics and
politicians, without a boss system; a
city where the tax rate goes steadily
down while the town itself goes for
ward; a city where thare are no
leaks in the strong box; a city well
%policed, Systematically administered
after genuine business methods, and
honestly governed; a city wher the
voice of the individual voter is para
mount, without the wire-pulling of
conventions, red tape and demagog-
ism?
Have you ever heard of a city
where such a state of affairs mas ex-
listed, not only for n year, but for
six years, and where honest munich
pal government is practically guar
anteed for all time?
Galveston is the place, in the big,
vigorous Lone Star State.
They go right to the root of things
in Texas. When they REFORM they re-
form in fact, not in platforms and
public speeches.
When they find crooked gangs in
power and a city decides in favor of
a new regime. they not only turn the
rascals out but they make it impossi-
BILE for them ever to get ia again.
Six years ago came the great gulf
storm. After it had passed Galveston
was PROSTATE, her wharves destroy
ed, her buildings dismantled, her
streets a Wilderness, her credit tot
tering, ner government knocked
down and put.
1t was a moment for great things,
and out of that moment cam the COM
mission plan. Galveston's government
had been neither much better nor
much worse thai that of other Ameri-
can cities of her class. But if ever a
city demanded honest, wise, onom-
ical administration, Galveston needed
it then.
So unique and remarkable is this
plan that American municipalities the
country over cannot escap a very
deep interest in following up in de-
tail the methods by which Galveston
has shaker off the greatest menace
of every city, the menace of extrava-
CANT or inefficient or crooked govern
ment.
Scarcely a city but has it's boss or
its political cabinet. Scarcely a city
where the treasury does not leak a
little.
Scarcely a city where there is not
waste and extravaganza and at least
one public official fattening at the *
pense of the tax payers.
Scarcely a city, too, where there
has not beer at some time a fierce
crusade in behalf of better govern
me1t, and scarcely a city, which is
the saddest fact, where reform has
not sooner or later given up in de-
spair and left the Golfers and the Of
fees and the perquisites and the job
berry and the bride taking and giving.
and the whole fabric of administra-
tive government to the old crowd, DR.
to the new crowd, which is worse than
the old one dared to be, because, just
as prohibition does not prohibit, re-
form never seemed to reform.
l. nat Is LII Dcduty VI tile GdiNSSIOA
plan-reform does reform, and keeps
on reforming.
A a and several commissioners
are voted for in a primary. Anybody
may become a candidate, provided
that twenty-five citizens indorse him.
The administration is divided into
four Or five or more different depart
ments. Galveston is divided into but
four, the department of finance, the
department of water works and sew
erage. the department of FIRE, streets
and police, and the department of
electric lights and public property.
Other cities have slightly different
divisions, but the fundamental idea
is Identical.
After the primary election the two
candidates who have received the
highest number of votes are voted for
at a regular election. At any time,
however. a special election may be
called at the demand OF 25 per cent