The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-15


imposed upon them whother or no. and
this, with the distinct intimation that
| the people were not to be trusted on
this matter, Yet there is in connection
! with the general idea Of this commis-
sion form Of government a number Of
propositions, which, If adopted would
compel a large number of elections.
The initiative and referendum are fav-
ored; Che latter especially in the mat
ter Of the granting of franchises. and
perhaps on other matters Of great i'm
portancc to the city as a whole There
is to be a primary or trial election
to select candidates. then a confrma'
tory election to choose the officials
from those candidates so selected. It
is admitted by the friends of the plan
that this programme would probably
call for good many elections. Very
likely it would And then, when the
three governing commissioners or die
tators are selected, If two Of them
would agree on some important PROPOSE.
ton against the judgment Of the third.
it is probable that this third member
could easily get up sufficient mum.
Der of initiative petitions to have an
election to decide the point upon which
the disagreement arose. This is where
the initiative would come in. For a
commissioner would probably be able
easily to get the required number Of
petitioners to propose legislation for
the final judgment Of the people in q
referendum vote.
We note, also, In the discussions OF
the Civic League sort of intolerance,
as If it were some sort of an offense,
possibly even o reprehensible offense,
for any one to fail to fall in with this
commission idea We consider that n
wrong spirit in which to approach a
proposition of this kind. The very
idea involved in q movement of this
sort is that there shall he a free, dis.
passionate discussion, non-partisan so
far as may be. and altruistic go far as
human nature is capable Of altruism.
1t does not seem TO US that it is good
idea. in discussing this commission plan
OF city government, to assume in the
first place that it is necessarily and
provably the best plan that can pos
sibly be adopted. The fact that the
large cities Of the country do not even
consider it as feasible proposition
should be sufficient to dispel the idea
that this is a specific remedy, avail
able in all cases and effective in all
cities. For ourselves, speaking without
any partisanship, without any preiu-
dice, or otherwise than directly and
positively in the interest Of the pub
lie welfare, we do not believe that the
commission idea is a good one for Salt
Lake. Our Constitution, our laws, are
all framed on the basis Of having a
Mayor and Council form of government.
The decisions OF our courts are all on
this line
1t seems to us that the true way
is to follow the lead of the larger cities,
and conform as closely as possible in
any proposed new form of govern
ment, to the statutes, and the court
decisions as we have them. If it is
claimed that three eminent, d!sinter-
ested citizens, willing to give their
time and care 10 the interests of the
public could be found, surely il will
not be denied that one such person
could be found to occupy tho Mayor $
chair 1t is easier to find one than
to find three. It is easier for one TO
agree upon a line Of policy than for
three to three. With three installed
forces of equal power, it is almost Ger
tain that two will control and one will
be the opposing minority. This one,
under the proposed system, could be
calling through initiative for referen.
dun elections whenever an important
matter of difference arose between him
and the other two.
By the change on first indication OF
our present system as proposed. change
that would not involve any material al.
teration in the statutes or in the court
decisions, or precedents, we could in
vest the Mayor with the absolute execu.
tive power, and we could restrict the
Council to legislative power alone, and
raising and spending revenue. That
is the ideal of this Republic in the
division Of public power. There is no
more reason why this should be inter-
fered with in a city than in a State
And there is no more reason why the
executive and legislative powers in tho
city should be jumbled together any
more than in State. And there is no
more reason why a city should be gov
erned.
But if we stop to consider the county
than that a county should be so gov.
erned. But if we consider the county
commissioners as, in effect, for the |
county what such n set of commission
ers would be for the city, then surely |
We do not find any stimulus from the |
commission government of the counties |
towards convincing US of the benefits |
of a commission for the city. Under |
our statutes the county commissioners
are given practically the same powers |
that a city commission would be pivep |