Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-01

zobert Lawrence, mayor, Middletown,
ny.
Anthony C. Douglass, mayor, Niagara
Falls, ". Y.
John n. Clonin, mayor, Joliet, nj.
w. B. voorhes, city attorney, KokOmO,
Ind.
Municipal Government by Commission
II. Lafayette savay, Kew York city.
Q. n. Huston, superintendent department
Of streets and public improvements, Cedar
Rapids.
henry M. seale5, mayor, Oklahoma City.
w. D. Harris, mayor, Fort Worth, Tex.
City officials from all quarters of the
American continent assembled at the Boyd
thcater Wednesday morning as delegates
to the twelfth annual convention Of the
League Of American municipalities, many
of whom brought their wives and daughters
with them. The convention will last until
Friday night
Governor Sheldon was to have made the
address of welcome, but was unable to at
tend. Mayor Dahlman acted as substitute.
Certainly the governor could not have ex-
tended a more cordial welcome than did
the mayor, but nevertheless there was re-
gret on the part of home folks" that the
mayor was forced into this position at that.
particular time.
But with hospitality that challenged
excess the mayor threw back the gates of
the city until they creaked on their hinges
and bade his friends seize everything in
town II they wanted IT, reassuring them in
fulsome terms that they need brook no
longing for a good time as he had ''penned
up" the chief Of police and fired" all the
patrolmen. The mayor was on the pro-
I'D nf in ba-
half of the city and he evidently had pre-
pared to make his welcome doubly cordial,
as It had to answer for state and city both
He certainly succeeded in that, anyway.
Rev. George A. Beecher, dean of Trinity
Episcopal cathedral. offered the invocation.
Nearly 200 delegates were assembled in
the theater when President J. Barry
Mahool mayor OF Baltimore. called the
convention to order. He introduced Dean
Beecher and then Mayor Dahman, follow
ing with an able address
MahOol Sounds Keynote
President Mahool sounded the note of
civic righteousness and optimism in his an
nual address to the convention. Local gov
ernment he conceived to be the chief prob
lem before the American people and its
correct solution the means by which to per-
petuate Amercanism and American instl-
tutions, He urged the necessity OF the peo-
rie Studying the modes and methods OF
their municipal government and the utmost
oandor in the relations between them and
their city officials as a means of securing
the best results.
MY own experience has convinced me-"
he said "that the first step toward ex-
alting our municipal conditions to a better
level is to take the public into the gov
ernment's confidence"
The League of American Municipalities,
he said, was the clearing house in which
there is general exchange OF municipal
ideas
There are two ways by which to obtain
good government" said Mr.. Mahool, "one
is by arousing the public conscience to a
point that 1t will tolerate nothing but good
government and the other is to make gov
ernment so good that an otherwise indiffer-
ont public will see it's advantages and will
clamor for its continuance"
ODtimist the Man of Today.
"1he man OF today is the optimist" said
! the mayor. The man who believes in civic
righteousness and who fights for progress
| is the man of the hour. l believe in ap-
plying optimism to our city affairs. Simply
| because the problem is immense that is no
| reason to desert 1t In fear. / have faith in
Americanism. 1 have faith in our people
| do not believe there is any problem be-
! yond their solution.
! I'VE must not forget that the multiplica-
/ tion of cities and the rapid concentration Of
popula tions increases the gravity of the
municipal problem. Hence the wisdom of
studying the situation with the most dill
gent care.
The moving cause that produces excel
lent municipal government is easy to dis
cover. The difficult problem is how to
bring it into play.
Everybody knows that the application Of
conscientiousness. coupled with proper eff
cheney. is all that is needed Yet every
body knows that such a combination is not
so easy to secure.
Those who have the experience with city
government understand the secret of its
weaknesses 1t is the one unit in the ma
chinery Of government most persistently at
tackled by selfishness and greed
Believes In Publicity.
MY own experience has convinced me
that the first step toward exalting our
municipal conditions to better level is to
take the public into the governments con-
fidence. There is only one way to do that.
The utmost publicity should be demanded; ;
and unreserved publicity should be con-
ceded in all proceedings. There should be
no juggling The people should be an
prised Of everything that is doing; why IL
is being done. and why other things which
are popularity desired are delayed or post
poned. l do not mean the publication OF
heavy reports. Not one person I'm fifty
reads those. I mean continuous unfold
ing OF everything appertaining to the opera
tions of the municipality. The people are
entitled to It. 1t is their government
They should be instantly informed OF every
movement made.
Just soon as you succeed in focusing
the eye OF the public on the operations OF
the city government, you will thereby take
one immense and important step towards
correcting many of the alleged abuses
There is nothing half so ruinous to de,
cent municipal government as Indifference
Evil practices run riot whenever the pub.
lie slumbers. The betrayers OF good gov.
ernment are happlest when the peopl,
sleep
when the public is kept constantly and
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