The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-11-17

cent results. It's high time that bet.
ter methods be introduced in munci-
pal government. The results will not
be wanting
One of the troubles under the old
system was partisan politics. Des
Moines had sufficient votes to control
Polk county, and Polk county was big
enough to control the congressional
district. and therefore Des Moines was
governed. not with view solely to
the best interests of Des Moines, but
vita regard to the exigencies of dis
trict politics. If man was efficient
at the polls, it mattered little, what
his record might be as a city employee.
Another great drawback was the
ward system. Des Moines was ruled
by board of thirteen aldermen. Only
three out of the thirteen could be
voted for by all the voters. The Big
Six" came into being and into power
and practically ruled the city, and
found valiant defenders.
There was the lack of responsible
ity. With a multiplicity of officials,
and everybody independent of every
body else, and everybody able to shift
tie responsibility upon otaer should
ers. Similar conditions have been
observed in the houses of the legisla-
lures and in the houses of congress,
where men vote for measures that they
desire to have killed, believing that
the other house will do the killing.
Everywhere men are trying to shift
responsibility.
Among the gains, which Des Moines
had made through the change from
the old to the new system, one of the
more important is a non-political
board In city that has normal Re
publican majority of 5000, the mayor
is a Democrat. The commission, how
ever, is not in politics, but is manag-
| ing the city's business, and is doing
it well. The board represents tae
whole city, and one of the first results
of the adoption of the plan, was max
ing Des Moines a united city. The
different sections, that had been at
variance, became as one-the ward
n lines had been wiped out. But more
i was done. Under the old plan, there
were no less than thirteen school dis
tricts in the city of Des Moines. The
plan united the people, and they united
the school districts, and there is now
but one school district in Des Moines.
Among the other good things, which
the plan has brought the capital city,
| are a magnificent bridge, a new city
! hall, and vast number of public i'm
provements. But best of all, there is
, mo East Des Moines and no West Des
Moines. but a united city. We have
centralized tremendous power in one
: board, and in this we have but fol
lowed the example of the railroads and
the banks and all manner of eminently
successful corporations.
You may ask, what protection have
we against bad government under the
plan? We added, for the protection OF
the people, the recall On the petition
Of 25 per cent of the voters an officer
who does not do his duty. who is not
faithful to his trust, finds himself
minus job. And it is practically i'm
possible for one or two or three public
officials to do something that is wrong
. and bad, without making % per cent
of the people mad Further safeguards
are the initiative and the referendum
which form vent through which pub
lie sentiment finds expression.
AS to the result OF the two years oil
commission rule in Des Moines, the
! speaker pointed to new lignts and bet
ter lights, better sidewalks, new
bridges. and all sorts of big improve
| ments and again quoted the Inter
2 Ocean editor, who described the rea
progress that the city had made such
2 as more and better improvements fol
!. less money, the city on cash basis
! good, clean government, and the PEG
: pie satisfied with that government
9 Ninety per cent of the voters of the
a city are in favor of the new system
e There is hardly a business man, there
j, are very few common laborers, who
!. are not lot IL. iH6 tOWu Is DStIci
i cleaner, healthier, more orderly, thar
t ever and the people pay their taxes
\ more willingly than ever before.
e The commission found the town
. deeply in debt. but 1t has lowered the
r tax rate and is run on cash basis
more improvements have besn made
than ever before and they have beer
well made. AS a sample of how worl
9 is done in Des Moines under the com
mission plan, the speaker cited the i'm
:. provement of Locust street. Parts o
1t We're low The street was graded
for distance of six blocks, the filling
g being as much as six feet in some
/ places. and it was rolled, curbed, gut
tered and paved, all in five weeks, AM
4 the expense was much less than hat
q been the rule in the past.
/ Mr.. Ingham referred to the numer
0 GUS quarrels In the commission. II,
= considered that a good sign 1t prove.
a publicity Everybody knows what il