The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-07-17
In current Issue of Roosevelt's
Mouthpiece Richard S.
ChiIds Toasts Methods of
Government.
URGES A REDUCTION
IN NUMBER OF OFFICES
He Urges That the Minor Posi-
tons Are Overlooked by
Voters, So They Should Be
Appointive.


the United States is the ''only habitu-
ally misgoverned democracy" and the
only one to have a separate class of
professional politicians, Richard S.
Childs in the Outlook of this week
urges a drastic reduction in the num-
Der of elective officials in cities, coun-
ties and states as a means of putting
the people ION top" in politics.
Starting from the obvious fact that
the average voter registers personal
opinion regarding the conspicuous
nominees only and has no opinion
whatever to express regarding state
treasurer, county clerk. etc., the auth
or urges that the minor places should
all be filled by appointment This
would result in short ballot" con-
tanning only a few names and the
limelight of public scrutiny would TO
Gus upon them 50 intensely that all
voters could and would discriminate
without having to go into politics to
get their information.
Writer'S Opinions.
After tracing the connection be-
tween the present typical long ballot
and government by politicians the
writer concludes as follows:
Good government Is entirely a mat
ter OF getting the right man elected.
Nothing else is so vital. No city char
ter or state constitution, however in
genious, will make bad men give good
government or keep good men from
getting good results.
To get the right men is first of all a
matter Of arranging for the maximum
amount of concentrated public scru-
tiny at the election. It is not superior
intelligence in the British electorate
that enables it uniformly to elect the
best men in town to the city councils,
save In that the individual voter in the
ward selects only a single officer at
election, and can hardly fail to know
just what he Is doing Likewise there
cannot be a mysterious virtue in the
new plan Of governing American cities
by small commissions (the success of
which In Galveston, Houston, and Des
Moines in undeniable) save in that
the Importance and conspicuousness
of the five commissionerships attract
SO fierce a limelight at election that
no unworthy figure who ventures into
that blazing circle can hope to conceal
his unworthiness from the eyes of
even the most careless voter.
Galveston Plan.
The Galveston plan would be bet
ter yet II the commissioners were
~ ~ g. t.
ton. Then public scrutiny at election
would focus still more searchingly on
the candidates, and merit would in
crease still further in value as a poll
teal asset.
We must manage somehow to get
our eggs into few baskets-the bas-
kets that we watch! For remember
that we are not governed by public
opinion, but by public opinion as ex-
pressed through the pencil point Of
the average voter in his election booth.
And that may be a vastly different
thing! Public opinion can only work
in broad masses. clumsily. To make
a multitude of delicate decisions is
beyond its coarse powers. It can't
play the tune it has in mind upon our
close-stringed political harp, but give
it broad keyboard simple enough for
its huge slow hands. and it will thump
out the right notes with precision!
There is nothing the matter with
Americans. We are by far the most in
telligent electorate in the world. We
are not indifferent We do want good
government. And we can win back
our final freedom on a short ballot"
hasist