The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-01-15

experiment has been tried Nor do there
iseem to be we'll founded reasons for the
belief. Men have hesitated to accept
city office because of the usual politi-
cal robbery connected herewith This
has been eliminated in non-partisan
ELECTIONS. Scattered responsibility at
tracts corruptionists. Conferred RESPONSE
lbility attracts men of ability. A man
who has respect for his business ability
accepts responsibility fearlessly but
shuns to enter any organization where
The must jointly accept responsibility for
things over which he has no control.
City government will present an attrac-
tive field in which young men may show
| their ability and older men may rem
der public service.
To secure publicity the charter fur
| ther provides that Every ordinance,
franchise and contract must be open to
public inspection for seven days before
| its final passage and does not go into
| force for ten days thereafter" Further
| all franchises to public service corporations
must be authorized or approved by a
ma jority of electors voting thereon at
| a general or special election.
Section IA authorizes a permanent
iciVl service commission to be appointed
Ito give and hold examinations for all
Iappointive offices thus removing city
government one step farther from poll
| teal Influences.
| Publicity of accounts is accomplished
! by printing each month in pamphlet
| form detailed itemzed statement of
| all receipts and expenditures for the
proceeding month together with a sum-
! mary of the proceedings of the council.
Any highly centralized power must be
protected from abuses and kept directly
| responsible to the people by numerous
safeguards. This is accomplished not
only by civil service examinations and
| by publicity Of ordinances, franchises
and public expenditures previously men
| toned but by the powers of recall, mi
ltiatlye and referendum vested in the
people. If an officer is remiss in the
performance of his duties it is the
| right OF the people to present their
| ton The petition accompanied with
treason therefore must be signed by
twenty-five per cent of the electors. If
the city clerk finds the petition suffi-
cent it is presented to the council and
this body orders a special election. The
name of the present incumbent is plac-
ed on the ballot with those of the other
candidates In this way an officer
either may be supported or removed by
the people.
The initiative provides that citizens
| by petitioning in sufficient number
either can compel the council to pass
such ordinance or submit it to the peo-
pie at a regular or special election.
Likewise no ordinance passed by the
council shall go into effect for ten
days after it's passage, unless demanded
for public health safety. If during
that time thirtyfv per cent of the
legal voters petition for it's repeal it
either must be repealed or submitted
| to the people at "a regular or special
election. Thus in these different the
Des Moines plan presents the most per
feet type of highly centralized yet
well protected city government yet de-
| vised. The feasibility of these last sec
J tons may cause some discussion. Men
| say the system is cumbersome and i'm
practical Yet the difficulties are not
greater nor even so great as those at
tending any city election. If the ex-
preston of popular will is conceived
| the effort is worth while. Initiative and
referendum may not be practical for a
seems possible and profitable. But after
Jail it's greatest function is not curative
| but preventative. Its existence is the
greatest assurance that it will never
Commission government has been
criticized as being undemocratic. If
democracy consists in the election Of
| all officers and the appointment of
does not seem to be well founded.
| Wherever it has been tried there has
been marked increase of interest in
civic affairs: Where people intrust
much to their agents they interest
| themselves the more to see that the
work is well done. And public interest
full democracy The initiative and ref
erendum, civil service, publicity of ac
counts, power of recall and other fea-
lures connecting the system with the
In word the commission plan rec
ogniZes these facts: one man can't be
"a master of all trades; five managers
are better than fifty; an east side al
derman can't be a west side booster:
authority to act begets results; CEN
tralized power arouses civic interest; an
honorable office gets an honest holder;
business men make ends meet.
Is the commission plan adapted to
Mankato? Mr.. Delos F. Wilcox, au
thor and student of civic affairs writes,
In reply to your question | would say
that l believe the commission plan is
well adapted to government of cities
the size of Mankato." In regard to the
possibility of the state Legislature grant
ing such a charter an assistant to the
attorney general writes as follows:
I'VE are very busy at the present time
and unable to give the matter referred
ito in your letter very careful consider
alton, but Off hand the writer is of the
opinion that it would be competent for
the legislature to provide for a COM
mission form of municipal government
to be applicable to such cities as choose
provides that where a city frames its
own charter under what is known as
the Home Rule Charter provision, lit
shall be a feature of all such charters
other things, for a mayor or chief mag
istrate, and legislative body of either
one or two houses if of two houses, at
least one of them shall be elected by
general vote of the electors.
1t seems that the state legislature
would be willing to make such conces-
sionS as are necessary to obviate the
difficulty of the primary election law.
Mankato is fortunate in having an
able charter commission which will
make a careful study of civic prob
lens and offer charter aimed to meet
the needs of Manka to and remedy the
evils now existing. he way seems open
for Mankato to rid herself of traditional
forms and their attendant abuses and
to take the lead among the cities of
Minnesota in the march toward civic
improvement