Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-04-02
Commission Form of Government Has Done For
Des MoineS--and What it May Do For Rock Island

TO make public office profitable; effect
i've civil service; protection of the
right of franchise; Introduction of
business methods, publicity in all de
partments right of the people to vote
on all franchises; the initiative, the
referendum and the recall. How the
plan worked out at the first election
is succinctly told by one of the lead
ing lawyers of the city: THE first
election under the plan proved beyond
doubt that its method of selecting pub
lie officials was superior to that in
operation under the old ssytem. In
stead of being required to select, as
under the old system, their officials
from limited number of candidates,
most of whom were undesirable, the
voters of Des Moines were permitted
to choose their first commissioners
from list of SO men, many of whom
were citizens OF recognized ability and
the highest integrity. With ward
lines removed, the corrupt element of
the city found it impossible to control
the election. The non-partisan fea-
ture of a democratic mayor in a strong
" republican city. Candidates hest
tated, because of the provisions pro-
hibiting the giving of any reward for
political services, to do more than ad-
wise the voters of their peculiar fit
ness for the office, leaving the voters
free to exercise their choice at the
election
other Cities Prove 1t.
But. it may be asked. does this new
order of things prevail elsewhere or
is Des Moines an isolated example of
the rejuvenescence and regeneration
of commission-inocu cities? 1t is
only necessary to cite the experience
of LeavenWorth, Kan, which admits
it was deader than the proverbial door
nail two years ago, though it is now
very much alive. Now that Leaven-
worth is ruled by commission it be-
lieves in advertising and carries this
want" in metropolitan news
papers:
Wanted-Parties to write for in
formation about Leavenworth, the
most prosperous city in Kansas and
the first city in the state to adopt the
form of government. In
Is months the commission govern
ment has turned a dead city into one
of the Invest and most wide-awake
cities in America. If you want to
know how it is being done, write the
secretary of the Greater Leavenworth
club, Leavenworth City, Kan"
Leavenworth turned to the commits !
sion plan after it had been hit by a
storm Not a physical one, such as
swept over Galveston and brought the !
idea into form. but a |
moral one which babe fair for time !
10 be as destructive as the Galveston |
wind and tidal wave The storm |
broke when the attorney general of |
the state closed the saloons and |
Topped off the Illegal revenue which |
had grown to an annual budget of |
$4,000. The political leaders we're de-
moralized They confessed they were |
unable to meet the ordinary running |
expenses of the city with revenue de |
rived from direct taxation. No sa-
oons, no money; no money. no city |
What was Leavenworth, |
Senile and decrepit, to do?
Once more the Galveston example |
was sought and once more the plan |
seemed feasible. Leavenworth fired |
the politicians bodily and in their !
place put five business men, one a |
wholesale hardware merchant, another |
L transfer and storage man, the third |
/ lumber merchant, the fourth soap |
the fifth a furniture |
These men discovered |
hat in eight years the city officials |
had collected from the saloons and |
questionable resorts more than $685. |
700. They made the further discovery |
hat little or none of this money had !
been used to pay off the city indebted |
less or to make public Improvements |
t seemed as though cleaning the |
Augean stables was a snap compared
o the task of these men. but they set |
o work to do what they could They |
'ound the leaks and stopped them:
hey found the weak places and |
them: they used the AK |
RELY and official heads fell at every
Meeting. What has been the result?
Second In Growth.
Leavenworth, long looked on as a
lead city, last year ranked second in
Kansas in growth of population. In
he first year of the commission gov
eminent, according to the assessors