The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1910-11-30

senatorial appointment at the hands of
Governor Carroll. he did not hesitate
to state the position he will take in the
upper house of congress
Il am a progressive" he declared,
although I am not Haunting the title.
If / in the senate sixty days, six
months or six minutes l shall be for
the thing that is to be- and not the
thing that has been. 1 am for tomor-
row. Ny voice viii be raised for for
ward march and no backward steps"
He also showed a knowledge of con-
ditions in Chicago when chasing the
ward system as "one OF the crimes of
the antique method of municipal or
ganization
Men get into the council from a
ward who would not have look-in if
their fate rested with the entire city. 1
have read Of some of your councilmen
the author Of That Dear Midnight Of
Love Wouldn't Chicago like to get a
wallop at him?"
The Des Moines editor then anaylzed
the commission form of government,
continuing as follows:
The commission form Of government
Is in accordance with the business of
today The old form of city govern
ment is fashioned after a republic. In
the early history of our country the
| people thought everything must imi-
| tate a republic. Therefore we have
/ city Legislative bodies and a mayor.
| The mayor presides and the councilmen
! occupy their seats as legislators. The
/ whole arrangement is on the suppose
| ton that the city government consists
of legislating. The fact is that any
city council for a city of 100000 could
make all the ordinances needed for one
year in one-half hour.
! Even the payment of bills is done
as a result of committee at work. the
same being hurriedly Endorsed by the
| entire body. The greatest mistake OF
the old style of city government is il
the distribution OF power and authori-
ty to such an extent that responsibility
can never he located
You can never discover who Is to
blame when anything goes wrong. Ev-
cry man denies it. and shifts the re
| sponsibility onto someone else. Under
the commission form of government the
entire responsibility is placed on five
men. Their subordinates are ignored
"One good feature of the commission
plan is the doing away of partisan poll
| ties in municipal affairs. What doe:
! it matter whether a man is a democrat
or a republican when it comes to ths
government OF a city2 Political graf
is unknown under the commission plar
of city government The nonpartisaT
primary affords fine example of al
homes. way Of making nominations
The primary names two full tickets
! Election eliminates one ticket. In thi:
way good nominations are always pos
sible Another advantage of the com
! rf ON
is always at hand. always at the mu-
nicipal building The heads of depart
ments can always be called for
takes no search warrant TO find them
Under the old form OF city govern
ment progress had been difficult be
cause of divided responsibility in re
gard TO the receipt of expenditure o
money.
There Is no reason why city like
Chicago should not be governed by five
men, just as the affairs Of great rail
road corporation are governed by al
executive committee Of three or FIVE.
There is not a railroad in the United
States of any consequence which coul'
be operated successfully under the slip
shod methods which characterize tn
average city government
pes Moines has been under tn
commission form OF government hed :
three years and has prospered. We ar
building fine municipal structure il
which there is no city hall. 1t look
like a first national bank. There i
one thing about making public i'm
provements under the commission form
of government It is possible to tran
sact business. Delays are unknown
'Des Moines has not attempted t
save money. but has secured more 70
her money Our city IS not going int
debt. but is constantly making splen
did new improvements