The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-11-14
coMMls ssIoN GOVERNMENT t ha
AND WHAT 1T IMplIES

Whatever the commission form of
government has been tried Il has
measured up 10 all that was hoped for
II and more, II can not fail to gain
strength and impetus says the Rich
mond Times-Dispatoh, adding: sThe.
aniiquated and cumbersome system
that now obtains in most of the mum
icipalities Of the country has been
shown bya thousand examples to be
lll'fittedl for modern conditions and
for the purpose of municipal govern.
ment. Our own Virginia municipalit.
les have been infinitely better and
more efficient than the great bulk
Of the municipal governments in other
states; but they. from the very nature
OF things can not perform the neces-
sary functions with the same prompt
ness, economy and success that have
been shown to be easily. within the
reach OF the commission form. A
city Is not state: It Is essentially
business organizations it Is the
business affairs OF the city that should
be looked after and attended to by the
city government, and not the affairs
of the state or the nation. We are
persuaded that the commission form
OF government Is coming. ana when
II comes 1t will stay; and we are glad
to know that our neighbor on the
south Is as deeply interested in the
subject as we are"
II may be necessary in an effort to
present a persuasive argument for
the Times-Dispatch to note a broad
difference in the character of public
service for the state or the nation or
Tor the city. II Is quite true that a
city Is 'essentionally business or
/ ganization,' that IL Is the business
affairs of the city that should be look
ed after etc, but 1t has not been
very long since the city and the on
portunities to exploit its people were
quite as much political affairs as the
state with its combinations OF pulls
or the nation with its machines and
barrels is. As long as the public bus
mess and the power OF office continue
TO be party capital just so long will
they continue 10 be politics rather
tnan business. As soon as the public
service comes to be attended TO ac.
,cording Ito sound ihonest business
principles 1t will cease to be a polit-
zeal machine in the present scandal
GUS sense.
1t would have been proposterous to
have urged the merciless leaders OF
conquest to some centuries back TO
/ adopt the merit system In rliling the
Offices and to conform to fair business
principles in making their settle
ments. II served their purposes bet
ter 70 claim of the vanquished all the
spells possible and to utilize such
spells as so much personal punder or
4 patronage. 10 make sure their own
calling and election. The enemy was
beheaded by the successful party or
candidate OF ancient times. whereas
by the modern political party he h
merely boycotted, bought over or tax.
ed TO death
u Is probably too early In the cen
tury TO. begin to talk about com
plete change from the old scheme OF
abusing shifting plundering and be-
heading each other in greedy and des,
,peiate warfare over the spoils to the
saner, safer and more satisfactory
method Of placing the public business
on the sound business basis: but the
time is coming and before the pres
ent century closes, when commission
government tor a state will not be
deemed a whit less practical or less
necessary than cmomission govern
1ent for a city rhe time viii come
when no greedy partisan will be deem
ed III man for chairman or speak.
er Of any deliberatiye assembly. or
for any court OF justice, or for any i'm
portant place in the public service.
II will take time but a general APP
I propal OF the commission form OF gov.
/ eminent for cities, under which fair
business principles rather than the
merclless and dangerous rule of the
spokesman. are applied to the public
service. IS at least one step away from
The SORT q politics which has so long
been the equivalent Of oppression
and plumber.