The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-03-06
THIRD LETTER
COMES FROM MARS
The Maritian Who is Watching keo-
kuk Municipal Affairs Sends
Another Very Interest
ing Communication.
THE COMMISSION PLAN
Gives Some Good Advice as to What
Voters Should Do at the Com.
Election for CON-
missioners.
by Special Beamograph.]
PLANET MARS, March 6,

PLANET MARS, March 8,
To the Editor Of the Gate City:
The illustrated booklet by the Com.
mercial club of Keokuk setting forth
all the good things for up-to-date re.
tailers, iobbers and manufacturers.
seeking locations is fine demon
stration of what live energetic club
can do for a town towards adyer-
Using it. Its factories and mercan-
tile institutions, streets parks, resi-
dences, schools, churches and pubic
and private buildings outclass those
of other cities of equal size, and
everybody shrould be proud of the
book. 1t should be an incentive for
hustling youngsters to join the club
Here is what thu Sun of Lowell,
Mass, has to say by one of its con-
tributors about the number of cities
which have adopted II commission
form of government:
In an article in the Lowell, Mass.
Sun, Mr.. Arthur j. Brinton has pub
lished the following list of 40 cities
which, on the LIST of January 1910,
We're governed under the commission
system. While it is not sure that this
includes all the cities so governed. it
is believed to be the most nearly COM
plete list which has so far been com.
piled The cities are as follows.
TEXAS-Galveston, Huston, Pales-
tine, Waco, Fort Worth, Austin, FL
Paso, Denison, San Antonio. Green
vile, Sherman, Beaumont,
IowA-Des Moines, Cedar RAPIDS,
Keokuk.
KANSAS-Kansas City, Topeka,
Coffeeville. Leayenworth, Wichita, In
dependence, Anthony.
MASSACHUSETTS, Haverhill,
Gloucester, Chelsea.
NORTH OlA--M inot Bis
marck, Mandan.
COLORADO = Colorado Springs,
Grand Junction.
OKLAHOMA = Ardmore, Enid,
Tulsa
TENNESSEE - Memphis. Bristol,
Etewah, Clarksville Richard City.
MISSOURI-St. Joseph.
WASHINGTON-T
SOUTH DAKOTA-Sioux Falls.
IDAHO-Boise, Lewiston.
NORTE DAKOTA-Charlo
CALIFORNIA; San Diego, Berke-
ley. Riverside.
NEW YORK; Mount Vernon.
Since then more than twenty-five
towns like Buffalo, N. Y, Sioux City
Eau Clair, Memphis, Grand Fork. lola,
have joined the procession for clean
/ government, eliminating the grafters
| from the crib and favoring reduction
of taxes and against extravaganza. In
one year from tode7r more than two
hundred cities will be under this form
| OF government. There must be some
/ substantial reason for is desire for
a change. Where is the individual
| firm or corporation who would man
| age his business in an as unbrsiness
1 like manner as Keoku'- and thous
ands of other cities and villages are
being handled
How shall we get good m n?
When all who are eligible for the
jobs have filed, then let there be q
committee of those who have favored
this new system get together, pick
| two good men for commissioners, ant
one for mayor, and let every person
stand by the ticket and put II
| through This may sound like "tht
| system" does it, but If you don't dc
4 it the other gang will.
Make no mistake and pick from The
field Of candidates at the primaries
and election. BY scattering your vot'
here and there, some men upon whom
the system will center are going K
land in first place and the much boast
| ed reform movement will amount t.
i nothing. This is not time for play
ing favorites or wasting vote as
complimentary thing for an incompet
ent man, or for one who has beer
tried and found lacking in his inter
ests to the people
Let the list selected receive the en-
dorsement of the men who have beer
instrumental in favoring the commits
sion government. 1t the gang try t.
i spring any lnlnS vi lhio hihu WI ~
sink their ticket out of sight by you
opposition ticket.
A good test is to ask yourself
would hire - as al
employee to handle sl25,ooo.00 wortl
of bushes for me-" If not, then VIII.
saddle him on the city? If you thinl
he needs it as matter of charity
make application for 100000 pen
sion for him From the standpoint o
a taxpayer it is cheaper. and tina
is the extent of his damage. Blu
don Il say We'll, Dinkenspiel is unfol
tunate and we will place him in a pos
ton to handle our finances. Don
do it. Don't risk it. Keokuk is a
ready awakened from its inactivit