The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-09-13
The Story Of the Short Ballot Cities
A Series of Articles on the New Commission Form of
Municipal Government
By RICHARD S. CHILDS
:cret of the Success of the Commission Plan

- VI bllE NUlllIllISSlUu ldAl
unique 1t is so short that every cit-
zen knows what he is doing and is not
relying on a party label or on the
guidance Of a politician. The average
man." "the man in the street." or the
plain people," whatever you choose
to call them, are in complete control
Of the government. The short ballot
has left no work for the politician to
do; the people arrange the whole mat
ter directly with the candidates with
out the politicians help.
The politician is q specialist in cit
izenship, and in the commission gov
erned cities citizenship is so simple
that there is nothing to be a specialist
in
The most marked phenomenon OF
commission government has been the
increased interest of the people in
their city government. All eyes have
been focused on the city hall month
after month without interruption.
The acts of the commission are the
topic of conversation for the street
car and the business mems luncheon.
Criticism is plentiful. and-better yet
knowledge of the facts is wide
spread. The people of the city over
see the government.
The force of public opinion has been
repeatedly illustrated in the commits
sion governed cities. Few men, good
or bad, would have the strength to re-
slst popular demand when it is so in
tensively concentrated upon them.
Each commissioner knows his respon-
sibility for what is done. and knows
that everybody else in town knows 1t
too Politicians OF the average sort
have been elected to Office many times
in commission governed cities, hut
their conspicuous responsibility has
brought about a remarkable respon-
siveness to the opinion OF the people.
The initiative, referendum and re-
call are considered important features
Of the plan by many people, but Gal
weston and Houston made success
OF the commission plan before any of
these features were thought of and
their charters to this day do not pro-
vide for them. Furthermore. these
cities do not feel the need of these
devices and there is no demand for
their introduction.
A Chance For Mistakes.
A few suggestions for the improve
ment of the plan have been made rath-
Ingn1 nn Hio.
aster that has happened in the past,
but rather on the fear that there might
be trouble In the future. 1t has been
noted, for example, that the city clerk
In Des Moines, who passes upon the
correctness OF petitions for the recall
OF commissioners, is himself creature
of the commission and that In this
work he ought to be independent. 1t
Is also pointed out that there is no in
dependent auditing of the city's ac-
counts. The commission audits its own
books. In both cases 1t has been sug-
gested that these Offices be filed by
popular vote. In the language of those
who propose these changes, "have them
independently elected by the people
and responsible to the people," This
familiar argument involvD an error,
the avoidance OF which constitutes the
great value of the commission plan.
1t Is easy enough to create a new office
and make 1t elective by popular vote,
but 1t Is not SO easy to "have" such an
officer responsible to the people" He
win not be responsible to the people if
he Is elected In obscurity with no lime
light directed on his Office. To be sure,
he may be legally responsible and the
responsibility In law may be very clear
ly established, but the people cannot
and will not hold him to account un-
less he stands out conspicuously before
them. An officer whose functions are
purely executive and not of great i'm
portance cannot possibly be conspicu
Gus. III the city clerk or city auditor
were made elective in Des Moines 1t
would be little Office, overshadowed
by the rest of the ticket, down at the
bottom OF the ballot. There would be
very little publicity regarding the can
didates. very little OF the purifying
llmelight which is responsible for the
present good political sanitation in the
higher offices, and any group of schem-
ers might put through successful con-
spiracy to capture the job.
The desirability OF an independent
audit and an independent judgment on
recall petitions Is nevertheless obvious.
1t should, however, be secured in some
other way than by attempting to make
the people choose the officers. The
same efrec. can be obtained by having
the state assume these duties. Let an
appolntee Of the governor be charged
with the duty OF auditing the books OF
all the cities In the state, with the
right TO prescribe uniform method OF
keeping them. There is no difficulty in
letting some state officer, such as the
secretary OF state, pass upon the gen
uineness and validity OF recall petit
tlons. The remoteness of such an off,
ser from the disputants makes It
~.