The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-06-22
MACv|CAR IS
BIC FEATURE
At MEETING
Continued from Page One.)

men. The bureau believes that hon
esty should be thrown in.
Not all commission governments
are successful. In Washington the
government is in the hands of three
commissioners, one appointed by the
president and two by congress. When
l was helping in fight against gas
company there I found that the real
power was in the hands of Senator
gas company no matter how unjust
their proposals.
But we are making progress in city
governments. In the matter of COM
mission government our strongest OPP
ponents are the college professors and
the city councils. The college profess
sor oppose because they believe that
to combine the legislative and judi
cial branches is fatal to our institu-
tons.
Favor Concentration.
But ! am here to say that believe
in concentration. We of Des Moines
carry out as far as possible the idea of
Capitalization. 1t may be charged that
this is not democracy. In answer ]!
would say that we show the fullest
democracy in our system of election.
1t is a system of wedding out until
the right man is found. There is no
partisan politics in Des Moines. We
begin with a large number of candi-
dates and sift them until a few are fin
ally elected. Our final ballot contains
the names of only ten candidates. No
candidate pays any money.
I'm every city under the ward sys-
| tenn there is a divided responsibility.
The election by general vote is the
one thing which has done Des Moines
most good. 1t Is sometimes said that
our officers are so few that they can
be readily bought. I do not believe
| it is to buy twenty-five. Besides not
dishonesty but inefficiency is the i'll
in American government. That our
plan is spreading is attested by the
fact that in the last two years seventy
cities have voted in favor Of commits
sion government
An Address by Shank.
the present convention is Mayor
Shank Of Indianapolis. This after
noon he spoke on What Part If any
Should Cities Pay Toward Track Ele-
vation." Mayor Shank said in part:
"In recent years there has been a
growing feeling Of antagonism against
corporations. This feeling has been
most pronounced perhaps against the
| railways. Public sentiment once
| aroused has gone to extremes in max
| ing manifest through drastic legisla-
| ture, this antagonism. In this war
fare. against the corporations, the peo-
pie have largely forgotten valid debt
which the whole people owe to these
great commercial institutions. The
| railroads have been the greatest civil
lizers of the nation. Take them out
OF our history for the past seventy
| five years and no man could estimate
how far short Of our present proud
| position we would have fallen. II
| they have grown selfish and arbitrary
as they have grown in wealth, they
have with all contributed in untold
value to our comfort and wellbeing as
people. Every law attempting to
| regulate public service companies
should be drafted and passed with
, these fundamental facts in mind"
They Deserve Justice.
'The railways have committed great
wrongs and abused their rights and
yet justice should be melted out to
corporations as to individuals. II pas
sengers can not be carried for two
cents per mile in Indiana, the fare
should be raised. If on the other hand
the railways can afford to carry for
less than two cents. the present fare
should be reduced. The equities of all
parties concerned should always be
kept in mind in settling the questions
which arise between the public and