Semi-weekly herald., 1910-04-21
THE COMMISSION FORM OF GOV
EMINENT.
CONTINUED from Page -
ent failure of reform.

management was bitterly opposed on
the ground that 1t was undemocratic
which il certainly was. Nevertheless,
In the peculiar situation of city affairs
it's success was great. The i've com
missieners seemed to develop the
sense of service, Il sense quite new in
the history of American municipalities.
There was assUredly great decrease
OF official dishonesty and great in
crease in efficiency. The first years
operation showed thai notable econo-
mics had been made; the city had
never been so well governed; nor so
safe. and had never looked so we'll
Finally. nearly all observers agreed
that the destroying of the old ward
lines and the unifying of the city's
interests were most wholesome
changes.
When these results were apparent,
the city of Houston adopted Calves
toms plan and secured similar bene-
fits
Still, the plan was undeDiably open
to the very grave objection that # was
essentially reversionary and exposed
any city adopting II to the perils that
always accompany autocracy, and are
greater than any inconvenience aris.
ing from ordinary misrule. What was
needed in this country was large
measure of democracy. and this plan
actually diminished the peoples share
IN their government. already absurdly
small. II the idea of opera ing a mu-
uicipality sanely, as BUSH S enter
prise, and strictly on business lines.
could be united with the idea of di-
rect popular responsibility, the new
plan would probably be the best ever
devised.
This end was presently attained in
a bill prepared by former United
States Senator Richard +. Pettigrew,
and passed Oargely through his eff
forts) by the South Dakota legisia
ture. 1t authorized any city in the
government upon certain prescribed
lines such as these:
All ward lines and other political
divisions of the city were to he abol-
ished Five commissioners, each hav-
ing in command II department of the
city's affairs, were to be elected by
the city at large. These were to con
siitute the entire city government. all
other offices Getty council, city treas
urer, recorder, clerk attorney, and
what not) to be abolished They were
way to the will and direction of the
people. Except emergency regulations
for public health or safety. no law
passed by the commissioners could go
into effect for twenty days. and Ii
within those twenty days 10 per cen;
of the voters presented a petition to
that effect, the law must be submitted
TO a vote of the people. By similar
petition any measure not originating
with the commissioners could likewise
be submitted, or an election could be
had at any time to determine whether
any commissioner should continue Ia
Office or be removed lherefrom. These
features (Which are, OF course, the ref
erendum, initiative and recalD obliter-
ated the one fault in the Galveston
plan and put all responsibility definite
ly upon the people.
The bill also adopted the excellent
device known as the New Zealand bal
lot. For many years we have talked
much of that delectable reform. the
exclusion of partisan politics from 10,
val voting. The New Zealand ballot
secures this result. No party names
nor designations nor what an eminent
New York boss used TO call Sym.
bloms' are allowed on this ballot, but
the names of candidates are printed in
alphabetical order under the names of
the offices they seek, with nothing to
indicate the party to which any can
didate belongs. Party conventions
were abolished by ordaining that nomi
nations should be by direct primary
vote or by petition, change that also
helped to eliminate the boss and the
machine. The bill finished the de.
struotion OF these two evils and of the
public service corporation as a polit.
ical force by providing that no pub.
lie franchise should be granted until
the grant had been submitted to the
vote of the people.
On the production of this radical
measure the conservative element,
with which South Dakota, like the
other states. Is oversupplied, was
aghast, and the political machinists
we're furious.
What" they said. mo party
names? How can n man tell how he
is voting? No emblems? What is a
ballot without emblems? And of course
you can't get along without party con.
ventions. Who is to tell who shall
be nominated?" But In spite of these
objections the bill became a law, and
every city in South Dakota was free
to try the same method of government
IL 1t chose.