The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-06-12
COMMISSION FORM Of GOVERNMENT
OPERATES SUCCESSFULLY IN ARDMORE
A STEP FORWARD IN THE THAT REcoM-
FAVoRABLY CONSIDERED EVERY DAY BY THE
UNITED STATES

10th to accept any innovations evil
dently believing that no improvement
could be made.
There were, and are, however, griev-
GUS Inconsistencies in this plan,
chances tor thwarting the will OF the
people, opportunities TOR the exercise
OF corrupt influences, open accuse
TONS OF graft, aftiliation with political
corruption, and various other errors
tnat nave attracted the attention OF
men who have made the study OF gov
ernment work OF years ana VINO
from purely sinister motives excepting
tnat OF attaining the highest form OF
government possible, a form that shall!
accrue to the advantage OF the people
and bestow the benefits of government
without the accompanying disadvan-
tages of plllaging the pubic treasury,
and the dispensation OF fayors that
are inimical 10 the public good.
The ward system while possibly rep
resentatiye of the localities represeu.
ed is too frequently under the control
OF political influences that are not in
conformity wit. good business prin-
ciples and frequently under the con
tro OF a clique that through bribery
and underhanded manipuations, De-
come menace to the city, in no
sense represent the will of the people
and becomes Il stencil in the nostrIls
OF all good citizens, who are entitled
10 "A government free from such debas-
ing influences and conditions.
In our larger cities this has during
he past half century become such
a flagrant, open and apparent disgrace
that it has aroused in many places the
Indignation of the public and accentI-
ated the demand for a reform that
shall make impossible their repeti.
ton.
The students of these things, those
who have gathered the experiences
OF the ages into compact form so as
to make comparisons and draw con.
clusions, have placed their seal of dis
approval on the ward system and in
the desire to better conditions have
evolved the plan of the commission.
The commission form of govern
men, is system of recent growth,
but its development has been rapid.
1t is approved by many of the best
economists and has the approval "
those who have put it into practice.
Down on the gulf coast of Texas,
a city that had suffered from the eX.
plotting OF its politicians, that had by
poor experience found the ward sys-
TEN to be expensive and burdensome,
unsatisfactory and wholly inadequate,
introduced the first experiment in the
commission form of government 1t
proved a good business investment.
Expenses were reduced, the burdens
of taxation lightened. the business OF
the city placed in healthy and pros
porous condition, Political favoritism
eliminated, graft in all its forms prac-
tically wiped out, the whole conduct
of municipal affairs was revolution
lied and the people liked it.
h, of bn Of
form OF government began to be
spread abroad, it created curiosity,
inye stigation began and soon the peo-I
pie of other cities became 50 inte:-
ested that they desired to put the
system in vogue in their own TOW ns.
And so it began, and so it grew, un-
til today only a few short years since
its first Inauguration, commission
form of government is one of the lead |
ing issues of the day. City after cay
has adopted it, more have it in cou-
temptation, and it looks as though N .
a few years, it will supplant tn old
ward system in every city in the land
and become a fixed and lasting poljcy |
in the municipal government of our
cities.
Sixty-nine cities of the United
States have adopted the commits
sion form Of government, repre-
senting nineteen different states, sew
eral of which are included in the
state of Oklahoma.
The legal questions involved as
to the constitutionality of such
form and as to its conformity to re
publican ideas. have been threshed
out in the courts and have invari-
ably been decided favorably to the
plan.
There are, of course. differences