Semi-weekly herald., 1910-04-25
formed.

J
evil | think this is an error. From
my observations in Switzerland and
lelsewhere, believe that frequent cleo
tions are a blessing. Not frequent
elections for the choice of men but
| for the choice of measures. If we had
an election every week, that would be
well. II would force upon us by di-
rect responsibility the duty of guard
| ing our birthrlghi ard attending TO
cur affairs, The communal eonsciencel
What Is nobler thing? And how can
you develop 1t except through com.
nunal responsibility?
1t was noted at Cedar Rapids thai
the periodical pamphlets containing
the statements of The Guys condition
were widely demanded and read with
ayidity Men thought this range.
| that for the first time had a chance
TO be gratified. The people had dis
covered thai the city was really their
own intimate. personal dffair- not an
irksome thing TO be lef, 10 the care of
| hired men, but the vital cnrcern of
each citizen | believe the result
was really one of The most moving and
encouraging developments of these
times. We are not really callous in
different. careless, nor selfish; no TO
the present time we have never had
a chance TO seem anything else.
The source of This great change may
be thought 20 lie in the essence OF tbs
commission plan. Under represents.
tive government men are chosen by
wards or districts and act only fo.
their constituencies, while nobody acts
for the community; under he new
plan men are chosen by the whole
community and act for ii. Under rep
resentative government men badly
chosen are legislative function in a
state of society that nee1s no more
legislation: under the new plan the
agents of the community are employed
TO transact its business and ex"ci,e ils
will Evidently here is Il difference
worth noting.
] should not omit another observa.
tion. In the case of Cedar Rapids each
OF the five councilmen or commission
ers Is a busy man with exacting pri-
vate interests. The mayor is al the
head of a great manufacturing enter
prise, another councilman is lawyer
with an important practice, another
conducts printing establishment. an.
other Is the editor of a prosperous and
Influential daily newspaper Yet all
of these, having now a veritable re
sponsibility to their city and ample
opportunity to achieve definite results,
have cheeriully suhordinated their pri-
vate affairs and are giving their lime
and attention to the common good.
The manufacturer-mayor has given
over his factory to his superintendent
and spends ten hours a day in the
mayors Office; the lawyer esteems his
public work above his profession; the
printer has arranged for some one
else TO manage his plant; the editor
has IA substitute to write his editorials.
Here, then, we have at last the de
votion to public service that the dull
cynics said we should never have in
America. We have it here for the sim
plest of reasons and one that would
probably produce like results any
where else in the country: that is to
say, for this same reason of direct
representation, no mediaevalism, only
democracy and common sense. The
people have the power in their own
hands. They hire certain men to do
certain work. If the work be not
well done, the men can he at any time
discharged. If the work he well done
the man that does it can show all of
it as his own. He has in charge this
or that department; in it he has in
trodueed this improvement, reduced
that expense, enlarged and bettered
this service 1t is his work: he has
pride in 1t. No foolish, meddling board
of aldermen, no ignorant and vicious
political boss, no party, no conven-
ton, no campaign committee, no out
worn system of office tenure stands be.
tween him and his employers. They
are face to face: he does these things
for their benefit they know what he
does and how he does it; and the ap-
provm of the community, having
chance TO be exercised and felt, takes
its normal place as one of the strong
est impulses 10 action. much stronger
than greed or ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The present rational council meets
every day; the thumb hand council
used TO meet twice month. In the
old days piece of business brought
before one council meeting was re-
ferred TO a committee which reported
iii at alb when II could be prodded
into action. Now n petition presented
to the council is decided upon the
same day. In the old days the alder.
men got 500 year each, and gave
to the city what time they chose to
segregate from their businesses or
their bungstarters; now the council
men get Sl,S00 year each and give