The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-01-24

money TO pay the obligations for the
year on April /, 1909. the trumpet
csll OF municipal Gahsiel having
sounded in the meantime. there was a
balance in the city treasury OF sloi,.
SIS.
How had the marvellous change
been brought ahoutg
Prior to April. 1908. the city gov
eminent Of Des Moines Was similar 70
THAR still in vogue in a majority OF
he towns and cities Of the United
States Aldermen, or councilmen as
Trey are sometimes termed. we're
elected by the various wards into
witch the eity WAS suhdivided. The
test OF usefulness OF these aldermen
was the service which they rendered
III aad the public Improvements which
they secured for their own wards n
gardless OF the needs oi other waits
or of the city as a whole. The alder
man who was able 10 grab the larg
4 est slice of the street and sidewalk
appropriation was looked on as the
heading spirit of the council. while
the one who obtained 2 park or play
ground for his ward regardless OF
whether or not the adjoining ward
. seeded dlkes and sewers 10 protect
property and safeguard lives, was
the public servant sure TO be return
!, cd AT the next election BY enthusiastic
supporters. Annually recurring floods
might emphasize the urgent need of
ilkes. bur If the representative 81
) the flooded ward was not good mix
or. did not side in with the ruling
/. faction or did not trade his vote with
r sufficient business foresight and po-
} iiical shrewdness the ward might 60
diEe-less through all eternity The
$ welfare of the entire city was sub
( ssrvient 10 the sDoils to be won BY
4 the aldermen for their various wards
| Des Moines is so much alive today
5 that 1t was the deadest or the dead
lily comparison. in those days. Still
e Il was vigorous corpse and, possibl'
due to reflex action, kicked Justify
e everything proposed waich might hene
: tit the entire city rather than any
: particular ward Nothing in the way
of public Improvements was suggest
g ed hui litigation ensued: such
4 jangle of Injunction ard mandamus
e writs, contempt proceedings and dam
e age petitions that the desired improve
: rents was lost track OF in the dis
: cord. No sooner was il proposed TO
3 demolish the old court house which
e had done duty for decades and was
in a fair way 10 fall down OF its own
~ xolition ana thus summariiy ena the
J! discussion than wrangle ensued as
= 70 the location of the new building.
70 3necessitating special elections. law.
n suits carried through from the dis
y trici to the supreme court and the
; 7aste Of time and money. 70 say
ls nothing Of the cooling OF the fires o!
Z, local pride and municipal patriotism
g Bridges which tottered precariously
y so thar young newspaper reporters
"a hurried from their regular beats Z
sit ON the river bank and wait foi
u them TO fall that they might be eye
= witnesses TO the catastrophe. were
= - allowed 10 stand as monuments Y
- municipal procrastination and shit
- Elessness Billboards and houses Q
- II fame were permitted 10 line th'
hanks Of the river, regardless OF nor
~, lal corruption or physical pollution
while the aecumulalea filth Of month
ne lieposed sereneiy in unswept alley
- on. borne on tie wind. carried dis
.ss ease 10 every quarter OF tae ell,
~. Looking back now, it seems as
say there was danger Of the dead becon
A. tl go decomposed as 70 be hree'
Ne ing morass for the plague. both whit
and black
.n,. In this crisis, Des Moines mde
ha went new birth. the saline solulio
IL fus sOlvency was injected into n
corpse. after which a dynamic dos
iut decency was administered 10 81
r- one newly risen from the dead. New
had percolated into Des Moines Of Y
.aa successful working OUT al The eommi
sion form Of government IN GalYeSto
arm. Texas where five business men a
80 Piled business principles 10 city "a
80 ctnmenf-after the greet storm p;
tics wrought havoc and left suin and Dc
oan Olatlon in its wake building q ne
h. city on tie bleeding sards, erecii'
avs seawan to shut out the p0undiI
IN, surf and sending Galveston forw2
,eeh on the track Of prosperity until tod
is ranks among the greatest Seapay
thsr q. the world II Galveston could
.hs vehuili physically in The trail Of
a. swfnl patastrophe would he sal
e.,v plan be equally efficacions in reoul
pe. ing CITY physically aLd morally.
4, 81 fore the storm had burst The expe
na- ment vas worth trying.
ths This is how Des Moines came
~ abolish the obi council style of q
4s0a eminent with representation by war
rsas. ana 10 ESTABLISH ID is place co
IN, mission Of five members. elected
a;,y large, without regard TO wards, $
tional lives or party politics. T
- five men took mp their duties
April isAS The work which tell
II them vas unusually difficult ]
II broken down machinery OF The
i government, had to be walked on, =
l thrown on The Junk pile and the
ferent parts OF the new government
IS. system Rad 70 be made. pas insels
n and sta.ted In motion
.a To The outsiae- he hes eFiden'
= g, the working ont Of the new sysn
& -H is reals tho frs time any syss
Isl nas ever been applied-are 10
*, louud in the financial req0rt of
c;,y Al the end al fhe II st wear
,i.e eosasa,ss-,.s - -
lfaS. when h~ cid Nara gosefnn'
passed ont OF existence. DeS Mol
4 i;.cked slisSoo oi enough money