The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-04-17

states, April 10, 1911:
Mr.. President: II had anticipated
the long and interesting debat,
which has just taken place on the
matter of newspaper circulation ant
postage, | should not have given no
ltice of an intention TO submit remarks
to-day on a subject involving many
phases of representative government
The intelligent observer must have
discovered during the past IS years q
constant and a general increase, not
in the functions of government, but in
the subdivisions and consequent divi
l sion of authority among those who
discharge those functions. refer to
the government of the states as well
as TO the government of the nation. In
Ieyery state there are samples of du
plicated power. For instance, where
maintained both a county and city
government. In the nation lately the
country had an example of an effort
upon the part of the President of the
United States to discover whether he
or the head of the bureau of forestry
was running the country. Strangely
enough considerable number of
American people joined in the contro-
versy and helped the subordinate to
the belief that he was running the
country
| believe that government is best
which is most simple and direct and
thus easily comprehended. The ten
dency in the business world has been
but in our political affairs we may
be following the example of the Chi
nese Empire, where every educated
man is supposed TO be in the employ
Iof the government. When he comes
out of school, if there is no office for
him TO hold, they assign him to watch
ing another Chinaman who already
holds an office In other words, they
put the. young Cinnamon to watching
the old Cinnamon. The division and
diversif1cation of authority has re-
suited in the .'bluebooks of the ma
jority of the states being burdened
with the names of boards OF review.
committees and commissions almost
without number. 1t is a popularity OF
American government for those
charged with authority to delegate a
part of it TO somebody else. This re
suits in great confusion and in no
practical help to the people.
Some years ago there came to the
western, country distinguished rail-
road manager from Pennsylvania. He
thought he could teach the western
railroad managers how to run rail
roads. His road in the east had teen
hauling hard coal. The cars could be
switched and damned around the
sidetracks without much danger of
damage. He thought the hog and cat
tie trains could be treated in the same
way. He boosted that he was going 10
take as many as forty cars of live
stock in one train. While congregating
his trains the animals would lie
down. When he started his trains
those that happened to be standing
up We're thrown onto those that were
lying down. He found out, also. when
he started his trains there was CON
siderable slack at the couplings. This
was so considerable that the last car
in the train lad a lurch of about 8 y
feet, which was not very healthy for
cattle. He soon discovered that his
idea of hauling big trains Of cattle
and hogs was mistake. He had 10 re-
turn to the simplicity of the methods
which had preceded him. Our Ameri-
can system of government has spread
out to such an extent that, in nv
Judgment, it is time to begin to take
UP the slack. Our railroad man is not
thus moving live stock today. He has
learned better methods. The Ameri-
can system of government is rapidly
reaching a condition where it is well
enough to consider better business
methods.
In every county in the Middle West
you will find governmental functions
multiplied. ! presume the same is true
1 elsewhere In county which also
supports city there are township
clerks and clerks OF independent
school districts. Then, besides all this,
there are township trustees and road
supervisors. Above all these in a
county there are boards of supervis-
ors, and if a city is included in the
county, there will be found mayor,
city council. and all the officers in
cident TO a city government. All this
machinery is cumbersome, and though
the officeholders draw small salaries
in the aggregate they consume large
parts of the taxpayers money. An eff
fort 10 abolish any of thse Offices is
like taking ones life in ones hand
Thus a government 10 insure the pro
lection Of life and property and which
ought TO be an incident of citizenship
becomes one of the objects of exist
ence. As a consequence. we can al
most say that we have a professional
officeholding class. Young men are
urged TO hold offices. They are toll,
70 adopt a career, and by career i.
meant an office-holdine career. TIL,