The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-08-15
TIE ONWARD SWEEP OF
CITY GOVERNMENT BY
CONIllISSION
$TYrsssSSrJ8 4EeT sTNEsFS
PabIic AFFAIR lleaded by the mayo
I scconnts and finance

4 A3uUllN Nv w ~ ~ -
x Il counts and finance! I, E!
Public safety.
Streets and public works. g Il
/ Parks and public property q & y
Each comm sioner had general SUI
pewision IA his dep artment running
\ IL Just as Il lie were executive head ot
Ia department Of a great business. The
Ave, sitting as a commission, made
fpolicies, passed ordinances, pre-:
\ pared the budget. levied taxes, and
gene ally bessed the town.
They coud not how ever, give away
any public franchise. They coul1
frame and, recommend d grant, which
Unjust be submitted to the voters at q
j special election, and get a majority
vote, to- become effective.
1 such Ii the referendum as to fran.
ichises. AS to legislation, the plan
progides thati II the council passes OBJ,
jectionable Legislation, twenty-five per
fcent, OF the voters, by petition, may
require that its operation shall be
lsuspended ana that an election shall
be called TO pass on IT. LilCewises Ii
1.-the council refuses to pass any de-
sired legislation, then Ike petition
lean command the commission to sub.
,raGt this legislation to Especial cleo
ton. In either case, the Legislation
stands or falls as the majority OF the
1people vote.
Similarly as to the recall II the
people get a CROUCH against com
missioner, a like petition requires the
I,commission to call an election to fill
his place. He is q candidate, If he so
desires; otehr nominations are made
as already described; and N the cleo
Etion the man with the majority OF
votes wins.
i. BY this plan party politics is elm
mated. Tie city administration can.
4 not be subordinated to and used by
'Iany political organization. Appoint
lsments are made on the basis OF merit,
i during good behavior and service
iron lists Of eligibles certified by the
fcivil service commission las the result
I'of competitive examinations.
Under this system, responsibility
4 Is centralized, politics eliminated, the
spells system rendered impossible.
Possible Dangers Of the Plan.
IN the beginning there vas fear OF
slibuflding up a more dangerous, be.
A cause centralized, bossshfp than be.
4 fore. One class of directors feared
u that the initiative referendum, and re;
call wonld keep agitators circulating
'Eelection petitions day and night, and
1.-the people voting constantly on unim
4 pertant issues. Another feared that
4 the commission would be so powerful
i that ii could prevent any special cleo,
/ tions, perpetuate itself In office, and
work its own win,
| Between these two pesstmistic bun
4 antipodal views there was much de
bate. Theorists shook their heads
ominously, and pointed out that the
plan violated that fundamental Of
representative government which re
aufres complete separation of legisla'
tive, executive, and judicial functions;
tile Legislative became also the execu'
\ tive body. And SO they debated long
and tlearnedly. 3
j The proof of the pudding, however
Its not in the chewing OF the rag. EX
lr,eriencepproved that both sides of the
argument were wrong, The commits
sion didn't become an allpowerful but
irresponsible quinquevlrate, and or
the other hand the people didn't spent
4 all their time running around In ini
tiative, referendum, and recall circles
N In the experience of more than O hun
I. dred American cities, the initiative
referendum, and recall have proved
mot he unbridled menace OF mob
ocracy, but tl1ei mpresslyely upItftet
,lffnger OF admonition. The recall has
bcen invoked less than half.score o
times In the experience Of all the cit
les now operating under this plan
often enough to prove 1t workable
seldom enough to prove4it u saTe IN
. strument in the hands3of a sane PEG
! pie,
1t is not the purpose Of this rbrfe
writing to argue the, merits and weak
Inesses Of the commission plan, bu
!. rather to tell something of its re
lmarkable advance In public favor
], Here is one Illustration, however, o
!. Its efficacy in making city government
!. the peoples government
J, In almost every city that has adopt
4 ed 1t, the plan was first advocated b.
!. the ! substantial business interests.
!. The chest citizens" have favored Il
4 BY and large, have never cared mucl
rlifur our best citizens as we fin
!. them running city governments. The
tllook exceedingly impressive in ever
1 ing clothes, addressing welfare meel
/. Iings and directing uplitt movements
i. But in too many cases their CLAW
suits have concealed pocket!
Hike those that magicions use, in whic
u franchises and fat contracts, publ
:. deposits and private gratis, are stow
3 ed away by processes Of politics
!, iIlegerdemaln, in full view Of the unset
sfling audience.
u. Des Molnes and John MaeVicar.
The hest citizens, however, 3hag
very commonly favored the commi
sion plan, which seems to prove tlls
chez, are not so bad, after an. In De
q NTolnes they favored lt!'r They b
Ilieyed that it would make governmeI