The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1911-02-08
Commission Government and What It Means

Is nothing on the ballot to Indicate how
the men named on the primary ballot
vote in national or state affairs and
so those nominated are resumably Sc
lected as candidates to be elected at
the general election for reasons of per-
sonai fitness only and not political 1t
IS entirely probable that the primary
ticket may contain a half hundred
names of citizens more or less well
known. At any rate the ten who stood
highest in the primary election are the
candidates at the general election. The
ten high men win. They may not have
! received much of a plurality or even
large per cent of the total vote cast
at the primary election. but when it
comes to the general election, the sue
| cessful candidates must receive a ma
| jority This is a feature of the system
that must commend itself to all those
who have been studying with some
anxiety the effect of plurality nomina-
lions which are unavoidable in primary
nominations, and who, regret to see
election to any high Office except by
majority vote. In our just resentment
against the iniquities of corrupt con-
vent1ons and bosSism, we have exalted
the primary system that loads heavy
responsibility on a shallow plurality
If there are fifty candidates on a
primary ticket, it is conceivable that
/ the ten highest who win the nominal
tions would not have more than a
| small per cent of the total vote. There
is reason, therefore. for strong sa,,s-
| faction that under the Iowa system
which will no doubt furnish the In
diana legislature it's model. the result
in the final election, two weeks follow
ing the primary election, must show a
majority vote. If none of the ten meets
the approval of the voter. he cannot
| vote for some one else not nominated
or named in the primary. He is re-
\ stricted in his choice to the ten names
before him. If all the ten nominees are
lgood and able men, fit for public trusts.
no mistake can be made in the gene, al
| election. If all are bad, the people
cannot blame party bosses or party con-
lventions. They did it themselves
| Plurality nominations like convention
nominations, cannot always be expected
to be good and wise, but there is no
| other way to select candidates under
1.-THE commission form. There are no
| parties taken into account. Therefore,
there is no party responsibility. Party
| Headers who in theory would be inter-
Iested in giving nomina lions to good
men and true have in theory only a
Idisorganized, single vote in making
nominations under the commission
form. In passing from political agency
to popular agency, the influence of a
citizen is direct without the interven-
ton of parties or party leaders or
bosses. This is a near approach to the
old town meeting, to pure democracy.
A town meeting of ten thousand voters
would be impracticable. A primary
election is its nearest feasible substi-
ltute, but while it is an essential when
lparty control is abolished. its weak
nesses must not be overlooked in adj
vocating the adoption of the COM
mission plan.
The second change mentioned was
the abandonment of ward lines. 1t is
pretty well demonstrated that ward
lines are a positive factor in weak and
inefficient municipal management. The
lvoters of one ward may elect and re-
elect a man of dishonest and diSloyal
character because he is an expert III
trickery and corruption. He may serve
his ward well at the expense of the
entire city, but the ward lines protect
him. They also provide way for ex-
change of ward favors,-a miniature
log rolling of the kind that makes 1t
difficult for Congress to pass Just
tariff law or useful river and harbor
bill The ward lines divide RESPONSE
bility and obscure blame. They are in
the way of the recall and the ref
lerendum. The ward councilman or
alderman is paid nominal salary oil
500 to $500 a year by law If dishon-
est, no one knows how much he is paid
tn, ~
virtue in ward lines even in the pres
ent manner of municipal control. There
lis no danger os any section of any of
our Indiana cities being neglected by
those in executive control-and there
FORE it would in my opinion at least.
be an improyemen over present con-
ditions to abolish ward lines The
lcouncilmen at large can be depended on
to watch the interest of al citizens
| The third change mentioned was a
change of the citizens view point so
as to treat cities as municipal business
organisms and not political units.
Cities have no sovereignty as in the
days when Rome ruled the world They
are organized for business affairs and
not political purposes. They have. 1t
is true, certain powers to enact ordi-
nances, but these must conform to state
flaws. Inc prODleinS SIOWiHS oul "a
crowded population generally do not
touch cross or merge into the plane
or orbit of state and national politics.
Cities are not even d political subd1vt-
sion like township. They thrust upon
the state problems that may become
political but in their management. the
demand is for honest and ecient man
/ agements as laid down by the general
llaw 1t is folly to talk Of home rule
in any other sense. The problem then
lis whether the commission plan which
contains in itself the executive, legls-
lative and police court authority and
powers and which is selected, rather
than elected. will give cities more effi
cient and honest management. For the
reason that the commissions acts will
stand or fall upon their merits, and not
their politics, l believe the commission
has promise of success
The fourth consideration, = the
abandonment of the three fold division