The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1911-03-16


partments Of Greek and journalism
at the West Virginia University, ad
vocates a years trial Of the commits
sion scheme of city government al
Morgantown on the utopian assump-
ton that politics can be eliminated
from city affairs. There are many
good things about certain forms OF
government by commission but if NO
better inducement can be held out
for any scheme of the kind than that
offered by the Morgantown professor,
II Is hardly worth monkening with.
Says Prof. Green editorially in the
Morgantown Post Chronicle:
"Morgantown can have the sub.
stantial benefits Of bipartisan
commission city government, If
the leaders Of the parties will get TO-
gethcr and agree to cut out the Gus
romary political contest--at least the
political part OF tin the coming
city election. There is little TO be
gained in a political way for either
party in such contest"
Further on. the professor points
out:
In any other sort of corporation
the politics of members of the
board of directors to be selected and
of the general manager and other
officers would cut very small figure.
An attempt would be made to get
men of first-class business ability
and unquestloned integrity. Their
views on the tariff or reciprocity or
free trade or new nationalism would
be given little thought by the stock
holders"
Now, right here is where the pro-
lessor bases his argument upon
false premise. His analogy is incor-
rect. If the commission scheme OF
government he has in mind is to
city what business system is to
a corporation, he is mHiusing terms,
because politics in the generally ac-
opted sense is exactly the same
part or attribute of city government
that business management is in a pri-
yate corporation. Hence, if he would
conduct business corporation the.
same way he desires to eliminate
politics from city government it is
apparent that he would try to con
duct the business corporation with
oue business management and that
would be about as bad or worse than
not running it at all.
While in its wide sense politics
means the science of government, it
is used by the professor in its other
and, perhaps, narrower sense of the
management of political party; that
is to say, the conduct and contests
Of parties with reference to political
measures, or the administration of
public affairs.
But, is there any difference be-
tween the Characteristic or attribute
of city government that is represent
ed by the term politics, which means
the plan of administering city af-
fairs, and that feature of operating
a private corporation known as bust
ness management, or the administer
ing of the affairs of the private cor
poration? 1t is difficult to see any.
Names and terms are different and
that is all. Business management of
private corporation quite frequent-
ly, perhaps always. assumes the same
aspects of the management of a pub
lie corporation and just SO long as
there is division OF the stock, or
ownership, in either there will be
difference of opinion as to the policy
of managing either.
No doubt improvements can be
made in the present generally fol-
lowed plans of governing a city. Bet
terments are to be expected in the
management of our public affairs as
the world progresses. But, if we are
to consider any new plans Of gov
eminent, let us have some new ideas,
some new things on which to work
some new, practical working schemes
and not a juggling of old things
under new names.