The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-10
COMPULSORY COMMISSION.

There has been little controversy
this year over the various propo-
sitions before the Legislature to estab-
lish n commission form Of government
in the various classes Of Utah cities
| There seems 10 be no particular en-.
thusiasm for these measures, nor, on the
other hand, any special opposition to
them. They appear to be working their
way through both houses Of tho Legis-
lature, without either compulsion or
obstruction. They were put in the
hopper, and then they naturally gravi-
tato through, chiefly because they were
put in.
These plans of commission govern
ment are commonly referred TO as the
Galveston or the Des Moines plan,
more frequently the latter; and yet
they leave out the essential feature,
both Of the Galveston plan and the
Des Moines plan. That is, the con
sent OF the people 10 have this form OF
government as in the bills framed, and
as they are passing along in due
course in the Legislature. The com
mission form of government is estab-
lishcd for the cities, and the cities are
compelled to accept it whether they
want it or not, and different forms of
commission government are provided
for the different classes of cities
1t is different, however, in Iowa,
where there is a general statute per-
mittlng any city that desires this
statutory form Of government to adopt
it. The statute provides the form,
which is alike for all cities that de.
sirc It, but it is not forced upon any.
And we heur that so,ne Iowa cities,
after having tried the commission form
Of government, have given it up and
gone back to the old system. But how
ever that may he, the essential prin-
ciplc of home rule is violated when a
likc this is forced upon any city.
whether the people living therein want
it or not. The very essence and vir-
tue of n commission form of gov.
erument. so far as Iowa is concerned
is that il shall be accepted first of all
by the people concerned In Utah this
main principle is entirely ignored the
people S rights arc overridden, and the
proposition is, to compel this change
of form of government without regard
to conditions. circumstances, or the
popular will.
We cannot but regard this as n
very severe blemish upon the whole
proposition; and we cannot fail to
note that a number of what are claimed
to be the best working propositions in
connection with the commission form
of government. are expressly ruled out
in these bills We refer to the initia-
tive, referendum, and recall. Pri-
marily we do not view either of these
with any favor; but they have become
so inextricably interwovcn with the
idea of the commission form of gov
ernment, that to have that form with
these principles left out is good deal
like presenting the play of Hamlet
with no Prince of Denmark in it. The
friends Of the commission form of gov
ernment as adopted elsewhere. would be
quite lost if they should find those pro-
visions eliminated. as they are in the
bills now before the Utah Legislature.
But the chief point of gust criticism
of these bills, Sc far as we see them, is
their arbitrary imposition upon the peo-
pie, whether that people is willing or
unwilling. This is so serious blemish
that we think that the bills. in their
present form. should all be defeated.