Bisbee daily review., 1911-05-14

 Some intermediate body of associat- ed interests managed to have their own way, whether the voters op- proved or not. Most of the reforms proposed in recent months have. therefore. been aimed at cutting away these intermediates by giv- Ing the people direct access to the choice of their representatives, and public opinion direct access to the rrocesses of legislation and of pol icy.
 Shorter Ballot
 It is interesting to note. among other things, how popular the Idea has become of shortening the bal lot-that is. of reducing the number of persons who are to be voted for. It is evident 8pon the face of the thing that, h- everybody who Is put In office must be voted for, the list will be so long that the voter will be absolutely Ignorant of the charac- ter or antecedents or abilities of two-thirds of the men he votes for: and this ignorance on his part is the opportunity Of the ipoliticai machine. It can fill the ticket with unknown men who will be subservient tools, or at any rate no serious obstruction to the carrying out of the policies which the machine desires. Where as, if the ticket is reduced to a small number of names for few conspicuous offices. it will be pos sible for everybody to know whom he is voting for, and to have an ac- tual judgment in the matter. If the few persons voted for are held re- sponsible for the appointment of the rest and for the management of the government which they under take the reople have a definite means of control This small group of men can be watched, they can be judged, they can be assessed by what they do from day to day; ana real responsibility will take the place of virtual Responsibility. Where ev- erybody ia responsible, nobody is re- sponsible.
 Why It Spreads.
 This is undoubtedly the reason why the commission form of govern ment for cities has been spreading with such extraordinary raTfdity from city to city throughout the country. Under this form of gov ernment the usual arrangement Is to select a board Of not more than five persons, and put the whole government of the city in their hands. both the ordinance-making power and the administrative or ex- ecutive power: to give them author ity to apDoint all city officers, and hold them responsible for the eff ln they appoint. Not in e single in- stance, so far as I have heard, has this new form of government failed to give che greatest satisfaction or 10 effect just the change which was sought to he effected, namely, the change from an irresponsible, eX- travagant and inefficient govern menE to a responsible, economical and efficient government. This IS the principle and the purpose of the shortened ballot: the concentration of the choice Of the people upon small group of persons whom they can watch and whom they therefore can control.
 Another of the most interesting features of the commission form of government is that 1t is usually as- sociated with the initiative and ref- eHendum: the right Of the citiezns, that is to say, to originate proPos- als of law, and to insist that certain measures of a debatahle chaacter srall be submitted to them for de- cision And in urauy of our states there is a distinct movement 10 ado-t the initiative and referendum as methods of legislati-e action tor the Teorle of the states themsei.es, as has already Teen done in foe note vorthy instance Of oregon. The Idea of this n etho5 of action Is not 10 surersede law-making or ordin- anco-msking rodies. but merely to supply a means Of action to oe used, when and if necessary, in ordar 70 keeD representatives constantly aware O. their dependence uron pub lic o~inion and the judgment of their rnnztiflsantz- IL ia nowhere s,rgbt ts. L..s.y Ca Irsthods Of action for tnoss long established a-rougst us. The purpose is merely ~ne of rectification, restraint, con trcL h9 3il
 The Recall.
 The same may be said of tue re call: that is to say. the right ot the voters of any rolitical, seltgovern- ing unit to cancel the elest'on or an oIncsr and subsfit'te someone else upon occasion. This Is merely a ueans nf heightening the se7se ot res~ ~onsitility, and when properly safe-guardeE bv the l7w. can only with difficulty be usei for any other purpose. Its4ntention is 70 establish in the field Of administrative action the naue eense O deren3ence on the common judgment that the init iative ani referendum are me7nt tn 1 create in the field of legislative ae- | ton.
 Tn short, these are r~ethods by which we are attempting not to | destroy. but to resto~e-not to i'm -air, but to reDair-the gieat insti- | tutions which have fee1 seryiceable ! instruments Of OFT liferty.
 ! Tsrlff Fsvors.
 Il Take another question Of fact In II A, rzfa oR rats1-of rcifffra The