Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-12-26
AGAINST THE COMMISSION FORM
OF CITY GOVERNMENT

To the people of Wausau:
We feel it our duty to warn the
people of our city, against the
adoption of the proposed commits
sion form of government.
The great Washington has told
us in his farewell address, to guard
our liberties with jealous anxiety,
Lincoln, on the battlefield of Get
tysburg, asked the people to resolve
that the dead should not have died
in vain, and that the government
of the people, by the people, for
the people shall not perish from
the earth. Since the dawn of
history, mankind has struggled for
thu riEilege of self government,
and in the most civilized nations
of the earth, government is by and
nearest to the people. To at this
day restrict the voice of the PEI pie
in their participation in local gov
ernment, is a step in the wrong
direction; especially since it is pro-
posed to put into it's place an auto
cratic system for the long period of
six years.
The remedy proposed for mis-
management, the recall, is a void
chimera, so far as the common
people are concerned, because of
the difficulty and large expenses to
accomplish results. And if there
is merit in the recall, it applies
equally we'll to our present system.
|: And now what is proposed? 1t
is to choose three men from the
city at large for the period of six
years, in place of the nineteen men
comprising the Mayor and Common
Council, which are now chosen ev-
cry two years and by which every
portion of the city is represented.
1t is proposed to pay the three COM
missioners salary which will in
crease the cost of city government
$500. a year. All other officers
and employees, such as Clerk, Treas
urer, Comptroller and Assessor, etc.
"and such other officers as may be
deemed necessary" are appointed
by the commissioners. The people
having no further voice in the mat
ter. There is no change in the
method of school government.
The commissioners are given
power to make laws and execute
them, to create offices and appoint
themselves or others as such Off
GERS. These are the prerogative of
tyrant, and have no place in a
peoples government.
1t is claimed that the city affairs
viii be conducted upon business
basis, and various savings are prom
ised.
When It is understood that the
amount of money subject to the
control and expenditure by the
common council, aside from the
fixed charges, is limited to the i'm
provement of streets, the mainte-
nance of good order the police and
fire department and health which
includes the sewerage system, and
to provide for the poor, it may be
proper to ask in which department
I, the $6500. larger expenditure is to
be saved. If it is to be saved
as it is claimed for Appleton, by
paying laborers on the street s per
day, then we object to taking the
bread and butter from the table of
the laborer for the purpose of pay
ing extravagant salaries to three
commissioners; and especially since
there can be no doubt that the
people are capable of choosing men
to the common council, who are
just as honest, just as faithful to
the interests of the taxpayer and
just as efficient, as the men on the
commission. Not until you change
mans nature can you change his
disposition by paying him a higher
salary.
1t is our contention that a ma
jority of the people, whether as
men or officials, are honest. And
experience has demonstrated, that
large body is less liable to confer
special privileges than smaller
body.
We assume that the present is
thought by those favoring the COM
mission plan, to be an opportune
| time to secure its adoption; be-
cause of the necessary increase in
the rate of taxation, and measure
of dissatisfaction in consequence
thereof 1t would however seem
proper to investigate and ascertain
the reason and necessity for such
| increase in taxes, before jumping
/ from the frying pan into the fire.
1t is not part of our undertak-
ing TO defend the present or any
OF the previous administrations OF
eur city. Men are liable to err, and
no doubt mistakes have been made
in the past as must be expected in