The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-06-29
obiectjons to Commission
y
Government.

is under dlSCuSSlqH.
F'irst-That it places too much
power in the hands OF rev men men
second-That it is q departure
| from the American principle OF rep
resentative government.
Third-That it would prove more
expensive than the present Ward
4 system. ,.e
Fourth-That it would be less dill
| ficult to corrupt three OF i've com,
missioners than to corrupt q body OF
men as large as the. average CITY
council.
All of these objections arise from
a complete misapprehenslon as "
what constitutes commission govern
ment.
Commission government does not
increase the power Of the city OH
Gals to harm the people IL mere
Inv increases their responsibility 10
serve the people.
The commissioners cannot grant
:. public franchise without submitting
Lis to a, vote. They cannot use Tue
city government to pay polleAsdi
debts. They cannot enact ordinances
not approved by public sentiment, We
cause the people have the rlghI o.
line referendum. They cannot reluse
to pass ordinances demanded by tle
: people because the people have the
|right of the initiative. They cannot /
onnosa the best interests OF the mu-
nicinality or conspire with politicians
10 defeat the purposes of city, gov
ernment. because the people have the
e fright of the recall
; NOT one of these safeguards are
! granted under the ward plan. me
Z movers enumerated above as Deiis
i taken from the commissioners anu
: given to the people, are all vested II
+ the mayor and council under the ola
; plan without check or hlndrance, eA
cept in very few cities that nave
1t adopted the initiative and rerereh-
I; dunn and recall.
II AS to the charge that a small Dod5
of men would be less difficult to cor
= rupt than a larger body OF COUNCIL
men. the argument might be conced-
Il al were it not for the fact that COM
IL mission government takes ample pre-
= caution for protecting the people
II against dishonest men should they
OF haDpen to be elected. The old ware
at nlan makes no provision to protect
no the people in such cases.
Commission government provides
- for a system of municipal account 7
On ing that enables the taxpay ers 70
ID know the exact financial condltlon
~ of the city every three months, ana
! in addition provides for the daily
az auditing Of the city's accounts. u
Ie- also exacts a bond from the conn nnlls
ny sioners to protect the citizens agaans
be Iloss from inefficiency, neglect g
=. dishonesty on the part Of the eohi
; l:missionssea The old ward plan MAKES
no sua ms rovisions.
es-I Representative Government,
nd II a. not a departure from "
90. Americsa4s principle Of represent nS
tive goSgas4ln ent On the contrary
lilo ii is a return to that pflaclpls =
out municipal government
esi- EVERY citizen is represented
q every member of the commission. s.
=, has a, vote in their nomination aI
~ their election. Under the Ward pa
IND every citizen votes for the MAJ
,rk and the members of the council ffol
,nt- his ward. In Kansas, for instance
there may be two councllmen lrol
= each ward, and, in some Of the cue
Ile hfere are six wards. mat meal
5e1 Twelve councilmen. No voter has
IA voice or vote in the noInination :
II. election Of more than TWO VI lneAA1'
What about the other ten
They legislate for the entlre GU =.
mao appropriate funds for the entlre ..
tiers leyee taxes upon every cltlzen. ?
hall the citizen does not have the opp.
tunity to vote even Tor lnaJoil
of them.
Tor Whatever the intent might ma
flor been in the division OF cites III
ing wards. it certainly resulted IN an
factual bar to representative Cover
ment for the people.
puo- Commission government remedl
con- tnat evil influence in municipal III
ad- r. obliterates ward lines entirely a
IL makes the commissioners the rep
sentatiyes of the whole city. Eve
'fei' voter has an equal claim upon I'll
char services. His influence so TAR as I
de- vital feature of the ballot is ct
fo,. aerned, is just six times more pow
ful in municipal elections than It
7opie where twelve councilmen are elec'
the under the ward plan.
rized It must be apparent that sche
- r. Of civic rule which enlarges the
ercise Of franchise for every cltl1
II, u cannot be characterized as a deps
adj ure from the spirit or the letter
soon representative government.
cratic Inc oD5ectlon ~ ~. go
steps s,,a,,iru a. to what the neople of
ia municipality can afford to pay
Sc OF good government.
isten- Inc on "ssiu pa ~; y -. a ~
This ,sss Wi t.,,sjnass tie IRRESPONSIBLE.
some hazard system, which proverbs
place spends money TOR the wrong IL
com anu leaYes 1ieel-'ns - So ax.,a-,.
institution in the municipality,
though the councilmen receive