The sun., 1912-07-14

authority in a few men and holding
them responsible. Speaking Of the
Walsh bill. which gave any city In
New Jersey the right to establish n
commission form Of government. Gov
Wilson said:
Candidates are not elected by plu-
ralities. but are elected by majorities.
Necessarily II one man Of two IL elected
he must be elected by a majority a
majority OF those who vote. Under the
New Jersey plan when there is vote
on the adoption OF the commission plan
Of government at lenst 80 per cent Of
the registered voters Of the city must
vote in the Affirmative in order TO adopt
IT, We have thus tried to avoid the
domination Of minorities and make
everything operative by the majority
of votes
II am expounding a thing which
applies to all conditions OF American
political life. The thing We are looking
for in city government We are looking
for In every kind Of government In
America. The ways Of finding 1t are
not the same. but the quest In the same
We are seeking for responsible action
In response not to special interests or
to parts Of public opinion but to the
whole opinion OF the nation. We arc
seeking to base II upon the Judgment
OF common men. The human race 10
not to be saved by q remnant; the
human race is not to be saved by Q
few instructed persons: II 10 to be saved
by the conscicnces and purposes Of
common men. II you cannot carry the
instinct OF the common man with you
then YOU have done nothing to in
crease the forces or to enhance the
hopes of the nation.
Some 207 cities In the United States
have adopted commission government
and no city that has ever adopted II.
so far as ! know. has gone back to
the old form. one may ask Ia there
nothing more to commission govern
ment than concentration Of orRanixa-
ton? There IL nothing more. That is
the beauty OF It. There doesn't have
to he anything more. We say to the
FIVE men who are elected: The way the
government under you 10 constituted
Is nothing to U.S. The number Of people
that are employed by you Is nothing
TO us-at present. The way you organ
ize or reorganize your department Is
your business. but We are going to
hold you responsible tor every bit Of
1t. and If II does mt work out, then
we are going to try somebody else,
until We find somebody who knows
how to make II work
Some of the cities in New Jersey
were not particularly fortunate in their
choice OF commissioners. but as soon
az those commissioners got to work II
was shown which cities were fortunate; /;
and there IL the recall. Under our
system OF commission government.
there Is a great advantage in having
an opportunity to identify your unde-
desirable commission.
81 have heard men say. do you
think that government so cOncen-
trated and simple as that would be de-
sirable In great city with a great
tccming population? I don't zee the
number of people got to do with It? Is a
government less safe when It Is watched
by million eyes than when II II
watched by n thousand eyes? The
size Of the city seems to ine to have
only this to do with II. that It viii
bc a much more severe test. You
VIII have to try to get big men. and II
until you have got the biggest men that
you have. and then think OF the dis
| tinction which will come to city
which Is governed by It's best men"
summing up. Gov. Wilson said:
Now, when We come to ask our
selves what We want In order to secure
responsibility. what our object Ia, I
hope have sufficiently laid the foun.
dation to make II evident what the
building must be- We want to unity
IN order tn control, ! do not under-
stand persons who say that unificatiOn.
Capitalization. IL undcmocratic. A. /
nave already stated. nothing seems 10
M" undemocratic except that which
prevents the people from controlling.
Ana stand for the proposition that
anything that secures control for puh.
lie opinions is fundamentally and rsdi.
callv deurocrst,c
Why mot do what several Amer.