Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1912-03-19

Twelve years ago Galveston, Tex.
was practically wiped out by tidal
wave. When the waters receded
they left the island covered with
wreckage, slime and debt. But that
tidal wave wiped out more than a
single cityl 1t swept away--though
no one dreamed OF it at the time
the city boss and the corrupt poll
tician from hundreds Of American
municipalities.
Galveston was left broken and
bankrupt. The work Of reconstruc-
tion-the great problem Of making
the city safe-called for the best Elf
forts Of the strongest and ablest
men. 1t was no job for gang coli
ticians. such as had ruled and de-
spoiled the city--in alliance with big
Misunderstanding the old days. In
their extremity. the people Of the
city called upon the legislature and
the Governor of the state to help
them. They asked that the old form
OF city government be suspended and
that a commission Of five strong men
be appointed. who should have abso-
Lutte charge of every department of
the city government.
So-with no idea of forever ending
the rule of the Boss-did Commits
sion Government come into exist
ence.
The governors commission took
hold of their great task like men.
For two years they labored nightly.
while the old politicians sulked and
growled and starved. Then there
came a chance for the politicians to
take the whole question into the
courts. The courts decided that be-
cause majority Of the commission
was appointed by the Governor, the
whole body and its work was uncofl-
stitutionaI. Whereupon the people
rose in their wrath and elected the !
same five commissioners by a vote
that buried the gangsters deeper
than the tidal wave.
So the original commission" be-
came purely popular and elective
body, though the name-now a COM
plete misnomer-has stuck. 1t was
five years before the Galveston. anti
toxin for the city boss disease began
to take. Houston, watching with
jealous eyes the rebirth and rapid |
growth of its sister city. was the
first to follow Galveston's example,
and on the heels of Houston came
revolution.
Between January 1906, and Feb
ruary l, 1912,no less than 1876 Amer.
lean cities scattered through 33
states, adopted the commission form
of governm' mt.
More than two hundred other mu-
inequalities are now seriously consid-
ering the adoption of the Commits
sion and the Galveston idea," while
not adopted in its entirety. has ma
terially affected the form of govern
ment in such great cities as Boston
and Pittsburg.
The essential features of he Gal
weston or Commission form of city
administration are these:
l All power and responsibility
must be centered in and confined to
a small council or commission, usual
ly of five members, who, by them
selves or through their own APP
pointees. pass all city ordinances. en-
force them. and administer all city
affairs This commission is the city
2. The members of the commits
sion must be elected from the city at
large and not as representing any
ward or district.
8. Tne members of the commits
sion must be the only elective officers
of the city with the possible excep
ton of an auditor or school board)
and must have the power to appoint
all the subordinate administrative
officials.
A. The commission must have the
power to remove at will any Or oil
of the officials it has appointed. In
this way only can the commission,
itself. be held directly responsible
for results by the people of the city.