The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-12-28
SUNDAY. DECEMBER IS, 1918.
TIL. WORST. NOT THE BEST. FEATURE.

II In peculiar fact that while practically
4pvryune realizes The ineficiency Of the old ooun
rsirnanac form Of municipal government Initiative
OF the English system Of national government
md cur own system Of state and national gov
ernrcnt. most Of those who reach the point of
advocating its abolition shy at the logical result
of their reasoning by a small, one
rody commission or board. uniting in itself ad-
rusnistrative and legislative functions.
That the government OF city should be
divided into three branches, entirely separate
and independent of each other seems TO be fixed
IA their brains az something beyond debate
Wrought of combining any two Of them sends
cold chills down the back, IT, indeed. they ever
allow themselves TO think of IT.
Another fetish is the hicameral system They
or most Of them-seem unable to conceive of
Dnebranch council, board or commission There
must be two. There must be provision for checks
and balances. whatever that may mean. This
seems to be imperative.
So when Alderman Joseph E, Powers brings
forth really good plan Of municipal govern
ment for Richmond he cannot bring himself to
lie point OF including in It tho abolition OF the
cumbersome time wasting device Of a -hi-
camaral body. He ia willing to combine the legis-
lative and administrative functions in one
body Indeed that is tho central figure
of his plan, and II is that which makes 1t worthy
ar more than passing interest That and the
fact that he provides for a small body and for
sslaried officials makes his plan one which can
BE- used as good working basis. But why does
he have To spoil a good plan by retaining the
gystem OF checks and balances? THE distinct
advantage OF this form OF government over the
srdinary commission plan he says, would be
that the small paid council would retain the
valuable bi-cameral feature, which this country
through a century and q quarter Of republican
korernment has demonstrated IL necessary for
= preservation OF proper check and balance.
Far from being distinct advantage this fea~
kurs 10 a distinct disadvantages 1t is the one
GESTURE OF his scheme which 1s not an improve
snent The one change which he does not make
~ the ono change which ne should make.
The idea of check and balance originated In
egar OF the people II was adopted In this cosn'
~ to protect the people against themselves; to
protect property against the people; and, above
ssl, to protect the sovereignty OF the States. so
the house of representatives and the senate were
conceived. the one TO represent the people, the
nther to represent property and the States The
3wo houses were selected differently and by a
different constituency. The members OF the house
u representatives and the members OF the senate
Were selected by different people In a different
way Senators were selected by States 10 repre-
rent States: the members OF the lower house were
sslected directly by the people to represent the
people.
In municipal government however. the stmt-
larity lie one Of form only. There are two
branches. but both are elected directly by the
yeople and represent practically the same con.
situency. the only difference being that the one
Ii larger than the other The aldermen form
the upper branch and the councilmen the lower
branch, but both are elected in the way,
In national government the check Is supposed
10 be that OF the representatives of property on
the representative Of the people The senate
Is supposed to be composed of men OF higher
ralibre and Of men Of more interest In the gov
srnment. The supposition Is sometimes violen.
hne 1t is true. but In the main 1t has held good,
though now passing Nevertheless. that is the
theory upon which two branches consti-
suted In city government even the theory IS
lacking The aldermen form check upon the
common council only I'm the sense that mud
ihecks moving cart. There is delay there is
confusion; there is pickering; there IS a pas
sage back and forth OF measures which should be
adopted quickly: there is conflict between the
representative Of six thousand people and the
representative Of four thousand people the four
constituting part Of the six
An elaborate system OF check and balance prob
ably had much to commend 1t in the early stages
cf republican government. IT has little noF even
where the system operates intended. Where
4 Mere IL no real check and balance. delay being