St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1913-11-22

mind on the question as to render general
discussion superf1uous, lido not pretend to
say. But this I do know that there is an
undercurrent Of opposition busily at work
as is always to be found when any progress
sive measure is put forward. That under.
current of opposition should not be ignored.
The very fact that it is quiet, that those
who have an interest in the continuation OF
the present form, do not appear openly, is
all the more reason for the friends of Com
mission Government to be On their guard
and Furthermore. to get to work. It is un-
fortunately true that no great measure for
the betterment Of either National, State Or
Municipal Government has ever won out
without jHaaN1 aggSssive ffsht by tIRsfriends
|pf that measuurre to aWaksnzthe@p@ic con-
Science anainte1fgence in the mafIeE.
| Wsh5therefnresto discuss very briefly
the relative merits and dement's Of the two
systems. It may be said in the beginning
that such discussion is not based on theory
but on the actual experience of hundreds of
towns and cities. It is really not a discus
sion at all but a business proposition, plain
and simple, with absolutely all the weight
of the argument, Of the figures and Of the
experience pointing one way.
The underlying principles of the two
systems are readily outlined. Aldermanic
or Ward Government has as a system plenty
of precedent to back it up for it is modelled
theoretically on our National and State Gov
ernments, that is that the entire municipal
ity be subdivided into wards, as the larger
bodies are divided into legislative districts,
and that each Of these subdivisions elect a
representative, usually termed an Alder
man or Councilman, to represent and act
for his constituents of that particular ward
in the Common Council of the entire NUM-
cipality. Now as to the Nation or State
this system is largely necessary, because the
large territory in each of the legislative sub
divisions means a very great diversity of
interests between them and each of such
subdivisions doubtless requires a special rep
resentative to look after their particular
interests and to harmonic them as well as
possible with the interests of all the others
so as to produce the largest good for the en-
tire body of citizens of the whole Country
or State
The Commission form of Government on
the other hand looks on Municipal Govern
ment as the running of a big business,
which it really is. It regards the Munich
patty as a unit so much smaller than Ma
tion or State, that the interests of no par
ticular portion are essentially different from
those of any other portion or Of the entire
collective hody. It's system is one of SIM
plifcation. Of direct responsibility to the
entire body of citizens on the part of each
Commissioner for the particular work which
he is chosen to do in the running Of the
City's business. If something is wrong
with your street, no matter what part of
the City you live in, you know to whom to
go. If the matter does not receive the at
tention it deserves, you know whom to
blame. How is it under the present sys-
TEN? To whom do you go, to whom can
you go? If you go to your Councilman he
will doubtless try and get what you want
but every other Councilman is trying to do
The same thing for his constituents. You
may get it and again you may not. But
The point is whether you do or do not, you
nave absolutely no way of placing the de-
served blame or praise as the case may be.
It is largely a grab bag where the best
gets there without reference to the
good of the City as a whole. And the fault
S not with the individual Councilman but
with the system. The same thing of course
to your water, your lights, your .po-
ice protection, the public health, your
Your Mayor to be sure, under
he present form, is elected by the City as
/ whole and as such represents the entire
Citysbut if the City government is not be-
ng conducted to suit you and you blame the
Mayor alone, as is probable, how can you
wade through the Council proceedings and
he inevitable tumble of petty politics which
lnder the present system forms part and
thereof, and really know whether it
s Mayor or Council to blame, and if the
what part of it? If you finally
coated that part of the Council which you
to blame, you would doubtless find
hose members were not from your ward
md tharnfnrn NOT rosnnncihlo RI xro,1 onv-