The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-01-15
WEDNESDAY,, JANUARY Is, 1913.
AN ADDRESS TO LEGISLATURES.

AN ADDRESS TO LEGISLATURES.
Governor Hanna in his opening mes
sage recommended the adoption in
this state Of some form of shorter bal
lot. 1t is understood that a bill m
bodying the short ballot principle IL
to be introduced at this session. In
view of the general interest that is
taken in the subjec, the following
address by the short ballot organiza-
tion to state legislatures is peculiarly
timely:
There is no mistake about the
Widespread demand Tor a short ballot.
Every newspaper Of any importance
believes in it. The three presidential,
candidates this year supported it. and
the successful one is president of this
organization. Platforms of all three
of these parties called for il in a
number of states. Every authority
on government believes in ii. 1t is the
n reform which is approved by con-
servativcs and progressives alike.
The ballots used at the November
election in 10 OF the states have
been universally condemned-not be.
cause Of their form but because Of the
m multitude of Offices the voters were
called upon 10 fill. The users of these
lnllots are convinced that they voted
in almost complete ignorance of all
l,ut four or FIVE of the most important
Offices.
There is only me power which can
remedy this condition, to-wit: your
selves. And now that the legislatures
meet. the people are asking, what are
tho legislatures scing to do about
Ito
This organization is here TO help
you answer this question. not by
throwing advice at you but by offering
y"" the benefit of its store Of facts.
THE troubles of nearly all the states
are similar and several of them have
worked out a remedy. Fol example.
in each of the states of Ohio, Califor.
MI. Illinois and New York. bodies
working altogether independently Of
Ststii ot1!S nave III 10 lIC same
conclusion as to what the short ballot
means in state government. The gov
erl:o! would be made the responsible
head of the state instead of merely
he nominal one. which he must be
so long as department managers are
chosen by someone else and are per-
haps actually hostile to his plans.
And the power of appointment, it is
declared, should be absolute. without
confirmation by the senate: the gov
ernor should be able to remove APP
pointees at his pleasure.
When such q proposal is made
a cry will at once be raised that the
governor shall bald up a personal
machine. This will sound plausible
to the opposition, but the answer is
simple. In the first place. the people
have more direct control if the APP
pointments are made by their own
responsible chief executive. than by
an unofficial, and hence irresponsible,
party leader. In the second place, II
the governor would be likely to abuse
the appointing power, you can clip
his wings by extending the merit
system in the lower ranks of the state
service. Thirdly, you can make par
ticipation in party politics by the
heads Of departments a cause for re.
moval by the legislature. If you are
to have popular, responsible and eff
cient government you will have to
take whatever chances there may be
in giving power t O the peoples chosen
executive. Bad government in the
past has sprung mainly from incom-
plete responsibility.
For the short ballot idea a. an.
piled to counties, we point you to the
charter recently adopted in Los An
geles county. Cal. not that it is the
perfect or the only type. but because
it represents a good deal Of careful
thought and investigation.
I'm the cities the principle has been
applied most widely in the so-called
commission form Of government. A
modification Of this. known as the
Sumter city manager plan. is now be-
ing widely discussed. In the states
which have complete municipal home
rule, the city matter will be taken
care OF locally. Many of the other
states have statewide optional COM
mission government laws which NAV
be adopted by any city. The states
of New York. Pennsylvania, Indiana,
Missouri. Virginia. New Hampshire,
Rhode Island and Connecticut have
vet to make provision for short ballot
cities by legislative action"
TIE HEATHER IN HIS BLINDNESS