Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-04-01

WcbI ana SOutn, nee meQ Will lH5
wisp or a revolt against democratic
institutions" save to few innovating
and enthusiastic students and profess
sors to the cynics wear OF or amused
by the comic opera of extravaganza,
fraud and incompetency which munich
pal government in the United States
is generally admitted to be. Since then
the resolution for honest and COM
petent administration in nation,
state and city has been strength.
ened immeasurably and the desire for
results" and the generous careless
ness Of form have spread through the
country. While there has been an al.
most ferocious zeal for 1.-The rule Of the
people" there has been at the same
time belief constantly and steadily.
II not as fervently proclaimed, that
our cities are scandalously and fool
ishly misgoverned.
This at least Is fact, whatever OF
romantic exaggeration accompanies
the kindred creed. Old Bill Tweed, the
classical awful example" Of municipal
mal-administration. has been uncon-
sciously permanent influence Of re-
form. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and
fluences. Boston with its illustrious
debt and it's mighty quota Of residents
on the municipal payroll. Is another.
Everywhere In large and even smaller
cities in the country the same causes
orr the same erroneous theory and
practice begat the same ignominious
failure: Big taxes and little to show
for 1t: bureaucracy that doesn't earn
it's wages; extravagant appropriations,
little to show.
Meanwhile, the lesson Of foreign
cities managed intelligently and ex-
pertly has slowly been learned in the
United States. Those cities get value
for the taxpayers money. Some or
many of them are not merely soundly
managed business concerns; they are
exemplars of high civilization: the
chemistry of by-products, the latest
machines and inventions, the utiliza-
ton of every resource are known to
them. In architecture. landscape,
gardening, bridge building, even in the
construction and decoration Of ele-
waited railways. they are as far be-
yond the dishonesty, laundering. crude
ness of most American cities as
Shakespeare Is ahead Of a painted Pict.
This Is born of no defect or back
wardness in the administrative or the
artistic faculties and achievements OF
Americans. The knowledge. the
energy, the imposing will and imagina-
ton are not wanting: are more than
equal to the task. They are not called
to do 1t. Private or honorary service,
unpaid or charitable service. claims,
rewards and very nearly monopolizes
them. The best for private citizens.
for corporations, for universities
and other endowments; for them
permanently the amplest, ablest
power, paid or unpaid. the spe-
cial requirements. the noblest
talent and public spirit. For the cities
and great towns unrelated. miscel-
laneous. irresponsible, haphazard. off
cialdom; fat contracts for politicians:
exploitation by barbarians, ignorant
when they are not crooked. The hest
and there are many good among
'them-city officials are often impotent
to protect the city or to carry out
their plans.
Does government by the people, re-
publican-democratic self-government,
mean in municipal affairs this fool
ishness, this waste, this ruie of
sayages. this constant and inevitable
intestine war of departments and
heads of departments, this lingering
death of civic pride, activity and hope
fulness to which the Roman munirinia
of the empire show the only parallel?
Are the kindliest. sympathetic for
eigners right in believing that here is
where government by the people has
"broken down." Can Americans rule
soberly and sanely a little town by
town meetings, county, state.
federal government but not city?
National pride and patriotism are
lanced by the question. s,@ Z. {,
The knot Of the matter is to get a
competent, upright, civilized city gov.
eminent Why blink and finch at
mere word of unhappy. connotation
and an evil past? If I"commission" gov
eminent can do the job why not have
it? The people rule just the same
whether they elect three men or one
man or hundred men. If they choose
to hand over their power to three
commissioners, to say, Here. we will
elect you and we shall require of you
as our delegates city government
absolutely honest, reasonably efficient
with no man or woman on the city
payroll for political or personal rea-
sons. city government by experts
and men Of business, and If We don't
get it or think we don't get it out you
TO-" are they not justified until ex-
perience has shown the contrary?
The best city government If it can
be had by the commission form ac
companied though 1t be with devices
we have not yet learned to love, such
as the initiative, referendum and re-
call; if New Jersey cities can get It
under the Walsh act, at least the Sun
will approve, not criticise. For forms
Of .(city) government let fools con-
test; whate'er is best administered is
best"
THE NEWSPAPER REPORTER.
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baltimore Sun: The repOrting OF so