Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-01-06
Bv JUDGE GEORGE H1LLYER,
Mayor of Atlanta il, 16S5-1886

instance. a few thousands are doled
out nominaliy to the Second or
Third ward 1t is found in prac-
tice that most of it goes on to
somebody who has got pull in the
new territory at the outskirts. and
the old parts of these wards get
little or nothing. Even in building
the schools out of the bond money,
these two although the most pop
ulous, were the last, the very last.
to get the benefit. The same APP
plies in principle all the way around.
A Proper Representation.
I think it will be found that in
all other cities where representa-
ton is unequal the same evils arise.
The small wards, somehow or 9TH
er, manage to prey upon and vic
timize the larger ones. After all.
the remedy, and the on remedy.
lies with the people. Every citizen
ought to know that every other
citizen is his equal, and that he is
not entitled to more than his fair
share of return for the taxes and
public burdens and services which
he renders, and every good citizen
ought to be just as willing to rec
ognize the rights of other people as
he is to demand his own, and to
place the eity's interest and the
Public's interest above his own.
II the city were laid off into about
80 councilmanic districts and let
there be, say, one councilman to
every 900 voters, speaking approx
mately, so that each voter could
personally know his councilman
and go to him with his complaints.
and each councilman be elected bv
and responsible alone to the voters
in his own councilmanic district
there would then be an accounta-
bility and fidelity and all our peo-
pie would get their rights or have
equal opportunities. Self govern
ment is worth but little unless It be
local self government, and so long
as our members of council are
elected by constituency so large
as that practically the individual
voter does not know the man for
whom he casts his ballot and has
no access to him, under such a sys-
tenn there is no such thing az
proper government.
And now the purpose wholly
changes when one comes to the al
dermanic board. There you want
an experienced financial body to be
elected by the whole city at large
on popular vote. No one would
likely be selected as alderman I'M
less by reputation and experience
he were favorably known all over
the whole city The board Of al
dermen should exercise wise re-
straining powers to make the CITY
live within its income, preserve its
credit and give stability to its bust
ness and financial policy. The diff
ferent boards are undoubtedly too
large. Whenever you have one
board member from every ward you
inevitably put the board into poll
tics. I should say three men ought
to compose the aldermanic board,
one going in each year and having
three year terms. Five is the prop
er number, l would suggest for
board members, at least not exceed
ing five, and they elected by the
general council in joint session.
Opposes Rule by Commission.
As to a government by commits
sion, that would be far worse than
we now have. There is no known
instance in history where despotic
power was not abused. To turn
over this city absolutely into the
hands of three me- or five men. to
do as they please, with everybody
and everything, is unwise and dan
gerous. l hope our people will never
consent to it. If such a body once
gets into power with their immense
patronage and influence they could
do as they pleased, use any
amount of Partially, misgovern-
ment, tyranny or oppression, which
sooner or later they would do:
and then the people would have no
remedy. For such a body would
have intrenched itself in power:
and the people, the helpless and
disorganized masses, could never
cope with or correct them.
on the other hand, d system of
representative government, such as
l have suggested, has been and is
approved by the Wisest thinkers
and statesmen and better than all
others which human thought has
ever devised, coming the nearest to
yielding happiness and good re-
suits.