The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-04-08
Is Opposed to Commission
Form of State Legislature.
SAYS IT IS MODERN OLIGARCRY
Points to Failure of New Re-
form i'm Other States.
Declares Representative Gov
ernment Is Good Enough.

county, who may oppose Governor
George H Hodges for the Democratic
gubernatoriaI nomination in 1914, is op-
posed to the Hodges plan for a COM
mission form of state legislature and
in a letter to the Kansas executive
brands the new reform as change
from representative government to an
oligarchy. To McMillan's mind, the
Hodges plan is the broadest possible
jump from the simon pure Democratic
principle of delivering the government
into the hands of the people and it
tends only to give power to a limited
number of men.
The Mcmillan letter was sent to Gov
ernor Hodges today in response to
request from the legislative members
for opinions concerning the new re-
form. For several days it has been
quietly but generally rumored that if
the sentiment of the Kansas legislature
indicated a strong favoritism for the
commission form of state government,
that Governor Hodges might call a
special session before the 1914 cam
paign Senator Mcmillan is one of the
first of the legislative members to go
on record. He is also a Democrat and
So with that situation, the wise polite
ians are not doping Mcmillan to spread
any bouquets in the Hodges pathway
and the new Democratic governor may
find it necessary to fight for all of the
converts he secures for mis- proposed
reform.
In his letter to Governor Hodges,
Senator Mcmillan says in part:
mo other form or system of govern
ment has been subjected to greater
trials OR dangers and emerged from
them more triumphantly than ours,
which this new idea of government
would abolish I am not ashamed to
hold with the great apostle of Democ-
racy, Jefferson, that prudence indeed
will dictate, that governments long
established should not oe changed for
light and trivial causes
New Form of Oligarchy.
"Thfs suggested change is, in my
judgment, an attempt to change our
form of government from that
of broadly representative form
of government to that Of some
form of an oligarchy. Now
while I admit that the meaning
of the word oligarchy has changed
since Plato's day, nevertheless this
suggested new form o. government
means one in which the supreme power
is placed in the hands, as Webster de-
fines the word, of few people The
!
has been to bring back the government
to the people. This new move does not
impress me with being in harmony with
that idea. One writer and patriot has
said, Our safety depends upon the
broad representation of the people in
their legislative bodies He adds that
experience has demonstrated that it is
far more difficult for corrupt view to
lay hold of a large body than of a
small body of legislators
"I wish to go on record with the
opinion that if we adopt this new form
of commission government that it will
develop, that locally and otherwise the
people will find that they are gradually
losing certain rights and privileges of
government they have heretofore en-
joyed and held dear.
1.-THE tendency and effect of this will
be to gradually center in this new
commission government the control of
rights heretofore enjoyed by the local
communities. Furthermore the history
of small select governing bodies in the
past has not been satisfactory. The
Council of Ten in Venice and others
more modern could be cited as ex-
amp1es in point.
shows Distrust of the People.
ssI will admit there appears to be
growing tendency in the minds OF
some for this sort of government. 1t
arises from the old fashioned and still
of people are not capable of self gov
ernment-
zone enthusiast even goes so far as
to advocate a commission of five mem
bers to Iegislate and govern the state
I presume of course he would expect
TO be one of them. But why five? If
a limited number are desira bic, why
not four, three, two or one? Some
eminent writers have held that an alb
solute monarchy is the ideal form of
government, providing always that a
monarch could always be found pos
sessing the Divine attributes of wis
dom and goodness.
'1n modern times the most promi-
nent example of this idea was the
Stewart dynasty of Scotland and Eng
land Charles I carried the idea so
far that he lost his crown and his head
and James II, more fortunate. his
crown only.
"By long experience the need for
two cham bers of government is deem
ed an axiom of political science, that
if either assembly shows a tendency to
become hasty, tyrannica1 and corrupt,
of another house of equal authority.
Plan Failed in Other States.
s"The only states that ever tried to
do with a single house were Pennsyl-
vania, Georgia and Vermont-all of
which gave it up-the first after four
years experience, the second after
twelve years and the last after fifty
wears. So, this so-called new idea is
not new at all.
1.-The claim for this new sort of legis-
lative body, that the members of which
my mind one of the gravest objections
As every locality contributes by taxation
to the expenses of the government, every
sented in the expen ditures of the same.