The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-02-21

those new advantages -wuilld lie t'ii.,'
tically Impossible OF achievement with
out the rest Added to them they b.
come Irresistible.
City manager government involves
the short ballot the only in'ssihie
method by which the le"lile can select
their representatives IN the gu,eina
ment intelligently and efficiently No
man. humanity speaking. can 20 to the
polls on election day and vote any
reasonable approach to Intelligence for
the candidates for a dozen or. a score
Of offices. large and small. important
and obscure Experience has shown
cOncluslvely TINT the average voter
will make an Intelligent chOice-if be
makes one ut all and does not swallow
the ticket headed by his party emblem
whole-fOr only the one or two names
at the head Of the ticket and bolt the
| rest ttising the word In its gnstronomic
rather than its political sense.
| In some stntes. like New Jersey. we
have tn, short ballot IN state affairs
But IN many cities the unfortunate
voter still has To do his share in filling
sucb offices as ossossor iustice of the
peors ,oron.r listrict ntt,ropy. alder
man sh.rjff and ,,rn i. ,l,nnst temut
.d =, .d1 n,u,,d L,..,,.r mr. h.o reeve
Tho Inn. IA lin, i m. stronubold of
the boss and his ally md master. the
special interest The short ballot
is the hulwork of d.u,u.rncy
The city ,n,n,y.r nI,n ,nvolves non.
nortison Government W. have vet to
find wuy 10 disueuse with party gov
eminent in national and indeed. in
stote AFFAIRS Probablv the advantages
of marry government in these large
units MrpeIv ,mtweiyh their disadyan.
tapcs. Rut when we come TO divide
on purty lines pationnt party lines.
TINT is-in ,nun,cipul affuirs the result
ia as absurd as n 10 dpp,orable The
non. partIssn pr,pc,pie which the civ
manager nlnn in common with city
government Introduces into municipal
elections IL essential 10 effective mu-
nicipal government
The city m,no..r MAN like rho com.
mission nluu Involves tho unitication
of powers 9Th. uuiti,nriop Of now
ers.- saws the lending authority on the
subject lis .ssentini IN order to aviod
confusion of rpsponsihiiity. There
should be no other elected officers in
the city government Every power of
the city should be possessed by the
the council to lay the blame on any
other officer if things go wrong II
there is no one who can hinder the
council in its work the council is rob
bed Of every possible excuse and is
Obliged to face the music In times OF
public criticism
The city manager plan. then. has the
advantages common to the commission
plan, that 1t shortens the ballot and
so makes intelligent voting possible;
that 1t eliminates from the municipal
elections the disturbing ana befogging
FACTOR OF hatlonhi partisanshlp' anu
that II unines the powers ana concen'
trates the responsibility
Inc CITY manager pan also mas au'
Vahtaees Pecuilar 10 itseH'
II ue'eGa'eS expert worh 10 all eA
pert.
IL relleves the administrative omcer
from the hecesSIt! or DONG anything
out administering the anairs OF the
CITY. de mas no heeu 10 pay po''tlcs'
TO keep MS ear 10 the GROUND. bis
OPINIONS are no longer Important ior
IL Is the Opinions or the commission
whlch count lis JoD Is 10 carry OUT
policles' nor frame them
IL mas Deen an axiom OF mumclpai
SoVerhheht-aihohg those whose ue'
sire IL primarily TOR eHlcleht govern
ment rather thah TOT personally proht-
aDie goVernmeht-that the concehtra'
uon OF power anu responsibility! Is tue
surest way 10 e'nclency. bnt IL Is con
tenueu WIN cohS!aeraoie iorce' on the
other hahu. mat tne concentration Vi
power III tne haiiuS "i single man
uncoh'roi'eu' Is uaiigero"s.
ine GU! 'nah'Str pau seeures the
au'ahtaseS VI concentration " power
witno"t li'"rri'ie 'tS ""n@f's' u gives
tne S'ap''i'' W tue co''''hhed Judgment