The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1915-01-09

is receiving such marked atten-
ton that it is quite probable the
legislature, which convenes next
week, will take some action on
the matter. Throughout the state
much interest has been aroused
by the proposed plan to change
the system of voting on so many
different party tickets for so
many state and county officials.
In the state the plan would
probably be to elect a governor
and lieutenant governor, and
have the governor appoint the
other heads of state departments.
In counties, a commission of
three men might be elected, they
to be responsible for all depart
ments, and to appoint such
men as might be necessary to
carry on the work of the county
government In other words, a
commission form of government
seems imminent.
In theory the commission plan
is good. In practice it is just
what the voters make it. If
capable men are elected on a nom
partisan basis, the cost of con-
Quoting our state and and county
government can be lessened
some, and probably better eff
ficiency secured. But if the
proper men are not selected, the
results can be very bad.
The partisan feature of state
and county government is not
good and never will be. The
business of state and county is of
slch character that business
ability is needed most, and polit-
ical party ties are needed least.
There is no more reason for elect
ing a man to most Offices because
he belongs to a certain party,
than there is of hiring a railroad
engineer because he votes a GER
tain ticket and attends a certain
church. Ability and efficiency
should decide.
We have found that our pres
ent primary-and- generalization
system is very poor. It might
be remedied some by cutting out
all parties, and voting at the pri'
mary on as many men for each
Office as file, then voting on the
two or three highest at the gene
raj election. But this in effect
is done now, only with the feature
of the names being scattered
over a number of party columns
on the ballot, and the great OBJ
lection to the method is that it
requires the leading candidates
to make two campaigns, and this
feature will keep many of the
best men from attempting to run.
Many cities have the commits
sion form of government. 1t
works just as well as the old sys-
tenn of councilmen, but some
times no better. If sufficient
salaries are paid to secure the
best men, the commission plan
can be made effective, even in
state and county. But the pub
lie should understand that not
every man who would like such
a job is sufficiently capable in
business and executive way to
serve the best interests of the
public.
The work of the legislature on
this point will be awaited with
interest. Should a law be passed
for a genuine short ballot, and
be ratified by the people. politi-
cal parties would practically cease
within this state. Yet the po-
litical party feature might be re-
tanned by using the present sys-
tenn, but only voting for COVER
nor or a commission on each party
ticket. The legislature is so
strongly republican that it may
prefer to retain the party feature
for its own political use, trusting
that the few men who are elected
under new plan might all be re-
publicans. But it should be re-
membered that the minute the
voters begin to stray away from
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