South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-02-11
WEDGE TO SHORT
BALLOT SYSTEM.

ular with the democracy of the state.
II the bill passes the house and is
approved by the governor. you may
henceforth address Mayor Bell as
Car Bell. Kaiser Bell King Bell. or
most anything else that you like, ex-
cept b. the Americanized official title
Of mayor
The bill creates a finance board for
Indianapolis. TO be appointed by the
mayor with the approval Of the gov
ernor-appointed mind you. This
board has ali the legislative and con
tracing powers at present conferred
upon the council, which in any way
have 10 do with financial matters 1t
makes Up the budget. levies the taxes,
appropriates the expenditures and all
that sort of thing-an appointve
hoard, we again remind you, to do the
mayors bidding.
Which is taxation without repre-
sentation," that is, unless the people
are willing TO accept the mayor as OF a
sufficient representation, and hold him
responsible for his proxies,-the en-
tering wedge of short ballot methods,
OF commission government in the as
tendency. The senate appears to
have been able TO make itself believe
that this subversiOn of democracy is
justifable, due TO an emergency. and
that in consequence. democracy, in
case of emergency is "a failure, and
needs the aid of the legislature to
effect q correction.
Mayor Bell with such a law in force
has more power over the city of In
dianapolis than the King of England
has over the United Kingdom. The
democracy of Indiana will have
created a monarchy. right in its midst.
IL is true that due to a deadlock be-
tween the mayor and the common
council of the capital city, the ad-
ministration of affairs down there find
il difficult To prOceed-but that is an
Indianapolis affair, and not an affair
of state. The cure for the mistakes
of democracy is TO let the people suf-
fer the consequences of their blund-
ers. government implies self
chastisement. The people elected
their council the same as they did the
mayor. and the powers being con-
ferred upon the finance board was
conferred upon those councilmen at
their election. 1t would be just as
legitimate for the legislature to en-
power the council 10 employ business
manager. and endow him with the
functions of the mayor, as il is to
empower the mayor TO appoint a
finance board endowed with the func-
tions OF cOuncilmen.
IN either case it would be Iegis-
lating men out Of powers that the
people have elected them to perform.
To man. well-foundeI in the prin-
ciples Of democracy, ii is difficult to
conceive of an emergency sufficiently
great TO Justify such a course The
senate took "a bold step, and a bad
one. What the house will do remains
a matter OF conjecture. and what the
governor Will do if both the senate
and house succumb TO the Bell en-
treaties. is a matter for more conjec-
ture still.
Sen. Summers sought To amend the
bin when il was up in the senate, to
eliminate the governors approval of
the mayors appointments TO the
finance board. Let the mayor take
the responsibility" was his comment.
Let II be his board and keep the
officers of the state out of it," but no.
the Bell organization. it seemed. would
rather escape that much blame. The
tendency of the amendment would
have been - establish the socalled
short ballot to a fragile" in Indian
apolis. and give both people and
mayor a chance TO Try it out in the
particulars involved 10 their full sat
isfaction
Mayor Bell was never elected 20 so
much power as he now Graves Had
it been anticipated for him he might
never have been elected az all. He is
accommodating this power 10y conquest;
the conquest OF politics. and if we
understand the situation Alright. g. is
against the viii OF considerable pcr-
tion OF the citys population. republi-
cans and democrats alike True "a
semi-endOrsement came from the In
dianapolis board of trade and chamber
OF commerce; a semi-indorsement ca
pable of being converted into an in
dorsement. provided the measure were
otherwise so framed as 10 subject the
mayor TO possible recall, but il proved
unacceptable 10 the executive. The
senate hardened 10 no one save Mayor
Bell The democracy OF the senate.
was willing 10 shelve ccuncilmen 10y
.egIslatng their functions away, but
To place In the hands OF the people
the power OF recall. in case the mayor
upon whom those functions are now
being conferred, should grow reckless
and extravagant-that would be a
different matter
Taken all in all it looks like one OF
,he clunsiest pieces n legislation thar