The Detroit times., 1915-11-20
Ashtabula
BY Or. FRANK CRANE.
(Copyright. 1915, by Frank Cranel

II is not so very long ago that the gov
ernment of American cities was by some
what universal consent considered TO be
the worst and most signal breakdown Of
democracy.
The political party system automati-
cally threw the control of city politics
into the hands of that element which
regards public office as legitimate loot
for the shrewdest. And Americans had
long accepted unquestioningly the theory
that the only possible way TO operate
democracy is by political parties.
A peculiar result was that the city was
not run and robbed by either one of the
two dominant parties but by "bi-par-
tisan" group of manipulators, in both
parties, who played clever game of
"heads | win and tails you lose"
AS consequence one city after anoth-
er broke out in amazing scandals. st.
Louis, Chicago, Minneapolis and Pitts
burgh We'd with each other in startling
revelations of rascalty.
But the American people learn, al
though as a rule they neglect civic duty;
yet by and by their patience became eX-
hausted and they addressed themselves
in self-defense to the complicated prob
lens of city government.
In the last twenty years rapid steps
have been taken toward the simplfca-
tion of municipal affairs In 1900 Gal
weston adopted the commission plan, the
pist of which was that city business
should be managed on the same practical
principles that hold in managing fac
tory, n railroad. or a department store.
It was plain horse sense protesting at
last against the lapdoodle of partisan
ship.
Des Noines improved the idea in 1905
by providing non-partisan primaries and
elections. Dayton followed in 1913, with
the employment Of n city manager; that
is. a competent trained expert (whether
citizen Of the place or not) was hired in
the same way railroad directors would
hire general manager; to wit. the best
man obtainable for the job-regardless.
I'm 1914 Cadillac. Mich. went still further
and provided for preferential ballot.
And now Ashtabula, Ohio. is in the
lead II has adopted short ballot. COM
mission-manager system with proper
tionate representation. which at present
seems the last word in practical, intelli-
gent civic politics.
The plan. as explained in the Short
Polott Bulletin. is this The voter in
effect saws to the tally-clerks: Cast
nv ballot for Mr. A, who is my first
choice. but if Mr.. A does not need my
vote. or if he is found 10 be so weak that
votes for him are useless, transfer my
ballot to Mr. B, who is my second choice,
and so on"
This system is known as the Hare plan
Of proportional representation. It is new
to America but has been successfully
used in Australia, New Zealand and
South Africa.
OF course this system, or any system,
will not automatically insure good gov
ernment. AS Professor A. r. Hatton OF
the Western Reserve University, OBJ
served when urging the people Of Ashta-
bula TO try the idea. mo mere plan OF
government can insure good administra-
tion. A plan Of government is like an
automobie-there is no automatic de-
vice on it TO keep you from carelessly
steering il into the wrong fork OF the
road-but Il is worth while to get the
best machine on the market, neverthe-
less. and here it is"
Three hundred cities and towns have
adopted the commission plan since 1908.
and in the last eighteen months twenty
cities have taken up the commission
manager idea.
The advantages Of the Ashtabula plan
are that % minorities secure Just repre-
sentation, (2) stability and continuity IN
the council are assured, (3) citizens 90
not waste their votes, and (4) the politi-
cal party machines find II difficult to
naninulate elections and film fam the
people. >.
Good government Is bound to come. It
is on its way.