The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-04-01
~RepublIcan Platform.

hiAhiSIA dblOh, muulClpdi, SldIe anu ma
tional, for which the party has stood
since its organization.
Two years more Of sh~annon-Jost
Observation-Disclosures furnishes addition.
al proof Of the necessity for a new city
charter, SO urgently demanded by the
Republicans Of Kansas City two years
ago.
We insist that the vital issue of the
present campaign is that raised by
the overwhelming demand of our citi.
zens for a simplified form of govern
ment, in harmony with the spirit of
the times, and tending to promote the
rapid growth and prosperity of the
city. y
Each additional year proves the in
adequacy Of the present charter to the
oity's necessities. The provision for
the election of the members of the up
per house for a period of four years,
and the holding over Of one-half the
members of that body after the cleo.
ton of a new administration, has the
effect of enabling the members of the
minority party in the upper house
to obstruct public business, and there
by the people are prevented from hav-
ing their expressed will executed.
The creation of numerous boards,
the continuance of the ward system in
its present form, the unnecessary num-
Der Of aldermen, meeting but once a
week, have proved expensive, burden
some and inefficient. The members
of the council have neither the time
nor the opportunity to give citizens
a proper hearing on matters of pub.
lie interest, and the business of the
city can not be transacted expeditions
ly or with a due regard to the require
ments of the city.
We again pledge the nominees Of the
Republican party, when elected, i'm.
mediately to cause to be prepared and
submitted to the voters a new char
ter, which shall contain substantially
the provisions set forth in the Repub-
lican city platform of 1914, known as
the Kansas City Plan"
Briefly stated, this plan provides
that the only elective officers shall
be a mayor and two houses of legis-
lation, consisting of not more than five
members each, who are to give their
entire time to the public service, and
each member of the council shall be
the head of one city department and
responsible for its management.
That Cor the purpose of a more eco
nomical administration the numerous
departments of municipal service shall
be so reduced and consolidated as not
to exceed the number of members of
the common council.
This plan can be adopted without
either state legislation or any modifi-
cation of the constitution. 1t gives to
the people Immediately, on the one
hand. the benefits OF a simplified form
of government, and on the other hand,
preserves the safeguards required by
the state constitution to protect the
of the city from being guam.
dered and it's credit from being i'm
paired.
We denounce the present Shannon.
Jost administration of our city's at.
fairs under which conditions have be.
come intolerabIe, and from the body
of our citizenship of all political par
ties has come an urgent demand for
a change.
The restoration of the ''spoils sys.
tenn by the discharge of competent
civil service employees in the city gov
eminent and the substitution of Shan
non-Jost political henchmen by e
of fraudulent and manipulated exam
nations, shamelessly conducted in VIC.
lation of law, has become a public
scandal and has filled the city hall
with incompetent employees whose SER
vices have been of little value but of
great expense to the city.
We promise the people that when
our nominees are elected, such en-
ployes as have been dishonesty placed
in public positions, by dishonest ex-
~aminations, or through evasions of the
civil service act, will be Immediately
removed and their places filled by
means of eligible lists honestly Gre
ated by a fair and impartial board of
civil service.
The Republicans of Kansas City be.
lieve that it is the first duty of pub
lie officials to obey the will of the
people. After careful consideration of
the public necessities for the purpose
of protecting the material welfare and
the desires Of the people for public
improvements in various parts of the
city, the mayor and common council
were authorized to issue bonds for the
purpose of raising funds to construct
a number Of public improvements
deemed to be of vital Importance to
the growth and prosperity of the city,
Influenced solely by partisan mo.
tives, and divided into two factions OF
wrangling ward workers, the Shannon
Jost administration has embroiled the
city in an unseemly quarrel over the
distribution of jobs, and has failed
neglected and refused to carry out the
will Of the people by proceeding with
any of the improvements mentioned.
We pledge our nominees, when elect
ed, to proceed Immediately to TAXI VI
and deal with each one of the bond
propositions separately, for which the