Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1916-06-03
Continued From Fridays Herald.)
Violates Short Ballot Principles.

- L.
j. no legitimate Republican way or Social
it way or Progressive wal o. being county
clerk or superintendent Of highways. a
member Of New York. recent Constitution
al Convention argued that when the people
elected n Republican To build the roads
they thereby ordered all the jobs 10 be
transferred 10 Republicans. making the
roads all good Republican roads. But he
was mistaken. Political science-there i
such a thing, but 70 true American Will re-
spect it-teachc~ that no technical office
should be- elective no e. in fact. except
truly representative offices where the func-
ton l. 10 interpret = &c opinion. Mem
bers OF the Legislature. congressman, al
dermen. and county supervisors tor what
ever you call them in your State) should be
amateurs, Spokesman for the people, sam
piles of the ignorance a. well a. of the en-
lightenment Of the voters. and from them
al the others. the experts, should take
their orders.
That is also the pathway toward the big
ger goal of 4 real democracy that will
"democ.'' BoSsi-m i not democracy. Ring
rule j. not democracy. Government BY i
ruling class called ''the politicians i not
democracy-it doesn't "democ."
County government, or the contrary, i
ideally designed to resist popular control.
One way Of concealing 4 public officer
from effective public scrutiny j. to make
his office SO small that it will inevitably
fail 10 command public attention. a see
- .-... Il. ~. l,-. ILL. ,.nu,. .I,r4.,. ,F,,
GERS that the public cannot possibly keep
track of them al. 4 third way 10 BATTLE
the public i to divide the responsibility, so
that each public officer under attack can
excuse himself on the ground that the nee
essary cooperation OF some other officer
was lacking. County government involves
the liberal use of all three of these exped-
tents; and -, in spite Of its superficial as
pect, the county ~ the least democratic Of
all our political divisions.
Indeed. il j. a standing menace to
democracy. The unorganized c%itizenry can
not operate the present complex. rusty in
~trument. BY always requiring n greater
amount Of popular participation id govern
ment than the citizens are willing to fur
niSh, it removes itself beyond the grip of
the rank-and-file voters and laDse~ into
the hands Of the political machines. If
the citizens of a given county want 10 dis
place the dominant political machine. they
can do 80 only by the expedient OF build
inc up another to supplant ii. and
the new machine, like the old one.
will continue to be the real guiding force
in county affairs, selecting the public
officers and telling them what to do. In
fact. the private political machine. simple.
well unified, and efficient. but powerless IN
resist the intrusion of corrupt men, has
often been the one element of strength to
the official county government by com
polling some degree Of harmony among the
%latter'S ~di~organizcd elements.
The Prospect of Progress.
County reform j. in it, infancy. There
j. no State in the Union which has worked
out \ good system. The embryo County
Government Association Of New York
state i the only such association in the
country. There is no one who is prepared
70 advance 4 plan for a model county
government.
\ satisfactory solution Of the many
problems can be worked out only by n
steady process of evolution. under condi-
irons that give scope for experiment. free
from needless Constitutional restrictions.
The counties must be free to advance in
dividually and not in perpetual ~lockstcp.
Let the more progressive counties feel
their way cautiously forward. 10 De follow
ed by the Others when the value Of 4 given
step IT clearly proved by experience.
The path of progress will surely be in
the general direction Of ratification and
~lmpliiication. Some VT the elective off
GERS must d. transferred To the anpoin-
tive list. and those who remain elective
must be built up in power. influence. and
conspicuousnes~ until they command the
discriminating attention Of the electorate.
The ballot must not c%ontinuc to 10 too long.
TO remember, but must be shortened suf-
h%clently To come within the complete over
sight of the voters. Responsibility must
be clearly located. The county must ~
given a definite head. The limbs and the
body must be joined together and put
under the easy control OF a brain. Not
otherwise can the people Of a county Sc
cure an organism that will be an cffec-
tive and obedicnt servant.
California took a hopeful step three
years 2 by allowing it, countiesio draw
up charters OF their o..a lust a. N cities
did. Three countic have taken advau-
tage OF the opportunity, Los Angeles l.
particular making the notable improve
1 mgpf af safffnn fbsr.ao, ,tf,..~- sc Il.