Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1916-05-31
RAMSHACkH COUNTY GOVERNMENT
by RICHARD S. CHILDS

Herald with the permission Of the edi-
tors Of the Outlook Magazine. Mr.. Rich
ards s. Childs, the author, is An Origi-
nal student of governmental problems
and Is best known i'm connection with
the short-ballot movement ANA the com
mission manager plan of municipal gov
ernment. He is now director Of the Ma
tional Short Ballot organization. His
pioneer article OH the short ballor as an
Instrument Of good government was
Published III The Outlook in 1909. The
following article introduces u~nexplored
territory and j. his first move in a new
campaign for good government.)
The average voter has a lively idea as
to what he wants in the way of village
or city governments and national govern
meat. Ills theories as 10 what the stare
government ought t. DO are a little ha-
zier: but in county government he rarely
gets any further than a grea4 conviction
that the crowd which runs his dear old
party in the county il "A little better
than the other bunch and that all can
didates bearing the label of the former
crowd shall therefore be unhesitatingly
endorsed on election day.
Over all the operations Of the conn-
" government lie a great pail of silence
and an utter ab>cn C Of public opinion.
III YOU should attempt to poke around I'D
this darksome cave with 4 lantern. YOU
will find that as soon as y0nr light Illu-
inmates something interesting. the flame
-..aI..nl tttfnaSS tho. a.
forts Of 4 little civic association. the
Wesfchester County Research Bureau.
in WestcheSter County. which lies just
north of New York City. When this AS
ISOLATION began its researches several
wears ago. its incompetency were re-
ceivcd with delight or ridicule, accord
ing To the partianship of the newspa
pers. Before long. however, both sides
learned that the Research Bureau was
not intent upon furnishing political cap
it'll. hut on securing the cessation OF
certain practices which had always
been a source Of profit to WHICH ever
party happened 10 DC ia office. Accord
ingly both parties SOC declared war on
the Research Bureau and ~inaugurated a
conspiracy of silence 50 effective that TO
reach the people Of Wc>trhcstcr with
III proposals az rc0rm the Bureau now
must resort to sending pamphlets to the
voters. an exceedingly expensive a OF
reaching public opinion.
Political Censorship.
On one occasion the head Of the bu-
reau. . prominent lawyer, issued a
painfully specific statement regarding
the excessive cost Of certain books, led
GERS etc. n! ich the county had pur
chased. Thrrc were lio blg indexes
worth S.c each. for example, which had
lccn l'iol 10 the coanty at SSl.l3: hun
dr-Is { LIZ rs worth ~ for which 80
had lccn rliF, aud - on apparently
this settlement cot ON tie nriy cS of Inc
men VII were lossing tie county EusI-
ness. - they caused u suit for libel I"
~ brought against The lawyer and the
New York Evening Posi- which had
published his statements. Tho Sixt>-siX
little with which Wc>tchcs-
ter County il cursed hcralded the an
prolch &c the trial with ngiSy satiSfac-
ZION Tie ldlf NtttfF VI HAA 't'N'HANA
%counsv" was Ia be- upheld, This singer
Of mud would learn to his cost that ne
mlst not make such statements, West
chester County at last read the news
that today this offensive 81 sizcn was Ia
he hailed into court to answer for his IL
bel. Then abruptly there was silence.
Only three cf the SiNtNsiN papers -
Wcsr hester published the results of
that trial and one Of them reversed the
facts.
The political machines not only con
troll the press. but the public furnishes
The money with which 10 finance the OPP
GRAFTON.
WestcheStcr County eXrendS each year
over one hundred thousand dollars 4
he publication of political piffie nj an
cxorhitant rate. If there were not so
lmuch velvet In this advertising. some OF
tho no doubt could afford
Id Kick over the traces and set them
selves NJ aS a real free press for the
enlightenment of the public on county
affairs. but ID would be pretty hard for
such 4 paper Ia live when the county y
81 literally financing its rival. There
was. i'm fact. one editor in WestchesIer
who received his slice of the county All
veriising and pro- cesled 10 render his
bill or il 1T a air rate. The other pub
fishers heard of this with diSmay and
went around to reason with him. IL
was very stubborn. No he said:
THAT i the legal rate aud what i more
il i exceedingly good pay Ii was eN-