The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1916-08-24
COMMISSION IN
LAMBERTYILLE
Mr.. EDITOR:

Mr.. EDITOR:
Once in a while, and fortunately
only once in a while, hear a man
say that he doesn't believe in com
mission government because it ism t
democratic---it places too much
power in the hands of a few. Let
us seeif that mans objection is sound.
The word democracy is derived
from two Greek words and it means
the rule of the people. So then when
we speak of a democratic govern
ment we mean government in
which the people rule. 1t follows
of course that that government is
most democratic in which the people
have the most power. The question
comes down to this then---will the
people of LambertVille have greater
or less control over their government
under commission government than
they have now?
A few people have the idea that
the test of democracy is the num-
Der of officials they have to either
represent or misrepresent them. The
more democratic is their government
and the fewer they have the more
autocratic is TT eir government.
Nothing could be farther from the
truth than such a notion.
What is the function of an official
anyway? 1t is simply to WELD and
direct power. Now where does this
power come from? Surely not from
the of1iceholders. We used to think
that, but on this side of the Atlantic
we have gotten over that notion
We used to think the king was the
the source and fountain of all power
and that everything we had and en-
joyed was by his favor. We dis
proved this fallacy dispensing with
the king, and we discovered that it
was the people who created all the
power of a nation and that if the
king enjoyed any it was only by
their favor. The history of demo-
cratic government is made up of
long struggles to control and give
the government into the hands of the
people who create that power.
Put vigorous ambitious people
in land of opportunity and a ire
mendous power is bound to be Gre
ated. After it is created comes the
question, what is to be done with it?
Who is going to control and direct
it? There is no question but that
the people, and the people alone,
should, and if they do we are sure
to have a government truly demo-
cratic. But if the people don't and
can't do it themselves somebody else
will, and in America that somebody
else is the politician. We must not
blame the boss at all. He is the
product Of our system. He sees
power lying around loose, so to speak,
and he just takes it and assumes it
to himself. And of course we must
bear in mind that the boss system
of America is no more democratic
than the monarchical system of Eu-
rope.
We see then that it is the control
we exercise over those we do put in.
If we can always make them do
what we want them to we will have
democratic government, but if
they find they can do as h y
please despite our wishes then we
will have an autocratic and despotic
government. Therefore, one-man
government which is responsive to
the will of the people is far more
democratic than fifty man govern
ment in which the pebble have little
or nothing to say.
What control have we got over
the government of Lambertville to-
day? We have a vote one day
year and that's the only day in the
year we amount to anything. That
is the only day that some of our
officeholders recognize our existence.
And when that day is over we begin
the political sleep that knows not