South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-12-05
THE INDIANA MOVEMENT FOR NON
PARTISAN CITY GOVERNMENT.


NEWS from over Indiana that there be
IN sort OF organized movement to have the COM
ing session OF the state assembly act to authorize
adoption OF the commission or commissioner-man-
ager plan Of municipal government, revives an old
issue that had almost been forgotten. During the
sessions Of 1915 and again in 1917, the late Sen. G.
r. Summers. introduced bills to accomplish such
purpose but they got farther than the COM
mitee rooms.
The non-partisanship features of commission and
conmission-manager governments In cities are the
things that Indiana legislators seem to dislike; this
thing Of conducting the elections without regard 20
party. 1t does listen we'll to the politician yet
without these features the commission plan would
be better than the so-called federal plan under
which operating The purpose of COM
mission government In cities l. get service
the public rather than grease for political machines.
on the other hand too, the non-partsanizlng OF
municipal government through the commission sys-
TENS. has not always non-partisanized them. Too
often they have become hot-beds Of the sort
Of invisible" craftsmanship; that is, the in
troll, while ostensiby non-partisan, elected, and
pretending to regardless of Iarty, have secret
~ considered the politics Of every appointee and
him the organization as effective
", If not than If It were done in the open.
We have had examples of this here set by mayors
in making up their so-caled bipartisan boards
Mayor Carson has appointed not single man to
his boards from the opposition party, save men who
bolted their party in the city campaign and sup
ported him for election. Former Mayor Keller can
lay claim to Just one exception and that exception
did not come from the party that his nearest
rival. In neither of the last two administrations has
the minority in South Bend had the representation
the city boards TO keep track Of things that the
law providing for bipartisan boards anticipated. It
has been observed in letter but spirit.
never contemplated such appointments the basis
of party afiiation in national politics-pickng
who have bolted such utilization in a city election
to support the from which such appointment
comes.
So politicians politicians 1t seems, whether
under ron-partisan commission government on the
so-called two-party federal plan. Grand Rapids.
Mich. Battle Creek, Mich, and indeed, several
Michigan cities. where the commission system has
been adopted under the home rule law-and not
only in Michigan. but elsewhere. including
Dayton Ohio and Galveston, Texas.-have had
their tits with the practical politicians. When
majority from one party. even though non -parti-
sanly elected get control, temptation
too great TO be overcome. The principle OF non
partisan commission government for cities is ideal;
but then, so is the principle of the popular primary
and the initiative, referendum and recall.
But the popular primary hasn't been an
wheming practice, the initiative. the
referendum. and the recall have proven bungle-
some. unin Interesting. ultra-expensive. times
huge joke. We believe IN non partisan elections n
cities, and in the commission plan of government,
but when on when will the people from whom all
government proceeds, possess the steadfast public
spirit and moral stamina. TO proceed with It to the
fulhment OF such high ideals, and insist their
maintenance? With partisanship reduced to quite
the like OF religious frenzy. and adhered TO with
dogmauc blindness regardless Of principle conduct.
anything It has been in these latter days;
a brand Of new ignorance and inertia that sub
jugates all the will OF their designing leaders
we'll what is the use? What Is the use?
The place begin is not with the legislature, but
in the brains the hearts and the souls OF the PEOPLE