South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-04-24

mocracy they are supposed 10 have.
IL Is not only a shallow but really
dangerous view. II has given us
most OF the evils OF a pseudo-derno-
cratic government. the politician
the machine and the boss because
IL necessarily leads TO blind voting. I
can name you cities in which the
citizen has 10 vote for from so 10 so
public officials. what average voter
has time or the patience 10 find out
the merits or the faults OF so many
persons? Naturally, His Majesty the
voter is IN the same fix as All Males
ties-he becomes dependent on hire
hngs and mercenaries We have in
this country two standing armies Of
political mercenaries. and, as IL has
happened before in history, our mer-
cenaries boss those whom they are
supposed to serve. II is a sham de-
mocracy. because the people merely
go through the motions OF voting
tickets which are made for-or foist-
ed upOn-them and in which they
have neither part nor interest. We
would get more real democracy. II
we did less electing quantitively and
more qualitatively.
Good Fellow" No Qualification.
The second essential of de-
mocracy is true representation. That
Is very hard 10 obtain. but we can
get nearer TO IL if we elect repre-
sentatives on no other grounds but
that they are our own kind Of folks
disregarding all qualifications for
al
Our own kind of folks?"
THAT to me is the logical basis OF
representation, said Mr.. Childs. 1T
is wrong and stupid to make a man
city engineer because we like him
and not because he knows his lob.
That is why administration must be
divorced from politics a job should
be either administrative or political
not a mixture Of both.
~ city charter is like an automo-
bile. And the manager plan IS the
best make. Some citizens have head
cd il for the ditch of complacent.
mediocre stagnatiOn. and il has gone
straight there. Kalamazoo headed
it for socialism, and il obeyed the
wheel. Dayton and most of the
cities have demanded progress, and
the engine has taken them there
smoothly"
zone more question-would you
favor the adoption of the manager
plan for New York city?"
"Yes-with notifications Of outer
form TO safeguard the inner princi-
pies The representative body would
be much larger than in the small
cities which have thus far adopted
the plan. II would have so to 100
members. chosen by districts or by
proportional representation, a real
local legislature or parliament of
popular representatives. The mem
bers would be nothing like our pres
ent inconsequential aldermen. for in
this plan they would be members of
the supreme board of directors of
the city, with sweeping powers and
great burdens, worthy of the time
and devotion OF the ablest citizens.
and protected from corruption by
their conspicuousness. The press and
the public could easily watch that
vital central body. Each district
could easily be aware of what its
solitary representative was doing.
The model should be the admirable
and successful city council of Chi
cagO. This new parliament would
have its inner executive committee.
to which much detail and leadership
would gravitate. And the executive
committee would deal with the city
manager. who. If he were wise and
knew what other managers have
learned. would keep out of politics
and publicity and seek formal in
structions from his superiors, the
popular rep-t sentatives, on all con-
troversial questions.
And Tammany hail."
1.-The machines would lose their
monopoly of hopeful nominations.
and the huge campaign fund. which
is at present the only recourse of a
candidate who has no machine sup
port in a large-scale contest, would
lose what little effectiveness it ever