Arizona republican., 1922-01-14
SATURDAY MORNING. JANUARY A. 1922
| knoaO not d1ly crime so great that
q man could contTiUe to commit as
poisoning the sources Of eternal
truth. Samuel johnson.
Government Forms and Government

We have received from Sedalia, Missouri, where
effort is being made to install the commission form
of government, telegram inquiring in what opinion
that form is held by citizens of Phoenix after trial OF
nine years. 1t is our belief that considerable number
Of citizens would willing give and return to
the old order though perhaps much larger number
are not quite satisfied the results that have been
secured. But if there has been paucty Of results
that cannot be charged to the form
That as a form commission and managerial sys
tenn in theory is the best that has yet been de-
vised must be admitted but if the operation of it is
to be wholly successful it have the earnest and
constant attention Of very large majority of cid-
zens otherwise it will become in practice. the worst
possible form that can be devised sharpened tool
in the hands of a careless person is much more
dangerous instrument than dull one.
If q commission non-partisan government is az
lowed by the voters to go bad and establish itself II
can be displaced only by special organization of cit-
gems and special organizations difficult They
can be formed only when the community feels itself
to be outraged.
Under the partisan system there is always an or
panized opposition. SO that If the party in power
raises only slight discomfort the opposition may take
advantage Of it and take charge of the government
That is far from ideal arrangement 1t is waste
full way Of correcting erripg government. But If
tends to keep governments their toes for they
are aware that every missep will marked and ex-
aggerated.
An Improvement of a non-partisan form would
be an organized potential opposition. though we con-
fess we do not know it could be formed and main
tanned 1t should not be formed for the purpose OF
finding fault with the government or embarrassing
it but should be maintained as nucleus around
which the electorate could rally when the government
goes wrong
We always have lot Of citizens who as individ-
uals are watching the government and lot more who
are finding fault on insufficient information The lat
ter rather play the hands of bad governments by
discrediting the revelations of careful observers of
what may be going wrong
So we see that bad government is usually the
fault Of bad state Of socety-the ignorance and
apathy Of a large number Of voters. Unfortunately
there is no way to awaken them and make them In
form themselves.
There has been some advocacy of plan to make
citizens perform their duties voters and avail them
selves Of high privilege. We do not think that
be done There another useless privilege that they
esteem more highly and that is the privilege of cuss
ing out" the government between elections, at which
they fail to express their disapproval
II there were some way to get around the consti-
tutonaI right of free speech we would deny the
"cussing out" privilege to voting citizens We
would so arrange matters to issue "cussng out"
license to every citizen Immediately casting his
vote every citizen exercising that privilege with
out license should be severely punished.
we may summarize views in this No
form Of government has been devised, ever
viii be devised that will insure good government to
careless apathetic community. And no form has
ever been so bad that an alert community could not
have good government under it.