Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1923-02-02
WHO ARE THOSE THAT
WANT COMMISSION
G0v'MT REPEALED?

We are informed that enough signatures have been
secured TO the petitions asking for the overthrow Of the
commission form of government in Champaign to force
the commissioners to hold election for that purpose
And, before go any further are going TO all
wise all unionists and everybody else who values public
and personal liberty to
upon any proposition to revert back To the old adeac
form of city government. Because
In principle. the adermanc form of government is
the the recently proposed new constitution.
II takes from the people all opportunity To vote upon
questions OF any Importance he street ear franchise Tor
instance).
1t would mean placing the affairs of the city in the
hands of political machine.
II would take public matters out of the hands Of the
voters and place them in the hands of few Office holders
who for few hundred dollars could sell the ctys streets
to private corporation for hundred years.
And there are many other reasons why the commits
sion form Of government should remain of which No viii
have more to say later.
There are two classes of people who want to get back
to the cqueruled city plan the owners OF private cor
off and who want to take all their money with them They
have been able by oy-tongued uerances to heguie an
unthnking public into attaching their To Of the
most selishly concocted documents ever conceived.
The first class would probably benefit by return to
the odfashioned form of government for the reason that
aldermen represent wards-not the whole city Alder
men are prone to trade this vote for that vote and in the
end privaelyowned public utilities usually secure just
the kind of franchise they are looking for Under the
commission form of government the commissioners rep
the entire city, they responsible TO the citizens
and III they betray the best interests OF the city they are
liable to recall. Therefore there is small chance of
prvatelyowned public utility budozing the commission
into letting 1t have things its own way Nearly eNety
body remembers when several years ago, privately
owned public utility wanted franchise through nearby
city The matter hung fire for time, but after JOY
ride during which God alone knows what took place the
matter was "amcably adjusted and thereafter the
prvaelyowned public utility had no more trouble with
the aldermen.
The other cass-those representing the reactonary
interests-have accumulated little money which they
value highly than they do the best interests of the
city in which they ke They heart-broken because
the city is taking ON uptodae aspects. They would be
contented to live forever in city without sewers electric
lights fire protection and every other modern improve
ment and when they have to pay their share toward max
ing the city fit place to live in they set up awful roar
and get out petition the purpose of which is to expe
from office those who have been responsible for the many
needed improvements the city has undergone dur
ing the past few years. and those that will come in the
future Such people do not belong in progressive com
munity They should move to Tolono where they could
live in peace and prosperity to their hearts content
The commissioners may have their fauts-no body
of be absolutely perfect they have been patient
with the street company but theyhaye not been bull
dozed into doing anything contrary to the best interests
of the city, They have made many public improvements
yet they might have made more and more are needed
During the past few years that the city has been governed
by commission the city has made progress than 1t
did in quarter of century before. The city grows
more beautiful every year Who wants it othefwise?
Nobody but few back numbers who have been dead for
years but who too tight to pay funeral expenses
A.