The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-12-21
Discusses Municipal Government

To the Editor of The Age Herald:
By YOUR courtesy l would like to say a
few words regarding government by Commits
sion in Birmingham. l shall not deal IN
personalities.
In commenting on the general dissatisfac-
ton of the people with government by com.
mission, / have several times seen 1t stated
that it is the men in office, and not the form
of government which counts. 1t is admitted
that if all men who hold office were good
rulers, we might get reasonable satisfaction
from even a bad form of government; but II
is too great a risk to run. In the first place,
our present government is contrary to Amer
lean ideals, and to the spirit, if not the letter
of our State Constitution, which says: The
legislative department shall never exercise the
executive or judicial powers, or either OF
them: the executive shall never exercise the
legislative or judicial powers, or either OF
them the judicial shall never exercise the leg
islative and executive powers, or either OF
them to the end that it may be government
of laws. and not OF men" Commission gov
eminent combines a mixture of all these
powers and there has resulted what we should
have avoided, a government by authority.
Now, the pages of history are filled with
the shortcomings of autOeratic government.
With it nearly always comes ruthless oppres-
sion and tyranny in its various forms. For
this cause, and to escape it, many of our
wilderness and hardships of the new. Auto
cratic government brought about the Amer
lean Revolution and the Declaration of In
dependence, with change of form OF our gov
eminent; autocratic government brought
about the French Revolution and Madame La
Guillotine, by which the heads of the tyrants
were chopped off and their blood caused to
run in streams in the public streets; auto
cratic government brought about the World
War and the death Of seven million or more
men, and left tens of thousands of fatherless
children, many of who are now in need. Auto
cratic government carries in its train tyranny
and death and sorrow and want and despair !;
because it is government OF men, and not
of law.
If such be its effect in larger phases, why
let it exist in any form, or anywhere, In this
commonwealth!
What Birmingham needs is a representa-
tive government, whether it be Mayor and
Aldermen, or a Council Manager plan. AS l
see it, they are practically equivalent.
AS l see it, the citizen cannot truly express
himself in government unless there be party
organization, a declaration of principles by
the candidates, and a nomination of those
whom the voters think best fit. Party organ
ization brings about competition and contest,
the parties and candidates watch each other,
and the political house is kept clean; but this
only comes with representative government
How do we know, when men poke their
heads up for commissioner without being
nominated, whether they are competent or
qualified or whether they are democrats or
republicans or socialists, or what they will
do, if elected or whom they will represent,
whether class or all the people?
Has commission form of government in Bir-
mingham ever accomplish anything worth
noting since its inception? Has it not al
ways been divided the wrong way when it
came to important matters, resulting mainly
in chickering's? Did it not take nearly II
years for commission government to build an
auditorium for the people and will it not
take the same length of time for it to cause
to be built the badly needed crossings over
the railroads?
Has not commission government increased
the burdens of every man, woman and child
in Birmingham? 1t not, let some be heard
who have had their burdens diminished. Is
not Birmingham the leading city in the United
States for murders of every kind and for
deaths by automobile? Do not the records
show it? And yet. has government by com
mission increased it's police force when it
could have done so, and prevented many of
these deaths?
Has not government by commission placed
costs on its arrests by policemen, and said
to them, in effect Get the money; make the
meat you feed on, your salary depends on it?'
If so, what do you think of this policy? Is
it fair or just either to the police or the
public? Does it tend to encourage courtesy
and good will between the police department
and the public?
1t seems to me thta commission government
is too far away from the people. We feel
ourselves moved by it, like pawns upon
board, but we cannot tell by whom or ask
the reason why. Without controlling head
it is like ship without a master which goes
yawping about, ready to run on dangerous
reefs or be swamped by the high seas.
where no counsel is, the people faul tut