Evening star., 1926-12-12
CONTINUED from First Page.)

the hardest thing to do in either of
those cities was to find out what the
people of any particular section or
group really thought about things. !
remembered that that had been rather
easy in Washington.
When 1t came to the matter Of zon.
ing, for instance, in both of those
cities It was hard to get citizens inter.
ested in considering the matter, while
here in Washington the coming regu.
lations in 1919 were given the most
careful consideration by scores of as.
sociations and committees, considera.
ton that resulted in advice which was
accepted In large part by the Zoning
Commission.
At length it dawned on me The
presence Of the ballot box in those two
cities meant that the citizen had &C.
customed himself to express his will
with respect to community affairs by
choosing between PERSONS, and that
done he felt that he was not called
upon to do more: the absence of the
ballot box in Washington meant that
the citizen thwarted of his desire to
express his will with respect to local
government by choosing between
PERSONS. found himself in his neigh.
borhood association actually choosing
between POLICIES.
In other words, when q committee
comes to the city hall in a. city
where all questions Of personnel are,
directly or indirectly, decided at the
polls. the conversation its members
hold with the administrative officials
concerning a proposed Improvement
or projected change of policy, is shot
through and through with the
memory of elections in the past, and
is overshadowed by the thought Of the
elections yet to come. When a citi-
zens' association in the District of
Columbia discusses a new improve.
ment or project Of policy. 1t is most
frequently discussed on the basis of
the merits of the thing itself.
Thus 1t is that now, when asked for
my reasons for my faith in the citi-
zens' association. I would not answer
as / would have answered six years
ago. would not say that the asso.
Citations are crude substitutes for the
ballot box Of which we are deprived.
I would say. rather. that the neigh
takes upon itself the responsibility
for the discussion OF community prob.
lens and the recommendation Of com.
munity policies is a necessary part
or the machinery Of a dynamic demo.
cracy. would say that such ma.
chinery ought to be set up in addition
to the ballot box in all cities. ]
would say that these associations con
stftute an instrument for the con
tinuous recording Of public sentiment
with respect to the THINGS Of local
government, whereas the ballot boz
IL too often only an instrument for the
periodical recording of public senti
mont with respects to the PERSONS
OF local government.
would say today what ! would
not have dreamed Of saying then, tha,
in our local government we need more
and more democratic participation iY
the day-by-day work of the commu
nifty organization. and that the bes
way to get that continuing and con
tinuous participation Is not by elec
tions. which are impossible except a.
intervals, but by the neighborhoot
association.
would say today what I would no
have dreamed Of saying then, that IL
many respects the government Of tn,
District Of Columbia, autocratic IL
form, is more democratically respon
sive TO the people OF the city than 4
the government Of many cities II
which the government Is. in form. o
the most advanced democratic model