The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-05-29
ALDERMANIC IS
TRUE REPUBLICAN
FORM OF GOVT
For forms of government let fools
contest,
Whatever is best administered is
best. Pope.


Whatever is best administered is
best. Pope.
The aIdermanic form is the natural
form 1t differs in no particular from
the form that directed the thought of
the trainers of the United States con-
stitution, when Section w of Article
| " was written. This provision (Sec.
", Art. IV) guarantees to every state
in the union, republican form of
government.
For the republican form, the federal
constitution provides for the congress
| Qegislative), the executive (presi-
dent), and the judicial (supreme
COURT.
The aldermanic form requires a city
council Qegislative), the executive
(mayor), and the judicial (police
Imagistrate).
The republican form is, of course,
the representative form. The con-
gress is composed of men selected by
ballot, from each state throughout the
nation.
Under the representative form the
aldermen are elected to the city coun-
Gil by the general electorate, sub
is represented in the council accord
ingly, while collectively, the same aid
ermen direct the city's business as a
whole.
The aldermanic form directs the |
election of the mayor and police mag
istrate by the voters at large through
out the city, and provides that said |
officers shall be independent of each |
other, excepting that the mayor shall |
be privileged to remit fines and to
grant pardons.
The aldermanic or representative
form for cities should, therefore,
meet with the approval of those who
are satisfied with the governmental
form provided by the constitution of
the United States, for the nation as
a whole.
While a change in the national form
Of government has not been suggested,
several cities have experimental with
/ so-called commission form" which
came into being at the time of the
flood, about forty years ago.
Since that time the commission form
las been discredited as often as it
was abandoned by way of exchange
or the so-called, managerial form"
And the managerial form was dis
credited whenever substituted by the
acceptance Of some other government
al alternative.
These city government experiments
hould now present reports based on
acts which were not obtainable in adj
-ance of the experiment, and it may
low be conceded that the hometown
eport should be treated as the re- ;
iably Informative one.
IeIena's AIdermanic Form
Under the aldermanic form the last :
udit, as the records should disclose, ;,
vas made by Jess Kicker, in August ),
S11. This audit and report showed n
ash balance, 100000; that all cur n
ent expenses were being paid, and
hat the city was being conducted n
yithin it's revenue.
The Kicker report was followed by q
he commission form experiment, and O
udits by the state examiners depart +,
lent These audits disclose annual c
eficits for the commission form, for ri
IL the years to the date of the last =
report o.
1t may be argued by those not de- q
rous of questioning figures, that I'M a
er the present form our citizens are f,
njoying better service. If such were Fl
lie case there would be little doubt,
ut that there would have been sew
ral public discussions, from time to !
me, for the purpose of verifying such
aim.
Some time after trading their ward q
presentation for the commission
an, which permits all governing Of lib;
Gals to reside in one and the same Ell
ouse, the citizens of Helena assumed
l exact opposite attitude They Ell
tied to amend the state constitution, w
that county commissioners must al
, geographically separated, by being hi
ected from different districts, and Y,
quired to so reside during their in sp
Imbency. The election next Friday, a
intended in part, to serve the same en-
Irpose. 81
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