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The Commoner,
VOLUME 9', NUMBER 7
j'' -
The Commoner.
SSUED WEEKLY.
EDUCATIONAL SERI
EO
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I
WlI.MAM J. IlJlYAN
Kdltornnd Proprietor.
ItiniAni) L. Mktcai.kk
Ah oclntc Kdltor.
ClIAItl.I'H W. HrcYAN
Fubllslicr.
KdltnrJnl Ttooms and Duslncss
Onico IM-SJO Fouth 12th Street
Kntejcd nt tlie J'fiEtcfl cc nt Lincoln, Neb., jib Kcond-elafs matter
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THE COMMONER, Lincoln, Neb.
, Tho jailing of n few more dishonest bankers
,laV0 ? ,tondoncy t0 teBBon tho demand!
and tho need, for guarantee of deposits.
iw Vot,r?ne?,t of Platt and the election of
ftoot may raise the personnel of tho senate, but
comffliS0118 th inflUOnCG f th a"d
Tho Smithsonian Institute is sure of addlmr
forgely to its collection of animal tales even If
it does not add to its collection of skS
ot be' surtiE "if0 h'D0SST dlnners ifc
RoprcsontatlTRalney which I. c?nlas
ea.d Mr. Cromwell wTuld afwouTo ESSf
ta.mrchmtWo0lmnoTna? &
but tho kind ot a republic wn ?. JopublIcs'
lot ot monoy ad S'ToZX.
President Roosevelt rido f.ffo i A
Mo"lUladdI'0Mit,oheU0raSr00ttS1 ,that Bom
not for violation of any law ht fnnt.to WI
tho ordor o a li tE'. h for ia'iaE
novor been convgot jg,ff g,1""
moIphonsoS-ornCanyaSfnrBlEn P tor
hauled over tL el8 on SusXtnnlboins
used money unlawfully to ae inif.,havluB
XToapoT MXfSZ
-ti to
And if university professors tiUld. pay "
school teachers? And 11 'nnfJj17 not publIc
school teachers why not an and publIc
women who have sorvnd tw1 i)ther men and
tion by useful kbor? y ma gonera-
Commission Form of City Government
Mr. Sidney J. Dillon of Des Moines, Iowa,
describes the commission plan of government
sometimes known as "the Des Moines plan," in
this way:
After giving due weight and attention to the
various problems entering into the question of
local self-government it will be found that there
are only three factors, each exerting a wide in
fluence, which constitute the basis for the suc
cess or failure of every city government. These
elements are, iirst, the character and ability
of the officials holding public office; second, the
system by which these officials are elected and
the affairs of the city administered; third, the'
intelligence of the electorate and interest mani
fested on the part of the citizens in all questions
pertaining to the management of their local gov
ernment. It is difficult to determine the relative impor
tance of these elements, for while capable offi
cials may accomplish a great deal for the city,
though handicapped by an unwieldy system, it
also remains true that unless the intelligent citi
zen will participate in public affairs you can
not induce representative men to accept a mu
nicipal office; and furthermore, without some
modification in our present municipal election
laws, you can not nominate and elect these rep
resentative men, even though they consent to
serve the municipality, therefore the modern city
charter must take into consideration the three
factors which have been mentioned.
In June, 1907, tho citizens of Des Moines, la.,
adopted a charter which has since become
famous as the Des Moines plan of city govern
ment and this charter now represents, perhaps,
the most important experiment in. municipal ad
ministration ever made in America. The change
l f0rm 0f city Sernment was not due to
a crisis or a sporadic reform wave but. in fact
resulted from a conviction on the part of the
business men that the growth and continued de
ve opment of the city was greatly retarded by
a lax and inefficient city administration
In drafting tho Des Moines plan charter the
X f 'XL? Ur. particutrr objects
m view. irst, they wished to create a' munici
pal office having such attractive features it
would prove an inducement to reprMentotive
men to seek political recognition 5J In
iw f0J he Purpose of benefiting the neo-
Ping and conflicfingTute W t r ".TlT
substitute fnr i i , We also Wished to
dMded authority SSS10 e5Uiting f ro
Bibillty upon each n and defluite resPn-
admlntatrat at of the
to establish a more SpnneCt,in view was
government and to nroviZ EVrm cIty
the nnwor Provide the means wherebv
lendeTand UieeSSSf o be, ft
rendered more . effSSSe mu?Icipal airs
our new Des Moinel n?an Vf nffCCOmplIsh vl
The method of aSSmSSSf f ity government,
by which these pSSSaS Sv? and ,the me
volves a discussion SthedeUt Srfied ?ut in
The first provision desS t lth,?,chart
election of desirable men w fJ ftjJWtate the
ward lines, it is i gewrS?? tbenobHteratIon of
that an official should nolbenIZed. today
of particular geographical inonf?hosln because
because of his peSr fL locatIon out rather
haB to do. The svstem n?683 f,or the work he
has afforded secuHtv ?nr Ward rGPresentation
often exerted Dy the llLl lZYm influenc
porations; it has nrodupi,PUi?if. ServIce cor"
ican type known IS ,dJhedJBt,nctlvo Ar
men, not only dlcTates who ? i rie of acUve
oilman tromhSm for coun
elect, year after yoTr meS Wh ' nllt Tery often
the community He "LVmCt T
honest. By obliterating the ward line a candi
date for office is voted upon by the whole citv
and as a consequence his efforts while in oflico
are likely to be directed toward benefiting the
whole city rather than a particular district
It is the general experience that the ward alder
man labors in the interest of his own ward
chiefly for the purpose of perpetuating himself
in office, and his vote on all matters which per
tain to the city at large is apt to be influenced
more or less by selfish consideration.
Having dispensed with the territorial limita
tions upon candidates, we next provide for a
non-partisan primary and election. This pro
vision of the law eliminates 'all reference to
party designation on the ballot and thereby
counteracts the detrimental influence which has
so often been indirectly exerted t)ver the citizen
ship because of their party affiliations. Hereto
fore the machinery of the party has usually been
In the hands of a small number of individuals
who held a caucus and dictated the nominee.
The voter had very little choice in the election
of the candidate, and on election day has been
usually restricted to the candidates of the re
spective parties. It can not be denied that the
bringing of national issues into municipal elec
tions has constantly been a source of evil, and
there is no justification for the practice. It is
not apparent how the question of a -candidate's
opinion in reference to tariff provisions or tho
7i p,pi polIcy has my natural connection
with his attitude and judgment as a municipal
officer. Therefore, in order to dispense with
party politics and national issues we havo de
signed this primary law, which operates in the
following way:
In order for a citizen to become a candidate
for either mayor or councilman he must file a
petition with the city clerk announcing his can
didacy. This petition must bea the signature
nfli rT,?ty:Sv! Sectors of the city, who make
affidavits that the candidate is of age and of
good moral character. Ten days before the pri-
SSiare htld the city clerk takes the petitions
S. been Sled and prepares a primary
r?m?h i e inanles of the candidates being ar-
t alphabetical order under the title of
the Position to which they aspire. If a citizen
iiTirtnr ? didate or mayor his name is placed
?n,fniie hBoai?B of mayor; if a candidate for
?f an,a,nder the heading of councilman,
to thQ ni?in? ,said on the ballot in reference
of th o?a?diida,te? polItical faith and because
Jon h 1? I?et,cal arrasement of names there
SLnrv f JaVred posion. Having held the
SmJVW0 candidates for the office of
ft Into? bav,e feceiyed the highest number
?LES wiBelectred t0 be voted upon at the
cflmS tS Vn; In rer to secure the coun
recX tht mS. caildidates in the primary who
to be vnfpd 5heBt?5?lbep of votes are selected
B w2?? at the resular election,
tion affordcfmn0 non-Partisan primary and elec-
undesaiSb?eS menW0 S'aHhf f, leavin 7out
tho ritimi o,7 rst at the primary, when
dilates ancWifoXeSQ a, choIce among all can
wm still hivo m Vle elecn, when the voter
mayor and ?a,ce 0f one of two men for
SSS ? eteht StW t0 elect four councilmen
the ballot. Candidates whose names appear on
Into thlcharto?!!81011 Which was incorporated
attractive tn. al,a means of making the office
the la" which ffi10 mon Is that Provision of
It is an 7ndisputobl6efneo?nAe .to coPensation.
cials holdtoeMlinS: Ur publIc offl-
underpaid, tLZntoJte " woeful!y
to nroviflo nti Jw n attempt has been made
to receive A KadeqUate salary- The mayor is
a sa!a?yVof?$35oSoPerrrrar fnd the councilmen
higher tn?ttPi8-buTfnBalar7 should be even
character ?t is necessarv?n anPr?JisIon this
timent for it would oionsIder public seQ
to educate the avfi??Ji0UDt be a difflcult matter
Where he would belWV?ir Up to tbe point
large salary as well T T,tbe fflCG justlfled a
These three mZatt bcmorary distinction.
ation of warHineB Sf tbe lw tbe ohntQT'
and the provision for ? non-Partisan primary
tion commute the SppI? adeuate compensa
vhlch have been PmhniV eatures of this law,
not attaSloerutIr
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