Eliminate Partisan Politics (Pueblo Chieftain, 1911)
ELIMINATE PARTISAN POLITICS
NOT THE LEAST of the benefits that are conferred upon the cities that adopt the commission form of city government is the elimination of partisan politics in municipal affairs. The business of Pueblo should not be complicated by politics. There is no reason why it should be. The injection of political questions tends to hurt the city, by making necessary the rewarding of political workers and the building up of political machines at the expense of the city.
If the commission form of government is carried in Pueblo there will be no more partisan politics here. Machines will be eliminated. Questions purely municipal will be decided on their merits, uncomplicated by national issues.
In commission cities any person may become a candidate for any office by securing a certain number of signers to his petition. Then the voters choose their officers from these candidates, through a primary and election, as in the original Des Moines plan, as adopted also in Colorado Springs, or through the preferential voting plan, as adopted in Grand Junction.
In either case politics does not enter into the election. There are no party tickets. No man may run as the candidate of any party or faction. On the ballot the names of the candidates are arranged alphabetically, with no party designations. The voter must vote for the man, not for the party.
The more completely partisan politics is eliminated from municipal government, the more efficient and economical that government becomes. It is because Americans have permitted themselves for many years to be bludgeoned into voting party tickets in municipal elections that American city government has become a by-word for corruption & extravagance everywhere. The city's business is like any other business; it is well-nigh ruined when politics is allowed to control it.
Pueblo's experience, possibly, has not been quite as sad as that of most other cities. And yet here in Pueblo taxes are much higher than they should be, and the city's service is much more inefficient than it ought to be, simply because politics has been allowed to enter so largely into the settlement of questions purely of a business nature.
By voting for the commission system of city government the people of Pueblo will be able to put an end forever to partisan politics in municipal affairs; to the building of political machines; to the rewarding of ward heelers and cheap politicians.
The adoption of the commission system of government in Pueblo will make for lower taxes and more efficient government.
~RM M'Clintock, Pueblo Chieftain, 1911
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AN ENCOURAGING SIGN
IT IS A MOST encouraging sign of the growing feeling of friendliness and co-operation between the two cities...
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Alleged Burglar Sought in Pueblo
The Pueblo police have been requested to be on the lookout for Frank Rowe who has been accused of the burglary of a cigar store in Rocky Ford when nearly 1,000 fine cigars were stolen. A description of the man wanted was sent to Chief of Police Yund (Yuhd?) yesterday and an effort is being made to locate the man here.
xxx
HAVE YOU TRIED PAXTINE: The Great Toilet Germicide?
You don't have to pay 50c or $1.00 a pint for listerian antiseptics or peroxide. You can make 16 pints of a more cleansing germicidal, healing and deodorizing antiseptic solution with one 25c box of Paxtine, a soluble antiseptic...
NOT THE LEAST of the benefits that are conferred upon the cities that adopt the commission form of city government is the elimination of partisan politics in municipal affairs. The business of Pueblo should not be complicated by politics. There is no reason why it should be. The injection of political questions tends to hurt the city, by making necessary the rewarding of political workers and the building up of political machines at the expense of the city.
If the commission form of government is carried in Pueblo there will be no more partisan politics here. Machines will be eliminated. Questions purely municipal will be decided on their merits, uncomplicated by national issues.
In commission cities any person may become a candidate for any office by securing a certain number of signers to his petition. Then the voters choose their officers from these candidates, through a primary and election, as in the original Des Moines plan, as adopted also in Colorado Springs, or through the preferential voting plan, as adopted in Grand Junction.
In either case politics does not enter into the election. There are no party tickets. No man may run as the candidate of any party or faction. On the ballot the names of the candidates are arranged alphabetically, with no party designations. The voter must vote for the man, not for the party.
The more completely partisan politics is eliminated from municipal government, the more efficient and economical that government becomes. It is because Americans have permitted themselves for many years to be bludgeoned into voting party tickets in municipal elections that American city government has become a by-word for corruption & extravagance everywhere. The city's business is like any other business; it is well-nigh ruined when politics is allowed to control it.
Pueblo's experience, possibly, has not been quite as sad as that of most other cities. And yet here in Pueblo taxes are much higher than they should be, and the city's service is much more inefficient than it ought to be, simply because politics has been allowed to enter so largely into the settlement of questions purely of a business nature.
By voting for the commission system of city government the people of Pueblo will be able to put an end forever to partisan politics in municipal affairs; to the building of political machines; to the rewarding of ward heelers and cheap politicians.
The adoption of the commission system of government in Pueblo will make for lower taxes and more efficient government.
~RM M'Clintock, Pueblo Chieftain, 1911
xxx
AN ENCOURAGING SIGN
IT IS A MOST encouraging sign of the growing feeling of friendliness and co-operation between the two cities...
xxx
Alleged Burglar Sought in Pueblo
The Pueblo police have been requested to be on the lookout for Frank Rowe who has been accused of the burglary of a cigar store in Rocky Ford when nearly 1,000 fine cigars were stolen. A description of the man wanted was sent to Chief of Police Yund (Yuhd?) yesterday and an effort is being made to locate the man here.
xxx
HAVE YOU TRIED PAXTINE: The Great Toilet Germicide?
You don't have to pay 50c or $1.00 a pint for listerian antiseptics or peroxide. You can make 16 pints of a more cleansing germicidal, healing and deodorizing antiseptic solution with one 25c box of Paxtine, a soluble antiseptic...
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