, are we to sacrifice representative government for the sake of
fixing responsibility? If so, then why not make it still more
definite and establish one-man power? Honorable Judges, we have
shown that responsibility is more effectively centered by
establishing uniform accounting and publicity.

The affirmative contend that the commissioners will furnish superior
legislation. Now we do not say that knowledge of administration is
of no benefit in legislation. But the necessary information can be
secured without confusing the functions in a small executive
cabinet. In Europe it is done by making the cabinet responsible to
the council. In the United States, for example, Baltimore, it is
done by having the cabinet meet and co-operate with the council.
Nothing can be done by withholding the information, and as a matter
of fact, the city secures all the benefit of the technical training
of its administrators without the disadvantage of confusion of
functions.

Mr. Clarence Coulter opened for the Affirmative:

It has been argued by the Negative that the success of the
commission form of government is based upon the assumption of
electing good men to office, and as an illustration, that the Des
Moines commissioners are inefficient members of the old city hall
gang. As it happens, however, one of the commissioners is a man with
a national reputation as a municipal expert, a man whose honesty and
integrity have never once been questioned. The commissioner of
public safety has been trained for his position by long experience
in municipal affairs and is a college graduate. Admitting, however,
for the sake of argument, that the gentleman's contention is true;
yet the unquestioned success of the Des Moines government proves the
wisdom of the commission plan, for it so centralizes individual
responsibility as to require honest and efficient performance of
duty on the part of each commissioner.

Now as to securing good men. In the first place, the negative did
not, and cannot, cite a single city in which the commission plan
has failed to secure good men. Better men are elected under the
commission plan, for the number of elective offices is greatly
decreased, while the responsibility and honor of the position is
relatively increased. Moreover, the government is put on a business
basis and th