Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 January 1920 — LOCAL FRANCHISE LEAGUE [ARTICLE]

LOCAL FRANCHISE LEAGUE

ftanehba laafse laat nl^htfaawej treat Cottft ®aoßd d® BBd Township GmrarmnanV’ bainw U» that of this wwk’i talks which Jm bacm baa aaenred for tba School of Citisenahip. is now being - MTonAHi.gaye thaaa impotent cwwots why flb local government should be of unusual interest to the rr*danta of . the community, emeclafflr' th'" the women. First ■?B0‘ S»e the load government base upon which all government.in this country is erected. - Second — Because through .the local te*nches of government the community •£ ministers the dffwp affect it most directly. Third—Becaima ft •rill devolve upon the women to redeem the underlying principles of the structure of our local government Because the last reason he showed how we are now gradually drifting away from the principles of direct government, how the power of government is becomng centralized in a few offices and commissions and the necessity for.again taking over of that power by the people themselves. The principles of township and county government was then discussed and the speaker very carefully traced the history of the same, showing the origin of and the result of the '■system which had developed in Europe, being established in this country. He then traced the development in the different sections in this cou^ry, illustMting the differences in the early menta of the northern states «ta those of the southern states. Finally, the development in our own state and an outline of the present system of government in townships and counties. The different offices in the township were then discussed, the duties of each officer and the relation of that officer to the county government. Then the offices In the county and the duties devolving upon the incumbent, the method of his election and the general attainistration of his office. Special attention was given to the development of the funds for schools in each township, and in this connection the great handicap under which local nits of government have been placed by the provision of the tax law whereby a township or county, althoudi supposed to be self gj”*” 1 - ing. was thereby deprived of that ssa.’SS’isi&ws duties Wt Citisenship in respect to each individual. He showed the necessity for careful attention to the needs of the local govermhent by each voter and summarized that women voters after suffrage had been conferred upon them to so inform themselves as to be able to meet all the problems of the present day and to exercise the rights of tokeblbe With the same cara u>y and privileges of a private inaivialocal government was as n*r4<wy to preserve as were the rights of a person.