Elected by the people All municipal officers, appointed or elected, may be removed for cause by the Elected by the people district court upon charges made in writing and trial Elected by the people thereunder, or by the council for cause; while all appointed officers may be reElected by the people moved by the appointing agency for cause. See Code of 1897, Sections 1251, 1258, 2428, 2446; Code Supplement of 1907, pp. Elected by the people2 114, 217; Laws of Iowa, 1909, Chapter 78. Elected by the people2 Appointed by mayor 1 Physician Two Years Appointed by mayor 2 2 Appointed by the Council in commission-governed cities. Appointed by the Council in cities of the second class and commission-governed cities. III CRITICISM OF THE METHODS OF SELECTING STATE OFFICIALS IN IOWA THE popular election of public officers has long been advocated as a cure for all political evils. If favoritism appears in the choice of postmasters, the cry is for elective postmasters. If an appointed railroad commission does not respond to public opinion, again the demand is for popular election. Nevertheless, a method which appears perfect in theory may break down in practice. The ultimate test of any principle or policy is that it works in actual practice, that it obtains results; and this test must be applied to the elective principle. The election of all public officers by the people seems, theoretically, the best way of securing popular government; but in practice it may become so burdensome and so complicated through the multiplicity of elective offices that popular government becomes "unpopular government". There may be so many offices to fill that the voters, lost in a maze, are obliged to content themselves with a sham democracy. The increase of elective offices, the creation of new parties, the selection of candidates at primary elections, and the frequency of elections have combined to render the voter helpless while the government has to a great extent drifted into the control of men whom a recent writer terms "politocrats "76 The situation in Iowa in this regard is not exceptional. At the last primary election it was reported that there were nearly 700 candidates for State offices (including State Senators, State Representatives, and District Judges), 3,700 for county offices, and 11,710 for township offices, making a total of 16,110 candidates. On the average each voter was called upon to select nominees for about thirty offices from perhaps twice as many candidates. The helplessness of the ordinary voter confronted by such a task may well be imagined. While the small vote cast was perhaps largely due to indifference, lack of time, and failure to realize the importance of the primary, yet a great factor was doubtless the unfamiliarity of many with the candidates. Many of those who voted cast their ballots blindly or at the instruction of volunteer advisers, except perhaps for the most important offices. Moreover, there was also a surprising connection between the vote and candidates whose names headed the tickets." It is not only at the primary, however, that the voter can not exercise his judgment. At the general election for officers he is confronted by a ballot which contains from four to five tickets, and each ticket usually provides candidates for the same number of offices as did the primary. With so many tickets and so many offices to fill it is impossible for the voter to become informed as to the qualifications of the candidates. The average man is too busy making a living to pay much attention to politics: his farm, or his position, or his business needs his attention; and even if he has the time to spare, he can not obtain impartial information concerning any but the candidates for the leading offices. He is, therefore, forced to do one of three things: neglect to vote for the so-called minor officers, or follow the suggestions of "advisers", or vote blindly for the candidates on his party ticket who are often nominated through the efforts of a political machine and special interests allied with the machine.78 |