Saint Paul
Location - Development - Opportunities

Chapter XXVIII
MACHINERY OF GOVERNMENT

The proper function of government
is to make it easy for people to do good,
and difficult for them to do evil.
— William E. Gladstone

We have told in the preceding chapter how society must have a common understanding of rights and duties in order to work to the highest advantage of all. The understanding, to be definite, must be expressed in written constitutions and laws. A literary society has its constitution and by-laws. The larger the society and the more multifold its activities, the more laws it will require. It is not strange, therefore, that, just as a school must have its rules, villages, cities, counties, states, and nations should have more laws and more officers in proportion to their population and activities.

Perhaps we have not realized that we are living under four different governments. If we are living in a home and attending school, we may add two more forms. We are, then, under the authority and government of our parents, or teachers, the city, the county, the state, and the nation. It would seem that we have law on many sides; but the plant lives under law, and the planets and the stars must obey law. If they do not, there will be wreckage, just as there would be if we should drive an automobile on the wrong side of the highway. We like liberty; but liberty permits us to do only that which will not injure ourselves or others. This is the idea in our whole system of government.

Let us study very briefly the four political forms of government under which we live — the city, the county, the state and the nation.

CITY GOVERNMENT

The public business and management of a large city require many offices and officials. We are all citizens alike, but we delegate power to a few to conduct the public business. We choose a mayor as our chief executive and six commissioners, who, with their assistants and clerks, have the authority to make and execute our laws. We also elect judges who administer our courts, where those who break laws may be tried and where we may appeal for the vindication of our rights.

The constitution of the city is called a charter. It is the fundamental law fixing the government organization and defining the powers and duties of the officials.

The principal officials are the Mayor, the six Commissioners, the Comptroller, the City Attorney, the City Clerk, and the judges of the Municipal Court.

There are Commissioners of Finance; Education; Public Works; Public Utilities; Public Safety; and Parks, Playgrounds and Public Buildings. The Mayor assigns these administrative officers to the department which he believes them best fitted to conduct.

The Department of Finance has custody of all public moneys and credits.

The Department of Public Works is composed of the following bureaus:

Bureau of Engineers, which draws all plans, sketches, and profiles for public improvements, does all engineering work of the city, and supervises all construction and repair work.

Bureau of Construction and Repairs does grading, paving, construction and repair of sewers, streets, alleys, levees, lands, boulevards, parkways, reservoirs, and sidewalks. It also lays water pipes and conduits.

Bureau of Bridges has charge of the construction, care, and repair of the bridges of the city.

Bureau of Sanitation has charge of the cleaning and sprinkling of streets and of the collection and disposal of garbage.

Bureau of General Administration keeps the accounts of the fiscal operations of the department.

Bureau of Corrections is charged with the administration of the workhouse.

The Department of Public Safety is composed of the following bureaus:

Bureau of Police whose duty it is to enforce all laws and ordinances, report violations of the health and sanitary laws, injuries to persons and property, and material left in the public streets which may impede travel.

Bureau of Fire Protection having charge of the prevention and extinguishment of fires.

Bureau of Health with the duty of controlling contagious and infectious diseases, and the right of taking such measures as are necessary to insure the public health or safety.

Bureau of Police and Fire Alarm Telegraph has full management and control of the construction, maintenance and operation of the telegraph, telephone, and alarm systems.

Bureau of General Administration keeps the accounts of the fiscal operations of the department.

The Department of Education, under the direction of the Commissioner, has control of the public school system and the general educational interests of the city. Public libraries and museums and galleries of art are within the jurisdiction of this department. The Commissioner appoints the Superintendent of Schools, the Librarian, and the manager of the municipal Auditorium.

The Department of Parks, Playgrounds and Public Buildings has management and control of all parks, parkways, or playgrounds other than school playgrounds. It prepares plans, specifications, and estimates for all public buildings, and issues permits for buildings and inspects the same to see whether they comply with ordinances.

The Department of Public Utilities has full charge and control of the lighting of all streets, alleys, parks, levees, squares, playgrounds, public buildings, and other public places. It also has control of the regulation of all telephone, telegraph, lighting, heating, power, street railway and other transportation systems, except when the State Railroad and Warehouse Commission has authority. City Markets are included in the jurisdiction of this department.

The Commissioners of these six departments exercise their duties under the general direction of the Council.

These Commissioners and the Mayor constitute the Council, which has full control and management of the property and finances of the city and power to make and enforce advisable ordinances, rules, and by-laws.

Candidates for office are nominated by petition. When fifty or more qualified electors sign and file with the City Clerk certificates in a candidate's favor, such a candidate is entitled to have his name printed on the primary ballot.

The Council meets at ten o'clock in the morning of every day except Sunday and legal holidays. Public hearings are given to citizens who wish to favor or oppose any pending legislation.

Any ordinance may be proposed to the Council by petition of 10% of the electors who voted for Mayor at the last preceding election. If any ordinance passed by the Council is obnoxious to 8% of such voters, they may petition for a general vote on the ordinance.

Ordinances, except in the case of emergencies, may not go into effect until thirty days after passage and after publication.

Those who are interested in further details in regard to the city government should obtain and consult a copy of the city charter.

COUNTY GOVERNMENT

The government of Ramsey County consists of the following offices and boards:

The Sheriff is the executive officer of the courts. He makes arrests, holds prisoners, collects delinquent taxes, sells unredeemed property, and maintains peace.

The County Attorney prosecutes criminals, advises county officers and boards, and represents the county in litigations.

The County Treasurer collects all city, county, and state taxes.

The County Auditor computes the tax i:.ates and prepares the real estate and personal assessment books, conducts elections, issues warrants and signs bonds, and makes out the delinquent tax list.

The Clerk of Court records all cases in the District Courts, makes out subpoenas for witnesses and summons for jurors, keeps vital statistics, issues marriage licenses, pays witness and juror fees, records liquor prescriptions and credentials of ministers, priests, notaries public, and physicians and surgeons, and records all naturalization papers.

The County Superintendent of Schools has general charge of the rural schools of the county.

The County Surveyor acts as highway engineer, supervises lakes, and makes land surveys.

The Board of County Commissioners examines and settles accounts, cares for county property and manages county funds, erects courthouses and jails, apportions taxes and funds, fixes township boundaries, purchases or condemns land, and extends relief to poor persons.

The Coroner investigates deaths that result from violence, accidents, or occur under unusual or mysterious circumstances.

The Register of Deeds records all deeds of real property, mortgages and their satisfaction, and all legal instruments that affect real property.

The Judge of Probate has jurisdiction over the estates of deceased persons and of persons under guardianship.

In addition to the above officers and boards there are others, such as Court Commissioner, Abstract Clerk, Board of Audit, Board of Equalization, Assessor, Municipal Judges, Courthouse and City' Hall Commission, and officials and boards under the Juvenile Court.

STATE GOVERNMENT

Just as in the city, government is based on a city charter, in the state, government is based on a state constitution which guarantees the rights of its citizens.

Government is divided into three branches, legislative, executive, and judicial.

The Legislative Department consists of a Senate and House of Representatives which meet on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in odd-numbered years. Their session must not exceed ninety legislative days. The number of members is apportioned according to population. There are about twice as many members in the House as in the Senate.

Proposed laws, called bills, are offered in each body. When carried by both bodies and signed by the governor, they become laws.

The Executive Department consists of a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, and Attorney General.

The Governor is commander in Chief of the militia of the state, makes appointments with the consent of the Senate is a member of the Pardoning Board, has veto power, may call extra sessions of the Legislature, and, in general, it is his duty to execute the state laws.

The Lieutenant Governor acts as president of the Senate and becomes Governor in case of the Governor's death.

The Secretary of State keeps the records and seal of the state.

The Auditor is the state bookkeeper, manages its fiscal affairs, and has supervision of state lands.

The Treasurer is custodian of all state moneys.

The Attorney General is legal adviser to all state officers and boards and represents the state in court where its interest requires his service.

The Judicial Department consists of District and Supreme Courts. There are nineteen districts in the state. Judges are elected for six years. There is a Chief Justice and four Associate Judges of the Supreme Court. They are chosen for six years.

The function of the District Court is to try civil and criminal cases. That of the Supreme Court is to review cases that may be appealed from inferior courts. It also has original authority to issue remedial writs such as writs of error, certiorari, mandamus, and quo warranto.

Departments. There are, besides, the following state departments which have charge of the interest indicated in their titles.

Executive Council	Health
Administration and Finance	Education
Conservation	Highways
Drainage and Waters	Labor and Industry
Dairy and Food	Public Institutions
Agriculture	Taxation
Commerce	Rural Credits

The Executive Council consists of the Governor, the Attorney General, the State Auditor, the State Treasurer, and the Secretary of State.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

In many respects state and federal forms of government are alike. The federal consists of three departments, the legislative, the executive, and the judicial. When laws are made, there must be some one to execute them. As a check on the rights of the people the courts were established to interpret the laws and to pass judgment on their justice and validity.

The Legislative Department is composed of the two houses of Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each state has two Senators and Representatives in proportion to its population.

When bills are passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the President, they become laws. Certain rights were reserved by the national government; the states may not pass any laws at variance with these. On the other hand, Congress may not pass any laws that interfere with the rights of states: Section 8 of Article I of the Constitution defines the powers that are reserved to Congress. Section 10 of this Article defines things that the states may not do.

Some of the more important federal laws refer to income tax, revenue, tariff, mail service, coinage, interstate commerce, national banks, and pure foods and medicines.

The Chief Executive is the President. He is commander-in-chief of the army and navy and of the militia of the several states when in the service of the United States.

He appoints the members of his cabinet, with the consent of the Senate. These are his advisors and they administer the affairs of the departments to which they are assigned. He also appoints our representative to other nations and the judges of the Supreme Court.

The different departments in charge of cabinet officers are the Departments of State, Treasury, War, Justice, Post Office, Navy, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce and Labor.

The Judicial Department is the Supreme Court, together with a number of inferior District Courts. The power of the courts is defined in Section 2 of Article III of the Constitution.

Our government is called a republic. It is an illustration of representative government. Instead of having a common meeting of all citizens in which to decide public matters, chosen representatives act for us in passing the laws by which all shall be governed, in executing them, and in judging of their legality and justice.

It was to rid themselves of oppressive governments and ones in which they had no voice that many liberty-loving inhabitants of the old world came to this country and proceeded to establish for themselves a government of their own choice. You can see, therefore, how America came to be called "the land of the free."

These founders asserted in their Declaration of Independence "that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

In the preamble of their Constitution they announce that "We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Many governments have not been conducted for "the general welfare," but for rulers and classes. In this country the people themselves are the government. The purposes set forth in the beginning are the ones which we still cherish and would even fight to maintain. Our government is our friend. Its objects are justice, peace, defense, general welfare, and the blessings of liberty. No other government means so much to us. We have, therefore, the very strongest reasons for patriotism.

Long ago, before the Christian era, the youth of Athens were proud of their city. When a youth was entering manhood and had been enrolled as a citizen, he took the following oath:

"I will not disgrace the sacred arms nor will I abandon the man next to me, whoever he may be. My native commonwealth I will not transmit lessened but larger and better than I received it. I will obey those who from time to time are judging; and the established statutes I will obey and whatever other regulations the people shall enact unanimously. If anyone shall attempt to destroy the statutes, I will not permit it, but will repel .(such a person) both alone and with all."

Here is a splendid example of loyalty to country and to one's fellows. We might well make this pledge our own. Our loyalty, however, is greater. The youth of Athens might well be proud of their city, but to all our boys and girls America is a home, a promise, and an opportunity found nowhere else. It is the land which they may enjoy and ennoble through a life of service. Therein is their greatest opportunity.

"What constitutes a State?
Not high-raised battlements or labored mound,
Thick wall or moated gate,
Nor cities proud, with spires and turrets crowned.
NO: Men, high-minded men,
Men who their duties know,
But know their rights, and, knowing, dare maintain.
These constitute a State."