Ex-mayor Thompson On Government

A lecture was given in Newberry Hall last Friday afternoon by Prof. B. M. Thompson before the Political Equality club, on government. A.bout 30 ladies were present. The Professor devoted most of nis time to the municipal gouernments, and he argued for greater power for the mayor. He thought one of the greatest evils of municipal governments was the lack of centralization of power. Power was so divided up that it was quite impossible to fix responsibility for acts of commission or otnission. He also thought that vesting the appointment of certain local officers, such as prosecuting attorney, in the governor instead of the people would make them less susceptible to local influences and lead to better enforcement of the law. After closing his formal lecture, he advanced some views as to the causes which made woman suffrage possible and led to the growth of the principal. Formerly the family was the unit in government relations and the head of the family was recognized as theauthoritive representative of the unit, possessing supreme control over all the members without reference to age. The drift of later years, however, had been in the direction of individualism, giring to the individual greater independence and more marked personality. It was the growth of this principie which made woman suffrage not only possible but perhaps necessarv. He thought woman sufïrage sure lo come, but it was questionable whether it would accomplish the reforms expected of it. Thought there were too many voters of certain kinds, now the ignorant ones holding the balance of power. Advocated a property qualification for all voters, saw no reason why women who possessed property should not vote. He was plied with a great many questions by the ladies when he had finishèd nis talk.