BOOKS

WOODRUFF, C. R. City Government by Commission.  New York, 1911.  Bibliography in appendix.

HAMILTON, J. J. The Dethronement of the City Boss.  New York, 1910.

ARTICLES

From Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature, Vol.  II (1905-1909).  (There are thirty entries here under the heading, Municipal Government, and the subheading, Government by Commission.  Of these I omit those dealing with cities in Texas, as not bearing directly on the Des Moines plan, and select seven of the most recent.)

“Another City for Commission Government,” World’s Work, Vol.  XVIII (June, 1909), p. 11,639.

“City Government.” Outlook.  Vol.  XCII (August 14, 1909), pp. 865-866.

BRADFORD, E. S.  “Commission Government in American Cities,” National Conference on City Government (1909), pp. 217-228.

PEARSON, P. M.  “Commission System of Municipal Government” (bibliography), Intercollegiate Debates, pp. 461-477.

ALLEN, S. B.  “Des Moines Plan,” National Conference on City Government (1907), pp. 156-165.

“Des Moines Plan of City Government,” World’s Work, Vol.  XVIII (May, 1909), p. 11,533.

GOODYEAR, D.  “The Example of Haverhill,” Independent, Vol.  LXVI (January, 1909), p. 194.

From Reader’s Guide (1910). (Seven entries, of which I select the following.)

GOODYEAR, D.  “The Experience of Haverhill,” Independent, Vol.  LXVIII (February, 1910), p. 415.

“Rapid Growth of Commission Government,” Outlook, Vol.  XCIV (April, 1910), p. 822.

TURNER, G. K.  “New American City Government,” McClure’s, Vol.  XXXV (May, 1910), pp. 97-108.

“Organization of Municipal Government,” American Government and Politics; pp. 598-602.

15.  Planning for a Definite Audience.  Before setting to work on the actual planning of your argument there are still two preliminary questions you have to consider—­the prepossessions of your audience, and the burden of proof; of these the latter is dependent on the former.

When you get out into active life and have an argument to make, this question of the audience will force itself on your attention, for you will not make the argument unless you want to influence views which are actually held.  In a school or college argument you have the difficulty that your argument will in most cases have no such practical effect.  Nevertheless, even here you can get better practice by fixing on some body of readers who might be influenced by an argument on your subject, and addressing yourself specifically to them.  You can hardly consider the burden of proof or lay out the space which you will give to different points in your argument unless you take into account the present knowledge and the prepossessions of your audience on the subject.