Such was the early New England town meeting. Its origin is traced by some students of political science to the Anglo-Saxon tunsripe and to the still earlier Teutonic mark. The early New England town certainly bore a strong resemblance to the ancient type of Teu tonic local government. The name town itself reminds us of the Saxon tun (Old German Zuts, a hedge) the selectman reminds us of the Saxon gerefa, 'headman (he was actually called °headman') in Rhode Island) ; the town meeting was, in many particulars, a counterpart of the Saxon Tunmoot. There is no evidence, how ever, that the New England settlers consciously imitated any existing or pre-existing type of local government when they developed their town system. They brought to their task Eng lish political instincts and English traditions and availed themselves of English experience, but the town as an institution, both in its or ganization and in its functions, was an out growth of the peculiar social, economic and political conditions which prevailed in New England during the first years of the colonial period.
The town meeting system described above had its beginnings in the settlements of Ply mouth, Salem and Boston and was adopted by the offshoots of these parent towns. When ever the population of a grant or purchase be came sufficiently large to support a church and conduct local government it was incorporated by the central legislative body and a town meeting was called. Thus the town system grew as New England grew, and was soon deeply rooted in the affections of the people. It re sulted in a society that was as purely demo cratic as any the world had ever seen. During the colonial period the town was the distinguish ing feature of New England life, and when the Revolution came the little democracies proved to be powerful aids in the cause of liberty. In the town meeting it could easily be learned who were loyal and who were not. Through the agency of the town organization military stores were secured and the famous minutemen (q.v.) were organized. The resolutions of numerous town meetings voiced in the plainest manner possible the sentiment for independence and were the precursors of the Declaration itself. And their influence in great public affairs con tinued after the Revolution. "How power fully," said Thomas Jefferson, "did we feel the energy of this organization [the in the case of the Embargo (q.v.). I felt the founda tions of government shaken under my feet by the New England townships. There was not an individual in their States whose body was now thrown with all its momentum into action, and although the whole of the other States was known to be in favor of the measure, yet the organization of this selfish community en abled it to overrule the Union." In another place the great Democrat says: "They [New England towns] have proved themselves the wisest invention ever devised by the wit of man for the perfect exercise of self-govern ment and for its preservation." In its essential characteristics town govern ment in New England has not changed greatly since the days of the early settlers, except in its religious feature; that feature entirely dis appeared in the early part of the 19th century, when the separation of Church and State was achieved. Details in the organization and in the powers of the town differ in the different New England States, yet the outlines of town government in all these States are practically identical and are as follows: The State legis lature defines the boundaries of the town, in corporates it, and confers powers upon it. As a corporation, the town can sue and be sued, and can acquire and hold real property. A town may be divided by the legislature into two or more towns or can be united with and made a part of another town. The public affairs of the town are transacted in a town meeting which meets annually, and also assembles in special meetings which may be called from time to time. The meeting is held in the town hall or in some other hall sufficiently large to ac commodate the mass of voters. When the people have assembled, the town clerk calls them to order and states the purposes for which the meeting is called. A moderator (presiding
officer) is then chosen and business proceeds according to parliamentary rules. All questions are decided by a majority vote of the legally qualified voters in attendance. Usually citizens who are qualified to vote for a governor and for members of the State legislature are also qualified to vote in town meeting. Here is democracy in its purest form. Young and old, rich and poor, the obscure and the prominent; are present, and every citizen may not only vote, but, if he chooses to do so, may also bring the full force of his character and influence to bear upon the deliberations of the meetings. Routine business is quickly disposed of, but those matters which happen to be the subject of contention are generally discussed fully and freely. The right to vote on local taxation and appropriations is in some States reserved to taxpayers. The finances of the 'town are watched keenly, and if there has been misman agement or extravagance during the past year there is sure to be a merciless exposure in the town meeting. If improvements are needed or if the town is lagging behind its neighbors in progressiveness, the discussion in the folkmoot is likely to be directed toward a remedy. At annual town meetings the following things are done: (1) The rate of taxation for the com ing year is fixed. Money is appropriated for the schools, for the care of the roads, for the support of the poor, for the salaries of officers and for other necessary expenses. Sometimes the schools are managed by school districts. When this is the case each district elects its own officers and sometimes also makes its own levy, but the town meeting or town council elects the school superintendent. (2) By-laws are passed. These may relate to such matters as infectious diseases, locations of sidewalks and curbstones, the erection of buildings, the regulation of the speed of vehicles. Many things which in other places are done by a body of chosen representatives are done in town meeting by the people themselves acting as legislators. (3) Town officers are elected. At the head of these stand the selectmen, or councilmen, three or five or seven in number. These are the executive officers of the town. They supervise the construction of roads, grant licenses, care for the poor, abate nuisances, check the spread of contagious diseases, listen to the complaints of those who have grievances of a public nature, select jurymen, canvass the voting list, look after the paupers and represent the town in court when it is sued. When a specified number of voters sign a call for a special town meeting it is the duty of the select men to place on the town post a warrant which calls the meeting and states the purposes for which it is called. After the selectmen, the town clerk is next in importance and usefulness. This officer calls the town meetings to order and keeps a record of its proceedings. In ad dition, he usually keeps a record of the births, marriages and deaths and grants certificates of marriages and the real estate records of the town. Town assessors make out a list of the taxpayers of the town and place an estimate upon the value of their property. Sometimes the selectmen themselves act as assssors. In addition to the officers mentioned the town meeting usually elects tax collectors, a town treasurer, town solicitor, overseers of the poor, a school committee, trustees of the town library, constables (peace officers), surveyors of high ways, fence-viewers, milk inspectors and field drivers, or it refers the election of these offi cials to the town council. All town officers have a tenure of one year. The list of officers which has been given is not complete yet it is long enough to show that in every Istew Eng land community a great many people must take a part in public affairs. Undoubtedly it is this general participation in the business of govern ment that makes the people of this part of our Union such a wide-awake and progressive body of citizens.