In the argument on introducing commission government into Wytown the main issues might be as follows:
The main issues as chosen by the affirmative:
1. Is the admitted inefficiency of the city government at present due to the system of government?
2. Will the adoption of the plan result in more economical administration?
3. Will the adoption of the plan result in more efficient service to the city?
4. Will the direct responsibility of the mayor and councilors to the citizens be a sufficient safeguard for the increased power given to them?
The main issues as chosen by the negative:
1. Is there danger in putting such large powers into the hands of so few men?
2. Will the new plan, if adopted, permanently raise the standard of public servants?
3. Is the inefficiency of the city government at present due to temporary and removable causes?
4. Has the plan succeeded in other places largely because of its novelty?
5. Will the liability to recall keep officials from initiating new policies for fear of unpopularity?
In some cases it will be hard to reduce the number of issues to a manageable number; in others, for special reasons, it may be possible to treat a part of them only at length. In such cases one can always adopt the device of an imaginary "next chapter" or "to be continued in our next." In considering how many issues you can deal with satisfactorily, however, you must not leave out of account contentions on the other side that must be refuted; and in choosing among the possible main issues you must always exercise judgment. Many points which might be argued are not worth the space it would take to deal with them; but not infrequently you will have to let points that have some weight give place to others that have more.
It is not to be expected that the points made by the two sides will always exactly pair off, for the considerations which make for a course of action may be different in kind from those which make against it. Sometimes one side will contribute more to the final number of main issues, sometimes the other. Ordinarily your own side will give you the larger number of points that you think worth arguing out, for an affirmative and constructive argument usually makes more impression than a negative one.
Notebook. Enter the chief points which might be made on the two sides of your question. Then, after studying them and comparing them, enter the main issues which you decide to argue out.
(The contentions on the two sides and the main issues for the model argument will be found on pages 74-77.)
EXERCISE