Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-02-27
nss,. =. pnMER SrrALING rRNN me MAN

Es5yn"PuwER STEALING FROM THE Man
To THE FEw.'-A PROPOSE ION was, a ie" days
,lnce. brought forward in Cou"clI, TO give lhe
election OF the Corporation Officers, now elect
ed by the people, back 10 Council. This desire
10 grasp the power again. appears to be based
on a part OF the 18Th section OF the City Char
ter. which reads as follows -
"lf at any time one.iourth OF the voters IN the
city shall by petition express, as TO any OF Inc
officers OF the corporation, a desire IoT a change
in the mode of appointing one or more OF them,
the said City Council shall by resolution, direct
a poll TO be taken Tor and against such change,
specifying in such resolution the particular office
or offices as TO which such chang. Is proposed.
This resolution shall designate d certain time
for the poll not less than one month from lis
d ,te, and shall be published Tor one month
IN one or more newspapers OF the city Al me
time designated, the poll shall be taken. super
intended and conducted by the same officers, at
the same places, aud III the Ike manner as the
elections hprciuUeiore mentioned. Ii a r%naJoIIty
of the votes be ~ flavor oi the chang" proposed, the
CITY Council shall nave the fact entered on their
Journals, and theucelorth. al the expiration OF
the year ioI which an election shall have been
made 10 nd office OF Offices, the same shall be
filled in the mode specified III the said resolu-
ton
Now, when a plain man reads the foregoing
section, il seems that the proposition should
come from the voters, and not from Council,
VINO are to be he recipients OF the power thus
proposed 10 be taken from The people. The
present manner OF election IS lot perfect, and no
human cDntrlyance IS. But What l. the reason
And vii the proposed CnauQe make matters
any better. or give rs better officers, Those OF
the citiZrrs VINO haze lived IN the city before
the present charter was granted, can call 10
mind the state Of Things existing at that time
Was II any better then than now Did not cor
rupt and incompetent, and occasionally lntem'
y rate men, get into and stay III office tor years.
Some o. our citizens may remember an otllclal
who was a deiaulter in the dog tax-that, II IS
said, was a reason for keeping MIN in-that Is,
10 secure ms debt, and keep out other hungry
expectants "who was not ~goTged." Then, there
were only nine members OF Council TO coax
and manage: row there would be fourteen Olly.
But the majority OF the people could not BE-
come over so easily, and they would have 10
motive, unworthy ar otherwise, 10 keep unwor.
tiny pc. sons in office. The wives aud other
female connexions Of such, could not coax the
people to keep an unworthy incumbent III Office,
or TO re-clect him.
The move in Council 10 grasn the appointing
power agaIn, seems inGellcare II Is not Tor the
servants Of the people 10 take the power from
their masters. II is time enough tor them 10
act when tho people move. II may be well
enough, if the collectors cannot be made 10 do
their duty, for fear they may lose votes, 10 ap.
point such a committee OF CouHcI! as can make
them 10 it. if the Councils too are not afraid OF
offending voters But the Councils have very
lately shown that they car exercise absolute
power over the officers elected BY the propi.;
and If proper men are sent 10 Council, there IS
no tear bat they Will be able TO keep them all
straight. lleb It'll NOiEk.
lg,y" A. a meeting Of the American party
OF tue THIRD Ward, held on Thursday evening.
February 10Th, James P. Smith was called TO
the Chair. and w. ID. Stuart, appointed Sccreta.
~. The object Of the meeting having been
stated, the tcl owing gentlemen were unani-
mously selected to represent the Third Ward IN
the City Council.
For Alderman-George Bryan.
For Common Council.
]. H. Mcyeigh, James p. Smith,
H G. Dorsey, Andrew Jameson.
On motion. the following gentlemen were ap.
pointed a Vigilance Committee -tharl"s Man.
kin. Henry radgetf, Joseph Cotton, john f..
Henderson. James SIllrck, James !. kHdd, 4.
l.. Gibson, John Robinson, f.. ior.sman, Caleb
Richards, John Moore, Joseph W. Fo.rd, ant
Samuel Beach. The meeting then adjourned.
JAMES p. smith. Chairman.
w. D. STUART, Secretary. irb 27-lt
say~ A wel-attendad meeting OF the Amer