The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-10-31
The New Charter.

Helu meeting IN the NATIONAL lneaut
wherein the present grievances of the cit
and the means of remedying them wer
considered. Various speeches were mad
and proceedings had, nearly all showing
an inclination to attribute the condition o
things to defects in the organic law of thu
city, and to remedy it by changing her con
stitution or charter. We. know that per
sistent efforts have been made, and proba
bly, will be continued, to adaptto our per.
manent condition the military system O.
bureaus which prevailed during the war
This system, it is thought, could be made
to retain the energy of military discipline
and at the same'time be tempered to the
potter amenities of civil society by an in
fusion of certain devices.
Before experimenting any further in the
science of government, would it not be
well to give an existing form fair trial I
Is the present fault in the charter or in the
voters 1t is highly probable that all
other municipal charters or governments
| in the United States are the same as ours
as regards essential principles. The same
qualifications for voters, the same persons
eligible for Office, the same powers vested
in officers and about the same guarantees
required of them. Even the general gov
eminent of the whole country and the
State Constitutions of its component parts
are almost identical in principle with our
much abused charter. Neither Federal nor
State affairs are conducted bureaucratic
cally. The mere Executive departments
may be subdivided in that way for con-
veniepce, but not other branches of gov
eminent.
Why, then, pitch into the universal sys-
tenn merely in its application to New Or
leans affairs? If republicanism, as gener-
ally accepted in America, doesn't work
well in our city, why not revise the system
in every city and State of the Union, as
also i'll the Federal Government itself 2
Would it not be better to inquire first if
the state of things is not attributable partly
to other causes? The Constitution may be
well enough, while the voters may be par
TALLY in fault. 1t is very we'll for mer-
chant princes and wealthy gentlemen to
hold aloot from ward meetings and regular
elections, letting the choice of officers go
by default, and then grumble about the in
and venality of politicians. But |
in all consistency they ought not to find |
fault with charter the spirit of which |
they have failed to observe. Why sur
round the rights of these gentlemen with /
my further safeguards, when they will not
avail themselves OF those already pro-
Tfded 4 I
It may be THAT the fault of the working
If a system is not in the system itself, but
II the material on which it works Tn that
ase, however, if the fault is persistent.
he system must be toned down to suit the
Inferior nature of the material. Thus it
nay be that our charter is up to the highest
developments of republican principles,
nd yet that it ought to be changed to one
mbodylng more aqtocratic element, if
ur citizens principally Interested have be-
ONE so demoralized by wealth and self
onceit, that they cannot. afford to dirty
heir hands with the practical effort neces-
airy to run the machine in its full perfec- .
ION. In that case get n rougher and !
oarser machine, and you can eutrust it ,
afely to hirelings. This is in fact the ac- ;
epted view of the case among the Oldest
L
'off at the idea of annoying themselves .
bout govetpment, when they can hire
eople to take the whole trouble off their
ands. The Mandarins are paid for doing +
le head work-if you should require the e
tizens to vote, they would rebel. q
1t may be, then, that some notifications t
night to be made, not only in our charter =
ut in all the Constitutions of the States. a
he theory of pure democracy, where d
,ery citizen can vote and every citizen ,,
IN hold Office, may be q little too much ]
lvanced for the actual state of society. h
.rong meat is for healthy stomachs, and W
lie perfect theory of democracy may not s.
ork smoothly in a demoralized state of h
ciety. If any restriction is to be put on 81
'Pular will, however, thought to be as small d
possible. 1t would not be wise, for in OF
ance, to deprive single man of his vote, Il
hen the necessary reform can be made by Ia
stricting the field from which he may II