, 1870-04-19
4 NEW CITY GOVERNMENT.

A petition very respectfully signed, has
been sent to the Const stitutiona1 Convention,
reciting that thorough trial of the present
system Of government for this city has
proved it utterly unworthy Of continuance,
and praying that Chicago be provided with
better government The petitioners say
they flavor si,nple executive government
under Judicial supervision in place of the
pres mt irresponsible Legislative bodies"
There is considerable cant about this
Proposition, though, so far rs it e1presses
general discuntent with tho WAY in which
our local government hasbecn administered,
i,;saot far out Of the why. Tho trouble is not
iii HE system, hGt in the ai,uscss which have
len practiced under it. There is no ques-
tlon as to the popular dissatisfaction, be-
cause that ~as expressed nt tho election last
November The system viii do very we'll,
hut wlat we lack nrp tho men to carry it
out properly. In large city Like this, We
need Mayor, City Council, Board of Pub
lie Works, Police Commissioners, aud
Hoard Of Elncation; but We equally need
proper and competent men to fill nll these
places. 1t is in the official administration
Of our government that ne have failed, and
to TINT faiiure We oEe all the troubles which
are upon ua, It il cnly necessary to look
back XIX months to recall the defiant atti-
tude Of the men Who then governed us, and
who clai1ned that the Offices were theirs, and
did not belong to the public. For two
long years we had Common Council
which refused to receive into the city troasl
ury from $4,000 tt, SEQ, 1000 annually,
md insisted that it was a perquisite of tho
City Treasurer. So corrupt md oye1bcarinR
had these public servants become, that the
election Of last November was substantially
struggle between of1ice-holde1s and tho
public for the mastery.
That election has resulted in the pretty
effcctunl publication Of one branch OF our
i,cd government, The Supervisors have
ht'en bronght up to the tribunal Of public
opinion, and have frankly yielded obedience
+" Its decrees. The trial of the Mayor and
Common Council is 10 come next. The
public elected men for ell tho city Offices
pledged to introduce and carry ont reform,
but they nay have been deceived in some
Of the selected agents. That il no fault of
the people, md though it may temporarily
postpone reform, it cannot defeat il. TEe
true remedy for Ill the evils Of our presant
government is the wedding ont process.
Whenever n public officer, be his rank
~hnt it may. fails in his duty to the public,
or i: fAlfa 10 bis pledges, let the people get
nd of him ut the first opportunity. If this
r11le be pcrsevereiI in by the people, this
ins,itutior responsbilitv and accountability
where thev haze hitherto been wanting tho
evils Of the CITY Government will bc rraan.
ally overcome. and the syxtem will work in
order The neonle lat fall d;3 mt
remove one set of barnacles and iob-
hers II, instal another: and. conseouen,]v
tl1ev c1,,ect each neu,bc, Of the nav citr
govern a,ent to carry ont his PLEDGES. or re-.
sign. The Board Of Public Works have
the expenditure of nearly $4,000 of
taxation, general or e,>ec;ai annusllv. Tho
{ N,std of E,ucat;on ernen.7 fron, s~,o ON
toS1 Nsn fND onnna,1r Tha Ro,rs ~ ~.
and Police hare a ,s,. ,rna,a;t,r.
/ Though l,ut ,ne n,on,,,.r ~ III 4bae. 1,os-d.
wa. elected ,.-t f,,, w. ,>ar.1a, ~
thor .;ro, ~ .ts 49, tp41.. -A4aA4 a,''on y.
: roctas ~ 49,. ns..s".".. :. 80 90 A1Ae1 ~
,,ronch NJ H. ,,,,,,:. -. ~ ~ "'A''