, 1874-10-07

THE CITY CHAHTER-mR. TULEY'9 LETTER.
Mr., II. r. Taloy has written letter to tho
citizcuu' Association, suggesting All inoorrora-
tlon of tho city under tho general .law Of 1872.
Tho present city charter ia d thing OF shrotla and
patches; ,nany Of the SECTIONS inconsistent with
oaoh other; somo OF them ropoaling othor Soc
tons, md then otlnra rowling or amouding tho
repealed provisions. III any law college ii would
require special professor to explain what tue
Chicago chartor nscans on any pa1t toular subjeGt.
After tho 0ago exposure it was found that tito
oath required Of tho Troaslter was such n
grammatical abs,lrtlity that no person could
tako it in tho form In which it hai bccn last
amended without Erosu violonce to tho parts Of
speech.
tbs now Constitution, wli!o protecting Cl-
cago against any further special additions to tho
chnrter, atso cuts oil MY amendments or repeal
Of 1t. We have to Keep what we have for all
timo without change, or throw It on altogether
and take all ontire1y now one. Tho procoss By
which We cuu got cut Of ono aud into another
clartcr is to hayo 5000 persons who voted at the
laat preceding o!oction petition tho Common
CounciI to aubnait to u vote Of tho poopls. at q
or ngainst incorporation undor tho gonorhl Law.
If q majority Hhall yoto 'for" thcn, in April
1876, Or April, 1877, Or in tie April Of the odd
year following this vote, an election will bo held
for an ontlse now City Government In this
NOW Government shs Mayor will bA III
fact au Executive otllcor, inatoud Of d
noro fyure-hoad or tobaccon;st's sign,
az ut present. THO only other officers to
DO elected nro tho City Clerk, Attorney, mud
Treasurer, md tho Aldermen. Tho remainder
aro to bo appointed by tho Mnyor, who is
invested, aa he should be, with full powor to ro-
move any officer for cau5o Tho Aldermen arc
to bo elected as now, two In each ward, but,
at tho timo Ut adopting the cLartor, tho peo-
pic may vote for or agailst "oqual representa-
ton," aud, IT majority voto for it, thou tho
city n,uy bo divided into two, four, or six dis
tyicts, each district electing six Aldermen. The
cumulative plan Of voting may he adopted, thus
occurring como protection against the election Of
full Council Of loafora aud Baloon-koep-
tho present Boards" logialate thom out
Of otlico, broaking up tho present ir-
responsible system Of goverument, md getting
rid Of IN army Of officials VITO havo boon re-
cruitcd for several years, making tho City Coy
eTnmens Of Chicago, Oh h1r. Tuloy sayH, the most
extiayasaut and costly in tho United States. o1-
cept that Of Now York. The city some time ago
adopted 10 much Of tho new charter as roIates
to taxation. but unfortunately this part Is Alto
gcther inconsistent with the old charter. Taken
AZ whole, it is m improvement upon thb pres
ent deplorablo chattor, md perhaps the best
thing TINT con DO dono is to moyo for its adop-
lion, 10 that tho now City Government under it
lnny be oloctod next spring. The change Of tho
city elections to the fall has not proved III bcu-
ohcial us WIS expected. 1t has had the effect OF
mixing local elections too much with National
and State electloua. A return to the elections
exclusively for city officers ia most desirable.