, 1875-02-06

fciencies OF tho present charter antl tho
pressing md urgent necessity for efficient
remedies for the existing evils i'll tho law,
hive refused or omitted to tnke my stcps
looking to procuring legislative relief. With
every department running at loose ends and
no responsible executive authority; with tho
city deficient in revenue and lacking the s,1re
means Of enforcing tho collection of ta1cs
tho Mayor, Common Council, Comptroller,
Bonr1 Of Public Works, and the Law
Department mako no effort to prepare or
propose measures 10 remedy any Of these
evils.
Under these circumstances, number Of
respectable citizens, not tax-iightcrs, but tax
payers not olfice-holdera nor oftlce-seekcrs.
hut merchants and business mon not roli-
hctans, but citizens Interested in tho wolfare
Of the city, organized with the view
OF procuring unity of action. They in
vitcd tho cooperation of everybody ; they
especially sought the assistance Of the city
authorities both in tho matter Of eliciting i'll
formation and i'll obtaining atlvico as to tho
best methods Of amending tho laws For
many months they laborcd with this view.
They discovered that the general charter en-
acted by the last Legislature was, for city
Of this magnitude, incomplete in many re-
spects; that for tho Government of Chicago
many things were required which wero not
needed and Should not DO imposed On little
towns They discovered that tho machinery
provided for q chnngo from special charter
to the general one wns not sufficient, and
I. s.fo
possessed, framed proposed amendments to
the general Inv, by which my city, by popu-
lar vote, might adopt certain provisions Of the
general act or not, Us they might deem best
and at the same tine adopt tho general pro-
visions
These amendments were carefully devised
SO as to force no provision on any other city
against tile will Of tho people Of that city,
mud at the same time olTored all cities the OPP
tion Of Mlopting all the provisions of the
law. In tho meantime the Common Council,
with sullen silence aud contempt, has refused
to cooperate with these citizens, and has re-
fused to report any measures Of their own.
The bills OF tho Citizens Association were
presented to the Legislature, nnd now comes
the intelligence that portion of tho mem
bers from this city intend to oppose them
| and defeat them if possible.
This opposition is Of course inspired from
Chicago, One Of the great evils of our City
Government in the lnck of executive respon-
sibility and authority, and the wild and irre-
sponsible domination Of "Boards." These
Boards have the patronage Of tho city at
their disposal Tue Common Council, hav-
ing the solo power Of appropriations, control
the Bonrds after a fashion, and, as conoe-
quence, control the patronage.
There can be no relief to the Government
Of the City OF Chicago that does not abolish
MI these Boardsof irrosponsibility, and subs!i-
tute therefor a responsible executive nuthori-
ty, While there are among tho Commission
ers Of these Boards several honorable excep-
tions, the whole strength and force Of the
Commissioners and of their dependent subor-
dinatcs, and OF tho Aldermen who deal in the
| patronage thus distributed, is opposed to any
cl4ange. They are all satisfied with the exist
ing condition Of things, which pays them
well, and this opposition to the enactment Of
any law which shall be proposed by the Citi-
zens' Association is inspired from this city
| mud from this source.
It is remarkable fact that all legislation
for the benefit Of the 10000 people Of this
| city, and for the rescue Of tho credit md hon.
or OF Chicago, and for the correction Of no
torious abuses, il likely to b. defeated, be-
cause l1r. MARE SHERIDAN wants to DO re-
elected Police Commissioner in November,
1876, under The existing law. To secure that
end, and nil >that is involved in it, tho Leg;H-
lature is invoked to perpetuato tho present
municipal charter. We appeal to the men-
bers Of tho Legislature Of oil parties to re-
momber that this city is a large part Of the
State, and paya very large portion Of ita
taxes, md in tho future will constitute even
a greater proportion Of the population and
taxable property.
We want new and efficient charter-the
privilege OF adopting such charter. We
need an efficient Government. We need q
responsible Government md we appeal to
the members representing districts outside OF
Chicago to give to this city tho Legislative re.
lief that is asked. Surely this is not toe
much to ask for on bohnlf of our citizens.