, 1875-04-30

Oi3e Of the grcnt and unanswe cradle obicc-
tions to tho charter OF 1872 il tho fact TINT,
onco adopted, 1t Ii incapable Of amendment.
Tho Inv waa framed by tho Legislature with
view OF meeting tho wants Of tho numerous
stnall placcs in tho State; It wns designed rs
nhsgher form Of Government for villages and
incorporated towns.-juat aueh o cl,nrtor MS
would Buit Riverside or Englewood, In case
they desired to yet rid Of tho village or town
organization andbccomo city. This charter
WIS adoptesl by some fifty or sixty of tho
small villages and cities Of tho Stato, inclu,l-
ing Hyde Park /; but tie larger ones have
wisely refraincd from it, because it Is
inapplicablo TO any city where tho busi-
ness Of the Government Is Of any magnitude.
1t was thought before tho meeting of tho
Legislature TINT It this chnrter wcro adopted
by Chicago, tho Legislature would casity bo
induced to amend tho Inv by the introduc-
ton Of such additional foaturcs N wou1d suit
large city Of varied interests, and n bill wns
prepared onnbolying such amendments. But,
after thorough ennyass Of the Legislature,
tho Chicago delegation discovered that it WINS
entirely impossible to amend tho general
charter Of 1872; the fifty or moro emall
places which had adopted tho charter did not
want it amended; it having bccn prepared
for thom, it suited them exactly, and they did
not desire n Government TINT was suitable for
metropolitan city Of half million Of pco-
plo. To amend the charter Of 1879
to suit q city at tie great slxe
and the vast commercial magnitude
Of Chicago would be to impose on them
burden in tho way of ot1iccra machinery, md
governmental restrictions, which would over
whcln, thom. For instance, to provide for
two Doarls Of Common Council, In place Of
one. three, or five thousand inhabitants,
would be m unnecessary burden. Therefore
they resolutely refused to amend their own
charters by amending tho general charter Of
1872.
But tito mombers Of tho Legislature rcatlly
agreed to voto for general law, for the gov
crnmcnt Of cities Of q higher grado, with
large populations, largo amounts Of taxnblo
property, and needing extensive polics md
fire Departmental, public works, anl having
occasion to mako large expenditures. Such a
Inv WAS therefore passed md is known M tho
charter Of 1915. In tho meantime, addition
al legislation was Ind by tho several bills of
OF Senator KEuoE, by which the old charter
of Chicago was relieved Of many Of its en-
barrassmouts, and SO modified that it might
servs tho city for some yenrs to come.
Now, undor tho circumstances, to atteInpt
to adopt the charter Of 1879 ia m net Of
wnnton folly, and to forco it upon tho public
through the means Of fraudulent votes aud
stuffed bal1otbo1es is scandalous usarpa-
tion. Hers is charter framed md adapted
to the governmental wants of q place like
Napcrrille, Lockport, 1yaukegeu, Dluo
Islaud, or Hyde Park, which il not nmenda-
bio, but must remain cast-iron enactment,
forced by fraud upon the people Of city Of
100000 inhabitants, and containing $780,
600 Of taxable property.
It Il: urged as reason why Chicago should
adopt this charter that fifty md moro little
towns Of tho State hare adopted il. There il
not city in Illinois that hos adopted this
charter which Las half tho population Of m
average ward in this city, md the entire pop
ulation of the fifty cities combined will not
equal TINT OF tho South Division. In q mn
jority Of these cities tho number Of Aldermen
is Eix, End in few eight, ind these are ILL.,
eFal Legislature for tho comparatively few in
habltanta To olaim that the City Govoru-
ment auitablo and adapted to the wants Of
place on tho prairio, with fow hundred in
habitanta, is, without change Of word and
without the possibility Of amendment, suit
able Government for metropolitan city like
Chicago, is ono Of those insanities which
need stuffed bnllot-bo1os and fraudulent votes
to force them upon the public.