, 1875-04-21

quiet, but deliberate aud determined, organi-
cation under the lend of two or three profess
sionnl votc-GroEers to carry tho election Of
next Friday in fnvor of reorganzing the city
untler tho cllartcr Of 1s12. Tho bummers,
loafers, ga,nblora, thieves, and iand-streiehers
eau be used on TINT day, when There is no
registration required, rs effectively rs they
were used nt tho town.olections n couple Of
weeks ago. II they be permitted to succeed
next Friday rs thay did tlcn, the result will
be infinitely moro disastrous, mud they can
only be defented by equal determination on
the part Of the Intelligent mud respectable
clGsscB.
This organized c1for! to carry the charter
Of 1872 ia believed to be prompted by certain
city officials who expect their tenure Of office
to be extended by its adoption. Tie charter
Of 1872 provides that - If a minority OF the
votes cast sla! bs for city organization under
the general Inv, such city shnll MtncstarM DO
deemed to be org1nizel under this net; and
The city officers then in office shall therc-
upon exercise the powers conferred upon
like officers in this act until their Enccossors
shall be elocted and qualified" The new
charter goes into effect Immediately upon its
ndoption, mud there conld bu no election next
November, Ms provided by the old city char
Ter, because MI tho provisions Of tho inter
Inconsistent with the provisions OF Tho char
ter Of 1879 will ltaye bcen rcrcnled The
charter Of 1872 (Art. ~, Elcctions) provides
rs follows:
scn'ral election fur city officer. III al bo held on
tic tl!r1 Tnaslay IT 4: RI Of eaeh io1r.
.. Al tie gorerai clet u ho In 1918, aud Lsunla1.
y sLorcsfter, Msyor shall bo elected III each risy
Uutlcr these provisions tlora could be no
general election Of city officers uutil the
spring of next ycnr, au.l there could bo NJ
election for Mayor until April, 1877. So FIR
rs tho new clartor il concerned. tho present
city officers would hold ovor six months
beyond tho tern, for which they were elected,
md Mayor GOWN eighteen mouths beyond
his original term. Hence the motive for en-
conragiug the adoption of the charter Of
1879
Int il tlis Is the purpose, tho lenders have
counted without their host. Tho Constitu-
tion of the Stato, among its miscellaneous
provisions, Art. ~, Sec. 20, says: ".No ian
shat Be passed ,fhtA @hnN oper,te 10 cr.tnd Tie
term cfnay pntlie officer after his election or
appointments"
AZ MI inevitable result Of the nlortion Of
tllo charter Of 1872, therefore, the City Of Chi
cago will be without any lcgal cD7cers FIR xir
moaths, and without logal Mayor for ycar
md lIalf. No election can lie held in the fall
under tho old cl,arter, for tllis provision will
have lcen repealed by ll,e adoption of the new.
No election can he held untler the now charter
ansil Tho no1t spring. And tho constitutional
provision VIC hayo quoted expressly prohibits
tho present city officers from exercising the
functions arrcrlainiug 10 their respective
places after the expiration Of their orign'd
term. Chcago will be in sorry plight. No
ordinance rnssed monnwl,ilo can bo enforced
no tnxes can be lcvictl or collected; no
money cnn 10 borrowed; The Police and Fire
Departments must be diAlandcd; no ortli-
nance will lsaye lsgal force, md the people
Of Chicngo will DO roworless to holr
themselves. The complications and tliaasteis
growing out Of this anomalous condition o!
things is simply beyond eatia,ate, hut the
not result will bo bankruptcy anil disgrace.
Unless an extra scsston oe the Log alaturs is
Immediately called 10 devise some e1trication
from tie dilemma.
II any additional incentive were needed to
arouse citizens to tho necessity Of voting next
Friday "against city organization under gen.
cral law Of !s?.," this fact ought to supply it.
Tho Mloption Of the cltnrter OF 1877 porseutls
a great public calamity from which there will
be no escape. o1ceptthrougAa q called session Of
ths Legislature. and the Grss thing Tint body
uN111f m In IL, $-&r
Of Tho charter Of 1872 hs applies 10 citios md
thon try aud devise some method whereby wo
could get back un1er tic old charter.