The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1876-06-08
VOL. v.
OBJ ECTIONs TO THE CITY CHAR.
TER.

The following are some Of our objections
to the proposed city charter: The time
required for residence in ward to qualify
one for election as alderman is too short.
1t will encourage designing men to make q
change of habitation simply to obtain q
voice in the city government The same
objection holds good as to voters. Thirty
days is all that is required for both.
Article 4, section 9, touching upon the
expenditure of puclie money, requires only
q majority vote, when it should be q two
thirds vote.
Article 5, section 1, provides that the
council may impose one per centum tax,
and this being so, there is no use for any
other provision about raising money. The
words ''borrow" and ''bOnds" should not
appear in the charuor. This would be NOR
alizing 10 its effect, and would cut of all
Studied speculatiOns, with the city as Il e
victim.
Article 5, section 2, provides that the
council may sell bonds not to exceed two
per cent. upon the assessed value of prop
erty. THIS provision is bolstered up by
such dangerous proposition in section Al
OF same article that it cannot be submitted
to. .
Article 5, section 13, provides that the
council shall have full power to erect
market houses, establish market places and
market limits, and to license, tax and regu-
late market houses, stalls and places, and
to govern the same. The council should
have no right to say where meat shall be
sold. THIS right should be left with the
people Of different paris of the city, and,
should they desire meat markets or stalls
established, let certain number Of them
say SO, and have it. No council should
have the right to condemn people to go
miles, probably, to get meat. Let them
regulate" but not Establish" or
"build." The idea OF controlling the sale
of prime necessity belongs to dark ages,
and it is well understood that about meat
markets there Is no extra health risk.
Butchers are notoriously the most healthy
persons ins Acommunitv. .... .- o..
Article 5, section IA, Is latitudinous. Its
propositions have starting point, but may
go on to ihtinity, and they might carry
along with them millions. No one seems
to be responsible for this section. 1t ''hap-
pened to be copied" from another charter,
or probably some harlequin that has been.
playing antics about the Tammany OF Boss
Shepherd ring put the substance of this Sec
tion in the way of the compiler.
Article 8, section 10. proposes to give too
much power to the council in disposing of
public grounds. These grounds have been
granted to the city of Austin for wise pur-
poses. A city's health requires that public
open grounds should be maintained, and if
Austin gives away all its public squares
now, the day will come, after the city has
deeply and sadly felt. BY all means keep
the squares for the purposes originally pro-
posed. ... ..l.. ... ...
Article 5, section 80, gives the council
power to dispose OF .rndtty, to e'en dttenate
any of the public real property. This is
hOTt pcIlcCL cuuuCln'iOh oh thO eouiO ouo
iect than is contained in section 10, just re-
ferred to.
Article 5, section Al, extends powers to
the city government which no people
should ever give. 1t proposes to establish
system by which taxpayers could be
made the tools Of rings, that would prey
upon the public to IN uRtold degree. The
mayor is vested, by appointment, with
complete power to create heavy debt by
raising property values, and it is further
proposed, after permitting public debt of
two per cent to be created, on raised prop
erty values, to allow schemiug, and the rab-
BILE to swell the public debt by two-thirds
vote at the polls, to any sum that rings
might desire.
Article Z, section 1, allows the mayor too
great salary, since the proposed charter
provides for a recorder who would do
nearly all the work heretofore done by the
mayor.
Article II, section is, is Objectionable
on account Of Its being very curious.
The STATESMAN will review this charter
again, anu point out some other objections.
1t is generally good instrument, but few
sections demand its rejection, either in part
or in whole.