The New York herald., 1877-10-26
THE MUNICIPAL AMENDMENT.

barrier shall be permanently fixed which shall pre-
vent the inoorrgble hummer aud the hopeless pauper
from being an integral part OF the financial aamin%
traon of our great and growing ciiesY" In saying
this spoke advisedy, and not in the "heat OF advo-
cacy."
Tho estimable people whom you claim Will be ex-
cluded from voting in the election Of The Board OF
Finance are, II they not ncorrigIbe bummers ana
hopeless paupers, not permanently excluded from
voting tor this Board OF Finance just so soon as
the young professional man or clerk or
artisan has by dint OF economy
accumulated $500, or moved into quarters for
which he pays either for purposes OF business resi-
dence, $3.50 rent year, he will be permitted to vote
Tor the mcmbers OF the Board Of Finance. There is
therefore, permanent exclusion as TO HIM, and 1t
seems 10 greater injustice is done by the crea-
ton OF artificial standsrd Of qualification OF means
than by the existing qualification TO Of course.
under the operation this amendment there will be
many worthy ctzens who may be able to vote for
the Board Of Finance, but taking into consideration
that they all permitted for the Mayor, the
Board OF Aldermen, the judges and every othor eec
two officer. IL seems to me that The exclusion could
hardly operate, even 10 the sensitive, as an
tnvidous distinction which could cause, even on
the part OF those who are excluded from The fran
chsc, much heartburning. The proposition that l
advance III my speech that great city corporation Is
TO very considerable extent private corporation
and not a pubic government is either true or iaise
wherein without doubt the city is private corpora
ton, there anything improper IN saying mat those
afford some guarantee that It viii no, bo outwoished
BY very slight personal or sentimental advantage
shall not vote for determining tho tax levy and
making the many appropriations for the various bus.
ness iptorcsts OF the city governmentY
Is the suffrage valuelcss and SO unnportant
thing that people should be content TO wait Tor us
enjoy mcnt unlil they properly qualified Tor Its
exercises AT present the law requires them to walt,
TO age, for qualification. What Inconsistency is
there asking them ke~ ise, solely as 10 the power
Of disposiug Of other peoples money, TO wait until
they shown to tue community that they are able
to earn little Of tneir ownY
One Of tho papers, in oriticsing the object OF the
meeting stated that ut rs questionable whether rich
mon are more cal than men.n That not
The way 70 put tho question y Is whether rich men
arc more likely to be economical n. 10 the sx-
men are likely to be In the expending Of
what they supposs 10 be rich meas money The very
persons whom you name-clerks. young men engaged
In business, industruus mechanics and others-canuot
by any possibility suffer any disadvantage in person
or property by the EXCLUSION All rights OF person,
in so far as State city concerned ITS
governmental functions are absolutely and strictly
preserved, and tho franchise Is not touched IN those
particulars The disqualification limited to the dis.
pensng OF tho general municipal iund, and, as have
said before. even that limitation will permanently ex-
clude only the incorrigiblo hummer ana hopeless
pau. a. Those o the classes that you have named
who do not come under this Characterization hope 70
and will In all probability somc day or other qualify
w the possession Of the small sum required
by the amendment
Let me- u PASSING add that the existence oil the
sstutional Will IL itself largely aid
to taxroil the small properties that now escape
taxation, ana there will bs very much wider basis of
pay ment Of taxaton than heretofore from many VINO
unfairly escape taxation, who will qualify them.
selves vote lor members OF the Board OF Finance
and II that their names upon the
lists for the necessary tax on $780, That that
nurcs to tho general advantage needs enforcement
by argument.
You have, among the metropolitan papers, although
doubtful as 70 the expedency OF tho amendment aud
and the advocates OF report so ary aud respect
tully that the more regret that you should labor
under mistake as to the scope oil the proposed meas
ure
am disposed TO agree with you that the millennium
will not have arrived even when the amendments shall
have been adopted. Az all events II things go from
bad to hereafter do not materially the
property interests OF New York have themselves TO
bane and cannot shift the blame TO the shoulders oil
the politicians.
have laoored earnestly as knew how to destroy
that The was 20 aoso%psh ,Sas end py The ADOPTION
OF some rational scheme OF minority representation
but have hitherto iabored Ia van TRUST before long,
however, to find the columns Of the HEKADD IN tue
advocacy Of ths reform OF minority representation
side by side with the London Times, which few years
struggling against light
One reform at time Devote the vast power that
your paper has fvr good to placing city's admnis
iraton upon business principles, and you may safely
rely upon the oi all the best Of
society IN helping you TO destroy King Caucus Re-
MR.. WHEELER II. PECKHAM FAvoRs THE
AMENDMENT.
To THE EDrroR HERALD
regret that you should think proposed consti-
tutonal amendmeuts doomed to certain defeat, and
regret still that there should have been Infused
the discussions respecting them elements OF
timent and passion. l think such elements out Of
place. and think It fair both to those advocate
those amendments as we'll those who oppose ihom
their reasons should be fairly stated, patiently
listened to and acted spirit Of judicial fairness
nd nd In n rst Of col
apparent that the only present Is OF subms-
sion oil the question TO the people. The question OF
final ratification OF these amendments be fairly
OF properly passed upon At the coming election Of
members Of the Legislature. II may be difficult and
In many undesirable to make the election of
Senator or Asscmblyman turn upon tho views he may
entertain to these amendments. Many othor ques-
tlons exist and may, and doubtless wl influence the
election Of such officers, and they not OF such
nature TO be dwared into ms gnincance by these
constitutional amendments
Under such circumstances Il would far that
the Legislature should, Irrespective OF their views
upon amendments themselves provide ior submit.
ting them to the people, tuat the people may
upon them directly. The history OF tee amendments
would 10 enttie them TO that much OF consdera
tion ut the hands oil the Leg ,sature.
When Governor iideu was elected there existed a
condition OF municipal government which all are
agreed required mprovemenL To meet that demand
u commission, composed OF twelve of our most
eminent citizens Was appointed by tho Governor
under the authority OF the Leg stature oi 1875, ex-
pressed by JOINT resolution An appropriation Tor tho
expenses OF the commission made Dy the Legisla-
ture oil 1876, and the amendments proposed by he
commission, The product oil two years OF LABOR, were
adopted by the Legislature Of 1871
All this certainly shows AN unusual amount OF de-
Liberation, care and attention 10 the subject and
fairly to warrant the CONCLUSION sh
be submitted TO the people tor their action
Now word us 10 The proposed amendments them :
selves. The wisdom and propriey OF all seem
to crdcd. lAat is contained IN the sixtn
section hxlng the qualification OF tho electors Of the
| Board vi Finance.
Tue question presented 20 by the subject matter
Of that section seems 10 10 be this Properly TO
| carry on muncipM government large pubic works
have to De unocrtsken aud large sums oil money ex-
pendcd. ibey necessarily iByovn heavy taxation.
In carrying on these puOlc works and expending TINS
money the temptation TO extravasancc aud maver-
satiOl Is extreme.
All citizcus, the poorest indeed far more than tho
Richest are interested IN preventing this
ana mavcrsat,on.
Oi no cities is this true Of American cities,
where local taxation Is levied largely real estate,
and where Increased tax ilion the shape OF rent
falls SO Immediately ufon cvory individual who has a
cover to his hcad. Ask the poor man to-day wnat