The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-02-25
CITY CHARTER.

II the writer had not hean practically con
neeted with tho organization Of every city gov
ernnant aimee ,aAn, and rartinlrataA rarannalty
III the preparation of every charter aimee the
abolition of the municipalities creatad Ivy the
act of 1890. he would not presume to trouble row
md your readers with ha Views on the very
Interesting auaation now under discussion. aa
te the beat etyla Of municipal government
adapted TO tha present condition Of the city.
have read the vartaus plans nraHantaA AMI
che editorial ani communicated article, III the
newspapers uesn their eevera rlana aa wall as
the viawa Of our present excellent aud intell
rant Mayor and Administrators. larEar and
lnprar experience of muniainal government In
thia city than any of thaee wfitnrs auggaeta
many errora of fact Of logic. and of Hound
theory In thaaa eavaral contributions to munici-
ia. hiatorr and nriaprudanoa
1t Ia only by correcting them that wa can nvnr
reach the wiaa and practical .'cn'luaiona nf ex
resience. whit Ia after all the aurest guide III
such dtaouaaiana.
parttaa to the controversy t. invoke the pre-
poeaeeatcns Of antiquity agatnat the proRrns
atveneas and development Of recent tsmes and
The wiae les'aaor haa ~ d'n',,nlty, ~ lnd-
inu the middle naursa hnwaan tha two pre-
ludiraa, between the aanr'ir of ancient tdaaa
and uaaGea and the icenoolaau Of modern AL
venture aud experimentation,
Neither rranoanaaian nhoutd tiaturh the bal
anea or hta Judgment, Roth tnaulseneee ~ an
unwisa degree en.onhar parttaanRh,p, which n
the greatest obstacle to fair discussion and via"
Thua judicial hlinaneaa ia created which
HaeH ail the etrora. nay. r"Ivara nna aNMEar
aaa them Nn ono aide. aild u hitndcd ~ ali
thoae that are apparent on the other. which Ia
alwaya our aide.
Thia leada To unfair and unsatisfactory arsu-
The iirst manifestation of thia spirit n orrnr
OF statement and failure ~ distinguish We
tween the true the right aud tho vitae IN theory
nhtNptBtnH
thereof
Thua read In very ahla article In the DEN
ccRAr af several daya aEa. a references ~ thn
syetem OF aldermane government tn thta city
preyious to the adoption of the administrative
peneive. cumhrous, aud less efficient aystem
than the present. and upon thia assertion n
haaed u general aonnneiatton ot tho edarmanin
aud representative syetem. not only ma II
existed under the charter ot 1872. but IA IL OK
iaiad In other eitiea
But the Rhte writer failed to recognize the
fact that the arstam established hy the charter
Of 1874 contained grave departure from tho
old aldermanie syetem. in fact an ahuae and
parverson af tha same by creating two hanrda
charged with the same Legislative powers and
duties. tn q aeiva Imitation " our political
governments. national ana state. without thoaa
checks and distinctions which give value. se-
curtty and conservation 10 the latter forma. 1t
was this pecuii artty of the system established
hr the charter of tSa9 which was the source of
the evils you 40 not aAaGEaiate.
Bad ~ 1t was In theory II became perverted
by subsequent amendments, which made the
ehairmen Of committees salaried and admin
istrattve officers
Both the original and much more the amend
ed systems were pervarsicns and abuses af N"
orsinal Rldarmanic system as II existed In this
city for more than fifty years and ~ II exists in
the beat regulated cities In all enlightened com.
munitias four municipal legislature composed
of unpaid representatives ot the Icnuie. sub
ieesed 70 certain vigorous checks and restrt'.
tons In the charter. eafarcthle by appeal OF any
citizen or taxpayer to the judiciary.
1t was this system which was embodied IN the
charter hrst submitted to the naonle IL ls5t. ~
charter
You viii Ind that charter published In the pa
eers OF that day. II was W, itten by this writer
who then conducted the only Journal In the city
which favored the proposal ~ abolish the mu-
niapalities and create cnns olidated city gov
ernment
BY an act of the Legislature this charter was
submitted TO the voters of the city. A cambina.
fion Of the etticaholders and Of the old fosies
and bnndhelders of the largest and wealthies
tnE it. The ehtet argument AGAINST II was that
II smscked of the r ench democratic idea OF
one national assembly or Legislative. body.
Even 50 wise proposition as the abolish
for city of not over So 600 population could no,
be carried in charter which did not pro-
vide Tor an upper aud lower house. And the
Legislature. without submitting il 70 the peo-
pie, adopted such a charter. that or 1854
The writer WAS largely engaged Id the prepa-
ration OF that charter. and carefully proyi ed
that no alderman or assistant alderman should
receive compensation for their services
an act ot the Legislature was passed giving the
chairman OF committees In hotn bodies salaries.
And with this amendment bagan that corrup-
ton. responsiveness and greedy scramble for
aldermanic positions to which you 80 Justly
refer
There had been nothing Of this previously.