The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-03-08
LOCAL INNINGS.
Homo Libre on the Charter Amend
ments Some Queries.
The Circumstances Attending the Death
of Young Guill0t.
A TaI'Psyer Asks Question Referred
TO the Council.
An Elegant Ensample of Perfect Let.
ter-Writing.
Other Local Hits and Haps.
Other Local Hits and Haps.
City Charter

DALLAS, March 7.-[Editor HkRALp.l-
The communication of Enquirer and
your editorial comments thereon in yester.
days HERALD must strike right-thinking
men in Dallas with both amazement and
modification. Wherein lies the difference
between the Misrepresentation of the peo-
pies money by Federal officials q. Wash.
ton las Attomey.General Williams in
Washington city buying Il carriage for his
wife with public money! and similar act
by the city council OF Dallas, for u different
obiectl And if the object
was not reprehensible, why did
the council close its doors, shut
out the tax.paying public and cover their
record with the mantle of secrecy Are the
people OF Dallas in favor of being taxed TO
raise money for hiring in secret lobbyists to
hang around the legislature to secure alter
atoms in our charter not called for by any
expression OF the people, but solely emana-
ting from the city council, whose men. bers
were elected to enact needfui ordinances
under the charter. Charters, theoretically,
are the constitutions OF cities, By which
aldermen are supposed 10 be
bound but Dallas, for years
past seems TO have been afflicted by sue
cesSiOn OF aldermen who have felt called
upon to ignore the people and try their own
individual hands at constitution or charter
making. The present is about the fourth
attempt OF the kind, commencing i'm 1876.
Indeed, the present forty-page charter was
begotten in that way, without any action
whatever on the part of the people or con-
suitation with them. In this way the peo-
ously guaranteed right TO elect
the attorney, engineer and treasurer
of the city, and that power most uniustiy
and unwisely lodged in the city council
| And now, one OF the proposed amendments
pending before the legislature, as sent up
| by the council, unasked and undesired by
the people, clothes this same council with
the power to elect two assistant assessors to
help Mr.. Bogel, to be equal IN authority
with him, and TO be paid out of the peoples
money, for doing what Bogel has been do
ing to the entire satisfaction of the public,
as his repeated election shows. Then,
the attempt of this constitutions
making council, by another
amendment of their own Matching, to create
the office OF city judge, under the title OF
recorder and clothe him with extraordi-
nary exclusive jurisdiction, under both
the city and state laws, to the exclusion OF
our two justices of the peace, who are
officers under and by the state constitution.
is so extraordinary and iar-fetched Ms to
excite derislon in every legal mind in the
country. The feeling of the people, il
there were time to act would be to ask the
legislature to reject the whole batch OF
amendments and leave the people of Dial.
las, In their own way, to ask of the
next session the enactment OF new con
else and complete charter suited to their
wants. This is easily attanable by sim.
pie recognition of the fact that charters are
intended, or ought to be, for the good of the
people, ana not for the city councils and d
a few ofiice'holders. 70 do this when tn,
time comes, let the peop meet in the sun
light and selecta committee, representing
every branch of legitimate business in tht
place, professional, mercantile, mechanical
and miscellaneous. Let that committe,
take ample time and prepare the draft of a
charter. Then submit it to anothe,
public assemblage of the people fol
examination, discussion, amendments, etc.
and then, when adopted by a respectable
majority OF the whole let it be sent by tn,
people to the legislature, which will pass
into law without the necessity of any lobby
ing on the subject.
As Dallas has never had charter sine
reconstruction in which the people wer
consulted, they will doubtless readily &C
when the proposition is fairly made.
For the present, save us from any NOR
secret tinkerins. HoHo LIBBg.