The sun., 1891-01-15
Tho Restoration Of self-Government.

The disposition OF State Legislatures to in
terfere with the government OF cities and
tinker city charters and abridge municipal
autonomy is inveterate and apparently In
curable The foreign and native observers
who express such gloomy forebodings In re-
gard to the future Of municipal government
In the United States have no real justiflca-
tion for their righteousness save the med
dlesome paternalism Of the Legislatures. It
stands TO reason that Municipality which
is not allowed to govern itself will In the
course OF time forget how to govern itself.
But tho protests OF the municipalities
against legislative Interference continue to
be vain. With what sublime confidence In
their superiority the gentlemen from the
rural districts persist in trying to conduct
the affairs Of this town. for instance. How
soon would 1t be before the Equitable Life
Assurance Company or the Western Union
Telegraph Company would have TO close Its
doors II committee Of the Legislature
were constantly nosing into its business
and giving new directions for its man
aRement7 Yet this greater corporation
Of New York city, with its infinitely more
important concerns, Is always exposed to
the ignorant, fussy Interference Of the Legis-
lature. The same thing is true Of most other
great cities in the United States. Mayor
MATTHEWS Of Boston gave part Of his
first message to lament over the inability
Of that city to have home rule. Governor
CAMPBELL Of Ohio. In his message OF last
Tuesday, proposed q radical reform OF
municipal government by giving to each
municipality the power to select and retain
its form OF government without being
bothered and hampered by the Legislature.
IA system must be DEVISED" says Gov
ernor CAMPBELL, (which shall end legis-
lative tampering with local affairs of cities.
The true solution would seem to be in pro-
vision whereby cities may govern them
selves without interference from any outside
authority" Governor CAMPBELI'B plan for
giving homo rule to the cities is as follows:
zach city should model its own government
provided only that It conform to the Constitution.
and to those general laws which must necessarily
have the same character throughout the State. To
DO this would require an amendment to the Constitu-
tion which could readily be submitted to the people for
their approval At tho election Of November This
amendment ought be constructed ~ to enable tho
people Of any city to call charter convention upon
plan similar to the Constitutional Convention which
the people of the State have right every twen
~ years. Such convention could construct ohartsr.
which. upon submission to and approval by popular
vote would becoms the fundamental law OF tho city.
1t could not bs altered amended abrogatsd except
under the same solemn forms and upon the care
fu confederation with which It was created The pso-
pie Of the cities which adopted charters would then bs
compelled to rely wholly upon themselves for good
local government Such seltreliancs would naturally
arouse them to vigorous action. When they can no
longer sit supiney waiting for tho General Assembly 70
perform heiY hAnA vi
and purify their municipal anairA"
Why Isn't this good plan2 1t Is con-
sistent with the theory Of Democratic Re-
publican self-government. It gives tho peo-
pie Of municipality tho power to choose
its form Of local government, and to place
upon them alone the responsibility for sue
cess or failure The right OF self-govern-
ment has been taken away from the cities.
Governor CAMPBELL's plan for restoring it
deserves attentive consideration.