The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1892-05-06
OUR CITY CHARTER.

It is difficult for one in the outer
circle to get a correct idea of what
the city council is aiming at, but
if we examine its work during the
past two years the only safe con
clusion we can arrive at, is that
some sinister outside influence
pervades its body This opinion
is justified when we read the new
Iy obtained city charter, in the
power it has chosen to command,
its elaborate care in fortifying the
same, its questionable work on the
limitation of city Indebtedness, Ill
it's utter Indifference to the safety
OF property owners, its reckless Of
fer to the general voter. in the
manner the charter was pushed
through the legislature, in depriv-
ing the citizen of voting for prom
inent officers, and in some of the
ordinances passed, or sought to
pass, since the charter was OBJ
tanned.
Taking the council as a body,
they are men who have the re-
spect of the community. Taking
them individually, there is hardly
one OF them who. were any one of
the above Objectionable features
presented to him and thoroughly
explained, would be willing to
sustain them, or would desire to
be placed under them with a
council at any time liable to be
more aggressive than they are.
If then that which is harsh and
oppressive to a community can
not be approved individually,
can it become proper and laudable
under an organization of less than
one dozen men!
1t is not necessary for us to dis
cuss all the above points, to men
ton is sufficient, but there are one
or two which so strongly plead for
fair play that word or two more
is required. The city is empower
ed, through its charter and ma
jority vote Of the qualified voters,
to assume an indebtedness over
and above general city purposes
not to exceed $l60,O00 until fur
ther empowered by the legislature.
Who now, is the qualified voter?
A citizen of the United States, or
one who has declared his inten
ton to become such, having lived
in the state six months and in the
city sixty days. This is all that is
required for vote for this pro
posed extra Indebtedness. Now,
we have those living among us
having interests identical with
ours, having property, paying tax
es, who have neither vote OF recog-
milton. The stranger without
means or interest-it may be
he has only just declared his i'll
tention to become an American
citlzen-is empowered TO signify
his desire, OF the desire Of others,
by casting the proud prerogative
of American citizenship. But the
widow. the minor or orphans hav--
ing property and from which
comes the tax, what of them?
Who is their protector? They
have none, they are overlooked
and ignored.
We have stated the two taxes.
city general and city improve
ments and lateral sewerage, the
latter two would be special assess
ments. Now in voting, there is
no objection to all qualified cih-
zens voting for city officers or
general purposes, but there must
be some protection or safeguard
for the property holders when eN
ira taxes are to be collected tor
extra purposes. But the city char
ter ordains that any one OF all OF
the projects enumerated may be
placed before the people, and if a
majority vote is obtained, the pur
pose would be put in operation.
This feature we regard as unfair,
il not downright tyranny.
The state constitution says, mo
law shall be passed granting to
any citizen, or class Of citizens,
privileges or immunities which.
upon the same terms, shall not
equally belong to all citizens;;'
and again, '.all elections shall be
free and equal" There is a safe
guard that can be placed in that
charter, it is, to require upon any
measure of extra Indebtedness not
less than two thirds of the qualified
voters to carry the measure. This
is perhaps better than property
qualification for it obviates many
difficulties in that method.
This, then, is the citizen S work.
1t must be talked OF, worked for
and demanded at the hands II the
council, or from the representa-
tives soon to be elected. IL.
THERE appears to be some
danger that we may have a Ja-
panese problem as serious as that