St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-08
City Reformers Now Regard
the Bell Charter as g.
Big Hoodoo.
They Passed 1t for the Ben
eft Of the Democratic
officers,
And Now Find the Medicine
Very Disagreeable to
Take.
A Frantic Effort Will Be Made
to Modify 1t Next SEES
sion.

The Bell charter was forced through
the legislature at the last session by the
efforts Of so-called "reformers" and Re-
prominence. 1t was hailed with de-
light by the rank and file of the Repub-
licans, and columns of interviews in the
e. o. p. organs told what a great thing
the new charter was, and how the pub
lie had been crying for years for just
this kind of legislation. AS long as the
administration of the city was Demo
cratic it was a good thing, but lastlJune
when the Republican officials took
charge the good thing cry suddenly
ceased. 6
Now the leading Republicans. and
more especially those who by accident
secured offices are in a quiet way pass
ing the word about that the Bell charter
is cumbersome and not What the city
really needs.
The administration officials are studi-
ously using ali the techncalitieS of the
charter, so as to satisfy their demands
and those of their followers in one way,
and also to make the law particularly
obnoxious in another.
The appointment Of printing expert
at q VI COW UtI veal, IL Dt
mated by the mayor. is an instance of
how the Performers" are endeayoring to
use Or construe the charter for the bene-
fit OF the party. One of the provisions of
the charter is to the effect that no new or
Salaried Office shall be created by the
council. In the same section, however,
is clause which provides that this pro-
vision shall not prevent the employ
ment of such agents and servants from
day to day and month to month as is au-
thorized by the charter.
When the printing ordinance in
which the mayor is given the authority
to appoint the printing expert came
before the board of aldermen last
Thursday night, Aid. Cullen opposed it's
passage, In the discussion which fol-
lowed Aid. Cullen centended that under
the charter the council had no right to
pass an ordinance which would create
any new or salaried Office, and in
order that the other members might
not be in the dark the section was read.
a little thing like the law in such a case,
had no effect on the Republican men,
bers, and the seven Performers" of tire
board of aldermen voted unanimously
III favor of the passage of the ordinance
and the creating of the new s500-per >
annum office. There was not the nee
formers, which is required to pass
measures involving the expenditure of
money. and the ordinance was declared
lost. After the meeting was over AS
Semblyman Johnson, who was an in
terestIng spectator. undertook to con-
vince Aid. Cullen the council had the
right to hire an expert under the clause
from month to month, and IN this way
get around the provision of the charter.
Aid Cullen couldn't see it, however,
and said if it was legal in this case
there was nothing to prevent the APP
polntment of from one to one hundre
and one persons in each department of
the city government, to be paid ''from
month to month" He was certain the
section of the charter he had read was
drawn to prevent the creating of new
offices, and the case in point was GER
tain!y new office.
The plan now is t. wait until Aid. In
gersoll returns to the city and then the
ordinance will be RECONSTRUCTED and
passed as party measure.
A gentleman who was instrumental
in the drafting and passage of the ia
nous charter said yesterday that the
section of the charter fOrbidding the
creating of any new offices not men
toned III the charter had been drafted
Tor the purpose of preventing such
action by the council. The proviso that
servants and agents could be hired
from day to day or month to month
was simply for cases of emergency.
From what he could see and hear he
was certain that the charter would be
changed at the next session of the leg
islature SO as to suit the ideas of those
now IN charge of the city affairs. The
action, or rather the failure of action,
by the claims committee and comp
troller on bills and accounts due
mere hants was pointed out as one of
noXious to the public. The idea of the
Performers" was, as he expressed it, to
create a public feeling against the
charter and under the cry that there
must be amendments get in their work
SO as to have changes made to suit their
schemes