The evening world., 1894-08-09
FOR REAL HOME RULE.
Voices Raised III the Constitu.
tional Convention To-Day.
New York and Brooklyn Suffer
from Legislative MeddIins.
johnson Amcndme mt Described n. !.
Failure of the Worst Kind.
tBy Associated Pre,S.)

ALbANl, Aug. S-ln the Constitu
tional Convention this morning -.
Cities amendment was again take
ana Mr.. jerks, OF Brooklyn, stI
the discussion OF it. lie said 1t
tribute to the saGacity and abilu
Jesse Johnson. but that on the OF
OF the document there should be 6,
Gil sign, when this you see, remer
me-" Seriously speaking, he did nc
lieve that general laws would cove
points that were to be passed upc,
the Legislature. -.
The Fire Departments and the I.
Departments of New York and Brou
needed different laws from thos
Rochester and Buffalo. and Roch,
and Buffalo need different ones ~,
smaller cities. He believed. too. s
the amendment would make a gries
error In making the Mayor an auto,
as II did. In providing Tor the Apr y
by him OF almost every proposition
He thought that the Governor she j
have the right to remove the head Of
Police Department but he did 1ot belle
that the Governor should appoint Y
successor. The Mayor should apo 4
the man to succeed the removed ottic
1t would be ridiculous to have it otht
wise.
In relation to the appointment by u
State of city election officers, he d.
not believe that the State had any RICH
to step in and Interfere. There ba
been no indication of a violation Of tn
right of city In that respect. As
looked upon as perfecting home rule b
believed It a failure of the worst kind
Home rule did not mean entire freedoJ
from the restraining influence OF Stat
or nation; The entire scheme was.
hi mind In a CFpaf measure. lJt0Dian.
The difficulties in the government 4
cities were the fewness of direct taxi
and the lack of knowledge Of the metl
cd OF city government on the part
this things should be made more simp,|
not more complex, as this amendmet
would make them. ~
He believed that the division Of citi
10000 Inhabitants and over. the secot
class, between $4,000 and 1000, and u
| third, $1,000 and less. Chief election o.
ficers should divide the, cities into CON;
/ have an Alderman.
Local elections should be divorc.d
| from State and municipal, end the Com.
mon Councils should have powers CO..
| legislation should determine all Local
questions, and .he remedy of the peoplt
would then be to elect representative
to their local legislatures who would q
II he did not do his duty.
| The Mayor should not have the right b
say whether the Legislature should pas
| law or not. General laws should onl!
amend those charters. generally to sui
certain exigencies. He did not beliey
in the process of slow growth Suggested
by the amendment.
He believed rather in an amendmen
that would strike at the root OF th
questions presented at once; not In som
years. but now. and with such strok
as to break to atoms the barriers no
This was the greatest problem before
Convention. 1t. was not question
party. Great applause.)
Mr.. Root desired to answer the n
that the members were rising to y
grea tness of the subject, and were q
| iiberating with courtesy and though
fulness. stripped of all party consider
that the time had come to build wa
about a city and make II city or q
middle ages. for each city owed to u
State a certain allegiance and coz
w dyS1cf t Sas fr0% part The pres
amendment, he believed. gave to
city every direct right 1t should ha.
and yet preserved to the State It's rT1
to govern those within Its borders.
Mr.. Schumacher thought that the ged
tleman who last spoke must have con
in late during Mr.. Jenks's speech, fo
he had not advocated making any ci1
a city OF the middle ages. NO sue sue
proposition had been presented. Nev
York and Brooklyn had not cried aleu.
! for reform and for home rule until tnel
found that they did not Know wh me-.
they were, so free was the Legislatui;
to make commissions to govern TINS aD'
that department.
First, the police were. governed ny
commission appointed by the counsn,
Legislature, then the Fire DeparIIm.s%n.s,
time that the city legislatures. elects
in their entirety by the people resldes!
in the city, should control the Guy
regard to It's local features. He did n&
agree with Mr.. jerks that any munieoI
pal officer should be removed H
Governor. The people IN the cities ~
electing decent officers.
Z. r. Brown thought 1t was time WI
the diversity in city charters ana
diversity in legislation asked shouia
regulated. There should be more W..
formity. and in that respect he favore
In favor of giving the Governor
power OF removal of the police hea.
He did not altogether believe In cum
lative voting. He belieYed that
cities should be. divided DIP Into Y
classes than this amendment provid' |
There could be general laws for
cities, but there should be -FOUR OF
classes. II
President Choate, from the floor,
fered an amendment. providing
when the Mayor refuses to consen'
the passage Of a bill, two-thirds OF
Legislature can pass 1t over his OF
tion.