The Mankato free press., 1894-10-26
DAILY FREE PRESS.
CITY CHARTERS.
Their History Traced. What They
Are and Ought to Be.

When the social science club ar
ranged its program for the present.
club year, it was thought best to de-
vote several meetings to the study OF
municipal government and how 1t can
be improved upon. In fact the pro-
gram for the meetings previous to the
holidays with one exception was given
to the study of cities and their gov
ernment, aud the large attendance
which the club has enjoyed at its
meetings so far this year, marks the
popularity of this action. Despite
other attractions Tuesday evening
which kept many away there was
good attendance. Mr.. w. E. Young
read very interesting paper on City
Charters" which was enjoyed by all
present.
He briefly traced city government
from its earliest inception in history
and showed how it had gradually
evolved into the intricate machinery
of today. The early cities,
he said, were mostly aggrega-
tions of humanity, despotic
soyereignties, governed without char
ter or written law, land it WAS not un-
til after the fall of the Roman em
pire that anything Ikea charter or
written law was granted city for its
government.
Coming down to the present time
he followed the growth of city govern
ment in this country and the evils it
has contended with. While he be-
lieves there were some changes which
could be advantageously made in the
city charters of today III this country,
he was of the opinion that the Ques-
tion of good city government is mat
ter which rests largely with the peo-
pie themselves. Municipal govern
ment like all other government will
not long be better than the people re-
sponsble for it. We do not lack good
laws, our weakness lies in their non
enforcement. If the people are care
less and inattentive to municipal af-
fairs, the result will be bad govern
ment, no matter how well your char
ter is framed.
He believed in the centralized form
of municipal goyernment-that is he
would have the mayor responsible for
the whole conduct of affairs, and make
him directly answerable to the peo-
pie. He believes that this would
work we'll in the smaller cities, and
would not be any worse for the lar
ger cities than their present system
of dividing responsibility. Under
charter of this kind he believes that
business basis could be best obtained
in the smaller cities by making the
mayors Office salaried one, and re-
quiring that the incumbent devote
his entire time to city affairs and per-
sonally supervise all it's business.
A general discussion followed, open
ed by Mr.. VIM. n. Plymat, who criti-
cised some points in the paper, and
made numerous suggestions. The
point in the paper and emphasized by
the writer thereof later that the STIR
ring upof that class of citizens, who,
as rule pay little attention to mu-
nicipal matters, was more needed
than any radical change in the char
ters, seemed to be the general senti-
ment of the clllh
On account of election the next
regular meeting of the club will be
held on Wednesday evening Nov. I,
instead of the evening of the 9Th.
The paper will deal with the 'EXecu
tive and Legislative Departments of
City Governments" and will be read
by Mr.. III. L. Schmitt.