New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-27
TIE CITY ARTICLE.

Tho city article has been reported again 10 'he
Const,,u,,onal Convention and made speciai
ordor Tor today The latest revision contains
so,,eraI improvements in phraseology, Out OIL!
o,o ,m,ortant change. The provision Tor sepa-
r.,o mnnicjnal elections IS retained. and there
10 annorently no doubt Of It's adoption Ihousi
,r,rds,,I az the fact that the experience oI
,we,tv.seven of the thirty -four cities OF the
S,ate does not confirm the somewhat prevalent
s,,nnosi,ion that this Ia the most essential reat-
ure Of the proposed amendment. we snail pe
Glad 10 see II established in the organic law.
~ {, rroduces only a small part Of the Dement'S
,rhicb songuine persons expect II VIII DE auipi!
Justified. The equal representation OF the '"o
chief political parties on election boards ID ever!
city IA decreed. but the permissive clause au'
,hor,zng the appointment OF State Eiec'ioh
Commission has disappeared Its purpose WAS
manifestly commendable, but the committee mas
saeminglv decided that II was not necessary
Tho nroyjsjon empowering the Governor 10 re-
move heads OF police departments upon charges
nrefcrre,l and TO appoint their successors Is es
septially unchanged. 1t has been strenuous!
onnosed by Democratic delegates. but IL Is iosi'
cal and salutary. and ought to be adopted.
In orr opinion the most delicate ana diinc"'
nroblem which the committee had to solve WAS
tho adjustment Of the relations between 'he
LEGISLATURE and municipal governments. vi
this noInt only the proposed amendment III us
original form seemed to TO be open 10 serious
objection The proposition to give local autnori-
t,os an absolute veto power over the Legislature
In matters OF vital importance Involved grave
daneers which its conjectural advantages uiu
not outweigh: and we felt compelled to oppose
the Judgment Of the majority OF the committee
wb;lo recognizing their perfect recttude anu SIN
oor,tv II was n satisfaction, therefore, 10 pe
oSsurad that MANY members Of the Convention
sboroJ the apprehensions which Mr. Choa'e III
an carly oDportunity formulated In the proposal
,,,ot n hin TO which the consent or city hau
hoo, refused might be passed and submitted 1or
tha Governors approval by a three-hfths ma
,or,tv If each branch of the Legislature. Atter
s,,n,,,or collaboration the committee has accept
oh This suggestion ana made 1t part OF 'he
revised amendment. NO lh'ei'sen'
likely 70 insist in good faith that 1t gives the
Legislature too great power over local '"'n'
A wo have already sad 1t would enable the
peoplc to make strong protest asa'h'. W"
templated injuries; and If the threa'eheu o"'
rage were extremely gross their de'ernl'neu oP
position might cause the scheme I'D pe e''"''
abandoned or defeated. We must say however
that on further thought the pracucai "'i"! "a
the amendment does not become more obvious
II is 4 rather significant circumstance 'ha' zen"
ocrntic delegates who strongly ad'oca'eu '''
hestowal Of an absolute power OF veto OH ""!o'S
are jptimating that they Will make Only per
functory resistance to the amendment III ,S
nresent FORM Possibly citation OF recent MS
tory may be instructive in conhecuoh VIII" '''''
matter. ,,,
In the Senate OF New-York twenty vo'eS coh'
stitute n three-ffths majority. ana III TIE A'
sembly seventy-seven. The last Legislature was
Republican in bo.h branches. ana the maJor'"
in ,he Assembly was unusually large. III CON
sisted I'm fact, OF seventy-seven meiho''S J"
thrrc-tfths But the Senate con'aiheu o"''
nineteen Republicans and hence IL Is obvious
that i'm all probability the intention oil 'n''
amendment. had 1t been In force last Win.ei'
could not have been realized even uhuer 'ne
more than usually favorable conditions theh eA'
listing. Indeed. It was with great dimcui'! 'n''
the party leaders obtained that bare MaJori!
of votes OF elected members necessary I'D pass
the New York City reform bills which press anu
neople united in demanding. Not one OK thelh
could have passed either branch OF the LeSis
loura II a three-fifths vote had been required
II NAV be hoped. IL Is true. that enough nieh'
hers of both parties would rise above partisan
Influences or personal interest to rescue CITY
from the crayest wrongs, in emergencies wnen
neither party was able to furnish votes enough
for the purpose; but experience proves that
amendments to city charters, especially II they
involve patronage even in a slight degree. draw
party lines very rigidly. We are bound 10 CON
slider. not such ideal conditions IA we long lor'
but such conditions are reasonably certain
To exist Indefinitely.
That Democratic leaders in the constitutional
Convention are pretty well satisfied with this
part Of the city article as 1t now stands their
intended course Of action shows. That the ma
ior,ty of delegates deliberately ntrusted by the
people with the responsibility Of revising the
fundamental law are warranted in approving II
Is less evident at this stage OF the proceedings
They are certainly bound 10 give careful ana
conscientious consideration 10 the Idea which
Mr. Choate's proposed amendment perhaps ex-
pressed less accurately than the recent speech
IN which he said: II do not believe that the
| "people Of this State will ever consent. or ought
..to be asked to consent. to abandon their sover-
eighty over any division Of the State in respect
"to any Of its affairs"