The evening world., 1894-08-09
FOR REAL HOME RULE,
Voices Raised in the Constitu-
tional Convention To-Day.
New York and Brooklyn Suffer
from Legislative MeddIing.
johnson Amendment Described as a
Failure Of the Worst Kind.

ALBANY, Aug. Sin the Constitu-
tionai Convention this morning the
cities amendment was again taken up
and Mr.. jerks, OF Brooklyn. started
the discussion Of It. lie said 1t was a
tribute to the sagacity and ability OF
Jesse johnson, bu, that on the outside
OF the document there should be stem
ell sign. when this you see. remember
me" Seriously speaking. he did not be-
leve that general laws would cover the
points that were to be passed upon by
the Legislature.
The Fire Departments and the Police
Departments of New York and Brooklyn
needed different laws from those OF
Rochester and Buffalo, and Rochester
and Buffalo need different ones from
smaller cities He believed. too. that
tho amendment would make grevous
error In making the Mayor an autocrat.
as 1t did. la providing for the approval
by him OF almost every proposition
He thought that the Governor should
have the right to remove the head Of the
| that the Governor should appoint his
successor The Mayor should appoint
the man to succeed the removed officer.
1t would be ridiculous to have it other
wise.
In relation to the appointment by the
State OF city election officers. he did
to step in and interfere. There had
been no indication of a violation OF the
right of city in that respect. As a
looked upon as pertecting home rule. he
believed IT q failure OF the worst kind.
Home rule did not mean entire freedom
or nation. The entire scheme was. In
his mind, in great measure, Utopian.
The difficulties. In the government OF
| cities were the fewness of direct taxes
and the lack OF knowledge of the meth.
cd of city government on the part of
the residents OF the city. To remedy
not more complex, as this amendment
He believed that the division Of cities a.,
go 2V 90 Inhabitants and over, the second
class, between CSC, 900 and $1,000 and the
third, 10000 and less. Chief election Of
pact districts. and each district should
have an Alderman.
Local elections should be divorced
from state and nn1d pa Snd the Com
legisla tlon should determine all local
questions. and The remedy of the people
| would then be to elect representatives
to their local legislatures who would do
| their wishes and restrain their Mayor
II he did not do his duty.
say whether the Legislature should pass
a law or not. General laws should only
lay out the original city charters and
| certain exigencies. He did not believe
| In the process of slow growth suggested
| by the amendment
that would strike. at the root of the
questions presented at once; not In some
years, put now. nnd with such = strobe
a. to break to atoms the barriers now
This was the greatest problem before the
Convention. 1t was not question Of
party Ro @Iea des sPedau to answer the
marks OF Mr.. jerks. He was glad to see
that the members were rising to the
greatness Of the subject. and were de-
lions. He DID not, however; believe
about fS ' a city e ana make It a city Of the
middle ages, for each city owed to the
state certain sllegiapce and could
not dlySrce Itself from this great STATE
amendment, he believed, gave to the
city every direct, right It should have
ana yet 10 the staff Its right
Mr.. Schumacher thought that the gen.
tleman who last spoke must have come
in late during Mr.. Jenkss speech. for
he had not advocated making any city
IA city OF the middle ages. No such
proposition had been presented. New
York and Brooklyn had not cried aloud
for reform and. for home rule until they
| found that they did not know where
they We're so free was the Legislature
to make commissions to govern this and
| that department.
First the police were governed by a
commission appointed by the country
Legislature, then the Fire Departments
and then the Tax Depart ments. 1t was
time that the city legislatures. elected
In their entirety by the people resident
In the city, should control the city in
regard to Its local features. He did not
agree with Mr.. jerks that any munich
pal officer should be removed by the
Governor The people in the cities were
the sufferers and II allowed TO suffer.
they would soon remedy the evils by
electing decent officers.
T., Il. Brown thought 1t was time that
the diversity in city charters and the
diversity In legislation asked should be
regulated. There should be more uni
formity. and In that respect he favored
the proposed amendment. He was also
In favor OF giving the Governor the
power OF removal of the police heads.
He did not altogether believe In cumu-
lative voting. He believed that the
cities should be divided up into more
classes than this amendment provided.
There could be general laws for all
cities, but there should be four or five
classes.
President Choate. from the floor. Of
fered an amendment, providing that.
when the Mayor refuses to consent TO
the passage OF q bill. two-thrds of the
! Legislature can pass II over his objec-
ton.