The evening world., 1894-08-07
HOME RULE IN CITIES,
Constitutional Convention Takes
Up the Subject To-Day.
Mr.. Johnson Supports at Length the
Committees Report.
Wouldn't Deprive the Legislature of
Wouldn't Deprive the Legislature of
Its Sovereign Rights.

ny Associated Ptessl
ALBANY, Aug. when the Consiitu-
t!onal Convention met this morning
Messrs. Nostrand and Ilinkel. newly
seated delegates from the Second Dis
trict, took the oath OF Office.
Mr.. Steele, of the Twentieth Senatorial
District, announced the death OF his
colleague Walter l.. Van Den Berg OF
Amsterdam, and moved that commit
tee OF three be appointed to draft suit
able resolutions. and the Chair APP
pointed Mcssrs. Steele. Francis and Hol-
lis to draft such resolutions.
The Convention went into Committee
OF the Whole on the report OF the Com
mittee on Cities. on the proposed article
for home rule IN cities. MIR. johnson
presented several amendments of a
technical nature, which he said were
designed to relieve possible ambiguity.
The whole amendment as heretofore
published by the Assocat ed Press was
read by the clerk. 1t being decided to
consider IL as a whole instead OF by
sections.
MIR. Johnson's technical amendments
were adopted. and then he launched
into a .Jng description Of the methods
by which the majority report of the Com
mittee on Cities had been arrived at.
tHdl u WAS DeIleNeU tnAt the
PROPOSED section was far. in ad-
vance of the present section. even
in the opinion OF the minority
or the Committee. 1t was time
charters OF cities more universal, for In
the cities 60 per cent. OF the entire pop
ulation of the State reside. and 1t must
this convention ' wa. i iesisls.tins eA Tor
and enormous growth Of the cities de-
mnnd h9ms s TSs se1,on IN the
Cling with city charters by political
! Home ride. meant constitutional
He believed that legislative home rule
was ~ the Constitution now. but II lay
with the Legislature only to grant home
was to give to municipalities a right in
| some respects to govern themselves and
yet not dismember the State by taking
e 'ns By an org m TO
the Committee to forbid any legisla tive
Interference In local matters was; Mr..
Johnson thought. a transsression Of SOW
cretgn rights. 1t was proper, however,
to restrict the Legislature. because that
body would be governed by the large
cities to the detriment of the smaller
elections for the Fall, when general
elections are held, so as to avoid eN-
pense. he said that he had been as
state. officers committees that they
would fix the elections on odd and even
years, so as to conform to this amend
ment.
Speaking OF the alleged politics in
connection with the article, he said that
there were questions Of political division
on policy, alone. only In nation and
city government, the policy OF parties
| was the same, ard 1t was only uues-
ton OF the administration of men.
IT wise to divorce municipal elections
| from National elections. so that ques-
| tons of policy would not interfere with
| the questions Of men in municipal con-
| troll.
| Speaking OF the power given in the
amendment to the Governor. to remove
Police Commiss l1ners or Superintendents.
| on sustained charges, Mr.. Johnson said
that il would prove protection to the
people to know that If a Mayor who had
appointed u Police Superintendent re.
fused to remove him. the Governor could
Sheriff was really a police officer, and II
tho Governor had the right to remove
him. he should have the right to remove
other police officers.
| He referred to the removal of the
| Sheriff of Erie as righteous outcome
! Of that old law. II was the duty of the
State to pro,sc, us citizens or ana tns.
appointed "a special Dist-ict-Attorney TO
prosecute the Troy election murderer.
ii II was the duty Of the State to pro-
tect. II was the duty of the State to re-
move incompetent officers.
State Interference. without party divi-
sion. had brought about the prosecution
OF the election frauds at Gravesend and
sent the criminals to jail when the po-
lice became allies of the ballot box stuff
fers The same was true in Troy. when
a similar state OF affairs existed. Thugs
and thieves" ne said. "were brought
from New York to do this dirty work.
and the police winkcd at II in both
places"
Referring to the election clause and the
and inspectors, Mr.. johnson said that the
only solution OF the vcNed question was
TO provide for number Of commissioners
to be appointed each by his own party.
| Whenever any great fraud had been
| committed in eiections it was because the
selection of election officials Of both po-
litIcal faiths vas left with one appoint
ing power, and they sold out. This sec:
tion would obviate such thing, and
every Republican and every Democrat
must agree t. He believed this would
solve vexed problem, and would in
fuse confidence among the people that
was now lacking.
| President Choate. from the floor.
asked why, II these reforms were ALSO
! mtely needed. the Committee had
merely left the matter OF regulating
such abuse permissive with the l-egis-
Mr. johnson held that II was made
mandatory by the first line, which read,
minority and majority shall have
equal representation" and that the
form Of securing 1t only was left per-
| missive.