St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-04
HOME RULE or STATE RULE.

HOME RULE OR STATE RULE.
Three senators have now present
ed measures to solve the problem of
municipal government. Senator
Howard presents what will be known
as the Minneapolis plan, the main
feature of which is single legis-
lative body and a mayor with limit
ed powers. Senator Ozmun presents
what will be known as the st. Paul
idea, whose leading feature is a dual
house of legislature and a mayor
with extensive powers. Senator Shee-
han, of ST. Paul, presents bill haV-
ing for it's purpose the remission to
cities Of the right to form their own
charters and sgpVern themselves,
with the necessary restriction OF
subordination tomthe constitution
and the general laws of the state.
The bills of Senators Howard and
state rule that regards the legis-
lature as the repository of all power
not withheld from it by the consti-
tuition. In a tentative way, as II
fearful of the result Of such an limo
walton, Senator Sheehan's bill has for
it's vitalizing spirit the conception
that all power resides in the people
who delegate to legislative bodies
such powers as they wish them to ex-
ercise, reserving all others to them
selves. The bill of Senator Sheehan
is decidedly an innovation. For
nearly a century the idea of state
sovereignty has prevailed. The leg
islature, within the limits of the con-
stitution, is the monarch. From it
all power emanates, because in it all
power rests.
Thinking as we do with Senator
Sheehan that the sole repository Of
power is the people, we welcome his
bill, shortfooted as it is, and wish it
success. 1t might go very much
farther and be better, but probably
goes as far as is possible at the
present time. We regard it as the
only municipal government bill that
is at all likely to pass. There is
such a divergence of views between
those supporting the Ozmun and the
Howard bills as to render the pas
sage of either of them impossible.
The experience trying to frame a
general bill during the session of 1898
showed this, and nothing has since
occurred to modify the differences
of opinion.
It ought not to be necessary to
defer the operation of this bill as
long as will be required by the pro-
vision submitting a constitutional
amendment, which, if adopted, will
not be operative until a subsequent
legislature has passed general law
putting it's provisions into effect. 1t
is, too, difficult to see why $4,000 peo-
pie living in city, should have the
right to form their own govern
ment, while $4,000 in another city
are denied that right. 1t is just as
difficult to see why there should be a
distinction between cities and vii
lagos, and why the former should be
treated as grown men and the latter
should be kept in a condition of de-
pendence.
A serious objection lies to the pro-
vision that a permanent board of
fifteen should be constituted to
frame the charters and to originate
all the amendments. The objection
that lies to the adoption of the mi
flo two and rpforapd11,7o in ms tfarc
affecting the state does not apply
to the municipalities, and, while it
might be desirable to have such a
board to frame and recommend a
charter for adoption, it ought to
expire when that work is completed,
and subsequent changes be left with
the council, acting Independently or
under the initiative, with a submis-
sion, under the referendum, to the
voters, for approval or rejection, of
all measures looking to a funda-
mental change in the charter.
A still more serious objection,
however, is the embodiment in the
organic law of matters of mere de-
tail, the provision for the organiza-
ton Of the board and the methods of
procedure. 1t is not the function
of q constitution to deal with detail,
but to establish a general principle.
If it is deemed desirable to limit the
experiment Of home rule to cities of
over $4,000 people, this can be accom-
plished by an amendment, if an
amendment be necessary, declaring
that right and leaving to the legis-
lature the question Of detail But
if the legislature is still so appre-
hensive of the result of home rule
as to feel that the guards contained
in Senator Sheehan's bill are neces-
sary, it is better to have such a
measure passed than none or than
either of the other two. 1t is a step
in the right direction, making easier
the further successive steps that
must be taken and will be taken to
restore to all communities the right
to manage their own affairs as they
see fit