St. Paul daily globe., 1895-10-06
SEVERAL PROMINENT MEN TALK
ABOUT THE HOWARD CHAR
TER BILL.
SOME GOOD POINTS IN 1T,
GUT THERE'S A GENERAL. DIS
POSITION TO GIVE 1T A
BLACK EYE,
SOT FITTED FOR ST. PAUL.
aOn. c. ID. Q'Brien Says n Commits
sion Should Work Months on
a Charter.

What is known as the Howard
charter bill is now before a. special
joint committee of the common coun-
Gil. 1t is there by virtue of the in
PRODUCTION of an ordinance directing
that this general law, which was
passed by the last Legislature, be
submitted to the vote of the people
of ST. Paul, who will thereby decide
whether they desire to live under the
system of municipal government pro-
posed by the bill in question. The
special joint committee consisting of
seven members is directed to con-
slider the advisability of passing this
ordinance.
Before the committee can possibly
come 10 any definite conclusion, con-
siderable time will have elapsed, for
the Howard charter cannot be swal-
lowed in one dose. 1t is a compre-
hensive, all-embracing piece of legis-
lation containing $50 sections, some
Of which are lengthy and many of
which require careful analysis to de-
termine their true meaning. so i'm
volved and confused are they by rea-
son Of the legal Verbiage, exceptions
and provided howeVers'' scattered
throughout the act. Great as was
the interest and anxiety displayed
in st. Paul over the impending pas
sage of the bill while the legislature
was in session, yet it is a fact that
very few of st. PauTs most public
spirited citizens are now familiar
enough with the Howard charter to
discuss it. Beyond the fact that it
depriVes the mayor of the appoint
ing power, excepting as to the police
department, and vests such power in
the city council, and provides gen.
orally for government by the coun-
Gil, they have no knowledge For
this reason the G 10 b e has found lit
impossible to obtain a general ex-
preston Of opinion regarding the
merits Of the charter but a few gen.
tlemen more or less conversant with
the present Bell charter and the
subject of municipal government in
general were willing to express their
views in the most general way re-
gardfng the advisability of a change
AL II1C p1SSSnl system.
GEN. JOHN B. SANBORN
was the only one of five citizens whose
opinions were gathered to advocate
IN unqualified terms the passage of the
ordnance submitting the Howard char
ter to the vote of the people.
1t seems to me- said Gen. Sanborn.
that the city of st. Poul has ar
rived at stage when something must
De done. We certainly cannot continue
10 exist under the present city govern
ment much longer. 1 believe I am
rlght in saying that the present per
capita expense of running our CITY
Is greater than that of any other city
on inc planet. The per capita indebt-
edness is certainly larger. 1t is true
that our Indebtedness has been reduced
during the past four or five years.
Out II Is likewise true that our taxa
ton has been greatly increased. So.
Where Is the gain? After all, the wealth
OF city is measured by the aggre-
gate wealth of its inhabitants. and
that has been materially reduced.
therefore, 1t is only fair and wise that
the people should be given an oppor-
tunity to rid themselves of such an
extraVagant government by voting for
the adoption of a general law which
will give them relief
When c. D. O'Brien was approached
with the question What do YOU think
OF the policy of allowing the people
TO vote upon the adoption of the How
ard charter?'' he answered the ouerv
with another:
What is the Howard charter?
nave never seen it" A COW of r.
was handed to Mr.. O'Brien, who. after
reading its title and glancing over a
few sections, said:
think it would be the height of
rolly to permit the people to vote upon
thls measure. By it's very title if
will be noticed that it is an act to
provide for the incorporation. organ
lzatlon and government of new cities
ana that it is especially applicable to
Small communities. How can such q
general law meet the needs of q civ
IKE st. Paul, which has been operated
under totally different system of gov
eminent ever since territorial DAVIS &C
1ar back as 1S49? You might as well
plant "oii
A TON OF DYNAMITE
under the city and blow it to atons,,
III a new charter is desired HON,
would you suggest that the peonle oo
10 work to secure relief?" was asked
mil