Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-03-01
THEY WANT i NO KING. {

 opinlons Expressed Fly Prominent Men z, on the Proposed Charter.-Al ops
 posed 60 One Man Power, Some Want
 the Schools Left Out, and others De-
 nOunce the Whole Scheme.
 The report of the charter committee has stirred up hornets nest among the citi- zens and taxpayers of all political creeda. Many are agreed as to the advisability of the consolidation of the town and city; very few believe in disturbing the exist ing state of things in the center school dis trict. and we have not been able to find one man who was satisfied with the powers conferred upon the mayor. A number of prominent citizens, including some of the heaviest taxpayers in the city, did not consider the matter worthy of serious notice. for. as one of them ex- pressed 1t: "Ths members of the court ot common council are not going to play false to the confidence reposed in them by the people. In any case hope that they will not think of send ing such an important matter to the legislature without giving the people an opportunity to vote on it," He Iidi- culed the statement of Attorney George E. Terry iu reference to. the ward caucus, elf the ward caucus is not capable of nomingt. ing good men for the different municipal boards, he said, "how can it be expected to nominate mayor who is above all those boards?" A large number of people did not wish to be quoted as saying any thing, though all said a good deal and in no uncertain language. councils, said: "The new charter is all right for the man who can reach the may. orality. Elect me to that position for the first term and with the patronage at my disposal I'll entrench myself so strongly in that office that I'll crack my fingers at the electors of this town for the next twenty years"
 From a number of opinions gathered in all parts of the city we submit the follow. ing:
 E. A, Smith, secretary and treasurer of the Waterbury Buckle Go. said:
 "I think there is much that is desirable in 1t. The consolidation of the town and city governments is q good thing and should: have been effected years ago, am not so certain about the center school district. The greatest objection l see in it is that it puts too much power in the the hands of the mayor. It gives him power to appoint the members Of several important boards and to remove them without any cause whatever. It gives the mayor of Waterbury more power than the mayor of New York possesses. who, as ] understand 1t, cannot remove the heads of departments without the approval and consent of the state government"
 Ex-Oouncilman John Fitzpatrick:
 Il have not given the matter sufficient study to discuss the subject in all its bear. | ings. but have no hesitation in sayinp that am h favor of the consolidation of the town and cIty. but should leave the center school district as 1t now stands. On general principles am opposed to con- ferring imperial power on any man and for this reason don't think the mayor should have power to appoint and remove men at will This is too much of a stretch of au. thority. As a rule the farther power is re- moved from the people the worse it Is for the people. I believe the mayor should have the right to nominate men for certain positions. but the right to confirm or to reject such nomination should be vested in the board of aldermen. That's the way the president of the United States does business. He sends all his nominations to the senate for approval"
 Ex-Alderman James Caughlan:
 "There is good deal in it that we all
 
 man can reconcile himself to the confer. ring of such power on the mayor as this new charter provides he shall have. No man can claim that this idea is original. It is as old as the oldest monarchy in Europe. l believe the center district com mittee should be left as it is"
 Ex-Selectman Sedgwiek:
 Il am not in favor of the consolidA- tion of the town or city. because 1t tends to increase the burden on those now out side the city limits and 1t has not been shown how 1t will lessen the taxes on the people who now live within the present territorial limits of the city. Those who have spoken in favor of this scheme are men who favor saddlirg this additional burden on the people outside the city limets, but if you notice you have not heard anything in favor of it from those who are expected to meet this additional expense. With regard to the center dis. trict committee. I would say. leave it as it is at present. believe it should be lifted as far as possible outside the domain of politics, and for this reason don't think il prudent to seek to mix it up with the present upheaval of our municipal gov. ernment. don't believe in abolishinR the board of councilmen. Itis a check on the aldermen and should be retained. am opposed to one man power, therefore I do not favor conferring unlimited power on the mayor. There is not 6 man in this town so scrupulously honest, who, Il elected mayor, would not use the patron age at his disposal for political purposes and in this way would render his poGitlon impregrnable. am opposed to the whole scheme"
 Thomas Kelly:
 Concentration of power is the father | of oppression. I am opposed to the new charter on general principles. The mayor and the comptroller spend every dollar ol the town. city. school and water taxes, and no one can tell who those men may be. They may be honest men, but under our present system of ward caucuses 1t is quite possible that they may be the opposite and not be able to withstand the tempta. ton of money when it comes under theil control. The end sought tends to deprive the taxpayer of a right to have e say about who shall spend his money. The purpose of some of our present legislators is tc shut out the common people from having having a voice in the affairs of the com, munitY. Look at New Haven calling c meeting on such an important matter al the consolidation of town and city at g o'clock in the afternoon, depriving the men who carry dinner pails and clean the crossings. although taxpayers, from an op- pOrtunity to attend the meeting and say whether they think such change desiI- able or not. I am opposed to placing toe much power in the hands of one man. Il is not in accordance with the history and traditions of the American republic"