Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-29
u,chuo,d CITY Governmcnt.

We like the spirit and temper whic"
General Peyton Wise displays IN Ms ~
ter. which we published yesterday p'o,
posing that a commission be appo'"',
90 nrcnare such amendments To 'hc
charter as our city needs; but We uo"o'
II his plan Is feasible. In the hrs' p'a'''
fine IL pressing MS. The Leglsia'ui'
will not be sitting much more than TWO
months In the next place, the ny
Council f. committed 10 the pfopoS'''o''
ia undermine the Board of fuphc in'''
osts. Now. lnasmuch as the COMMISSION
would be appointed by the city Couh''l'
and though 80 might be wholly coinpos'
or nou-conncilmon. we would NOT 'ooN
for n 10 appoin. men opposed TO the
Councils position on this question.
1, seems TO us that We will have
10 carry our dispute before the 'es's''-
five committees and let these commit
fees decide between as. They have had
einior work 10 DO for other cities ana
have generally done it well. or 'oui
the committeeman would be greatly III
euenced bv tho Richmond delegation III
,,e two houses Of the legislature but
,.c should think that i'm this matter INC
majority Of the delegation would be III
favor OF ths people as against 'ne
civ Council. u Is q very po"'ilui az
,,ument I'm aid OF those who wish the
uoard of Public Interests TO stand as u
is that the decision OF our last primary
d, object sustained the board. and was
expressly in favor Of the two coi'ii'''s-
sions that We have.
II instead az asking FOR dozen
changes in the charter. our people 20 10
the LEGISLATURE and ask FOR the crea-
tipn Of board Of finance and audit ana
q pas-works commission. they ought 10
10 supportod BY the Richmond delega-
tou. and ought 20 get what they wish.
Tho report in the gas-works inves'isa-
ton should carry that change through
without argument \ statement OF the
defalcations that have occurred In our
CITY government in late years ought
to carry conviction as TO the necessity
OF Richmond having a better financial
system than % now has
As for changing the charter with re-
spect 10 the election Of councilmen, 1t
won't do 20 mix that question with the
commissions question. As 10 the du-
ties of the Mayor. they are fully set
forth I'm the state Constitution. True,
II has never been the practice here for
orr MAYORS 10 exercise the vast powers
conferred upon them; but We needn't
bother the Legislature with that mat
ter. Let our city Council and our Mayor
confer together and ascertain what new
distribution Of duties may be lawfully
ard advantageOusly made between them.
In short. we are in favor OF sticking
TO our text and trying to get
the two new commissions that we have
named-no more. no less. We may safe
" wait awhile for other reforms that
seem TO be desirable.
To those who are opposed TO any char
ter-changes whatsoever. we would say
that the late defalcations here have
aroused the people 10 the fact that there
is much looseness in our city govern
ment. Defalcation las followed dcfalca-
ton without any adequate remedy be-
now such that. If we Democrats do not
respond TO public sentiment it viii be
easy for an opposition party 10 rise up
and inaueurate the reforms that we re-
fuse % make.
What the Dispatch desires is that the
Democrats OF this city shall heed the
popular voice, and secure such lesisla-
ton as Will make repetition OF frauds,
such as those that recently occurred at
the gas-Works. impossible. Three or four
times since the war the gas-works have
had TO be investigated. and the dis
closures have always been disagreeable.
and the time has now come to put that
important department under better sys-
TEN Of management.