The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-11-25
THE NEW CHARTER.

MIR. Erskinc Dlssents from the InteIlIgen.
cer's vIcw-Speaks Of Unfair Criticisms.
To tho Editor Of tho lntelligencer.
SIR:--1 think many OF your readers
Will be sorry to see the position you
take in regard TO the new charter. You
practically advise that II the charter Is
not exactly what the voter would make
1t himself, he would be justified In vot-
Ing to reject 1t.
In your editorial Of yesterday you
began by saying that the charter has
some excellent features" and then,
without mentioning n single feature
that you approve, you point out where
in it falls short of perfection. You
condemn it because executive power Is
not concentrated in n executive head
the mayor. This you call n vital de-
feet. and you propose that We shall get
along with what We have until we can
make q single leap to that high stand
ard Of Capitalization of power.
In so doing, YOU, in effect, join hands
with the people OF an exactly opposite
view; people who denounce the new
charter as going too far in the direction
of 4 Capitalization of power and locat-
ing Of responsibility, and who demand
practically that we shall continue to
run at random under a charter which
is not q charter.
1t is surprising how many erroneous
statements have bean published In re-
gard to the new charter. The first con-
siderable batch was in a paper read
last spring in the Labor assembly and
published in the Intelllgencer as q
thoughtful paper" 1t was devoted
largely to things the prophetic thinker
thought were going to be done by the
charter commission; among which was
the enormity Of concentrating cxecu-
tive power In the mayor.
From the report of the charter COM
mission, 1t appears that the members
sometimes differed in opinion, but never
divided along partisan lines. The wri-
ter believes that they unanimously ap-
proved many excellent features
which arc of the greatest Importance, tc
the public welfare, including a rear
rangement and simpllhcation of nearly
all the business systems Of the city, and
the introduction Of important new fea-
lures on the subjects of additions to the
city, the management of the engineers
office, control OF the public depart
ments, regulation of franchises, and
provisions for revenue therefrom, re-
stralnts upon council. etc. etc, and
differed In opinion upon comparatively
few important changes.
The most Important Of those upor
which they differed are to be submitted
to the popular vote. separately from
the rest of The charter.
1t may be that many OF the wiscst
people would agree that there should be
a concentration of executive power In
the mayor-that he should appoint all
subordinate executive officers. Few
would disagree with you, II II could be
demonstrated that the people would al
ways elect q mayor who would wisely
use his power.
You condemn the charter because 1t u
not sufficiently radical: others condemn
it because It is too radical. Some
criticise in 1t things which 1t does no,
contain; sometimes the things criticised
exist In the present charter, and arc
corrected in tie new. All seem to admit
that the new charter proposes the es-
tablishment Of a business and financial
system that Is n combination of SIM
plicity and certainty and that will, II
adopted, be of immense value to the
people.
The new charter Is progressive, yet
conservative. ,.
You admit In your article that the
old is far behind the best thought and
practice Of the day, yet you advise that
we get along with the old. until a
more progressive public opinion shall
come upto n higher standard" than
Is presented in the new.
II the new charter be defeated, when
shall we expect to make the single step
to that high standard OF perfection
which You commend? Who will lead.
until a more progressive public opin-
ion shall come up To n higher stand
ard%" VIII you?
WILLIAM ERSKINE.
Wheeling, W. Va. Nov. q.