The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-08
CLASSES VS.. MASSES.
They Clash and Wrangle Over
the Charter Mending.
NINE TO FORM THE COUNCIL.
The Salary TO Be Four Hundred q
Year-The City TO Purchase
q Cemetery.

| The Populists came out in strong force
| al the session OF the non-partisan charter
/ commission yesterday, more particularly
/ after having cut down the city council TO
nine members as a matter of economy, IN
I an attempt 10 double the salary OF the
/ members. A compromise was effected at
| $4eo a year. and Mr. De Wolfe's bill was
] then referred TO the revision committee in
| this form:
! ''All legislative power Of the city of Sc
attic shall be vested in a mayor and city
| council, which shall consist of one house.
The city council shall consist of as
| many members as there are. or may be,
/ wards in the city, which at this time is
| nine.
AT the general municipal election in
| 1876 there shall be elected one councilman
| by each ward Of the city, and OF these fve
! shall hold office for five years and four for
| two years. At each subsequent general
municipal election there shall be elected.
for the term OF four years, d number OF
counciimen equal in number TO those
| whose terms are about to expire.
Each member OF the city council shall
receive 800 a year for his services. A de-
duction OF S. shall be made from the pay
of every member for each meeting of the
city council not attended by him. provided
he is absent for two consecutive meetings.
without first having obtained leave of alb
sence, which shall be of record.
No person shall be eligible for council
man unless he be a citizen of the United
States. and has been a resident and cleo
tor of the city for at least i've years be-
fore his election.
NO person who holds any other place
or employment under the city govern
ment shall be a member of the city
council"
There was naturally considerable dis
cussion before this agreement was reach
BaIEUnan 10
strongest arguments against both the re-
duction OF the number of members of the
council, and TO the amount of compensa-
ton, Tremper and Stein shooting some
fine shafts Of sarcasm at each other. and
De Wolfe and Winsor raising bubbles
about the wording of the document. with
out for a moment losing sight, however.
OF the main issue each sought to further.
The Anger OF the People.
The motion which opened the debate
was brought by Mr.. Crane, and proposed
that the council should consist of eigh-
teen members. but ii was an amend
ment TO this cutting the number down TO
nine that called out the discussion. Josin
was earnest and emphatic in his denun-
citation OF the proposition. and Bausman,
while ne began in his usual quiet manner
to logically argue the question. and illus
trate il with precedents and incidents and
instances. warmed UP at last and warned
the commission that in the near future the
members would have to face the anger of
the people they represented, whom they
were seeking TO rob of their right of repre-
sentation. 1t was nothing less. he said
than an attempt to stop the wheels of
modern progress, for everywhere else in
the cities and in the states. the struggle
of the people was to obtain a fuller repre-
! sentation. He then went over the able
arguments used by him on the previous
day, as to the comparative ease with
which a small body of legislators could be
influenced by corporations seeking fran
chises from the people His words how
ever were but as pebble cast in a mill
pond. for when the vote was taken even
the president voted aye at which there
was hearty laughter. and Bausman and
Joslin were the only representatives of the
minority.
The Word .'Freeholder'
The bill originally read. NO person shah
be eligible for councilman unless he he a
freeholder.' etc. and Winsor moved that
the word freebooter be stricken out. Mr..
Stein and other members pointed out that
by a previous resolution the obnoxious
word was tabooed from use in the charter
IN any way. The president explained that
It had been stricken from the charter hut
not from the bills. So Winsor's motion was
put and carried by a vote of to 5.
This was followed by the discussion of a
proposition TO change the five years resi-
denCe To three, and to this Bausman en-
tered an indignant protest TO the commits
sion throwing away every safeguard. FIRST
they reduced the representation nearly -
per cent. in spite of the popular clamor for
Increased representation, then they had
swept away the honorable word OF free
| holder and now sought To put in men who
were here today and gone tomorrow to
make the laws for 60oo0 of people.
Allen believed five years none too short
| for man 20 have a knowledge Of the city
and its needs. hut he didn't believe in free
/ hodcr-a man staggering around with the
/ deed Of a so lot in his pocket which was
probably mortgagel. He would vote for a
| property qualification of $500 Winsor ard
| Middleton both thought three years long
| enough 10 qualify a man for lawmaker. hut
| the motion was lost, with only these two
voices in It's favor.
Pay of CouncIlmen.
Middleton moved 10 make the compensa-
| ton $6lp year. ami this started the warm
| est debate Of the day. Bausman would
| have voted for S5.Wo hut the difference he
| tween 500 ana $40 cut no figure TO his
thinking. Il were better TO leave the sal
AIRY as il was. Middleton's answer was
| that perhaps ii didn't cat any figure with
| the classes, but il did with the masses. as
| Workngman coulc not afford 10 leave bis
| JON for $50 year. while a professional .Can
/ could continue his vocation without loss
AMI give his attention 10 public affairs
| TTemper-What is your definition OF
/ Glasses and Masses
NiaIeton-The masses are men who work
/ for salary.
| Trcmper-Wil you kindly ten me what l
am
Ni3leton-Im blessed II I know
Alien said SSo was a sood deal Of money.
ami t,-, much for some couuolmsa We
/ hal several lawyers and merchants who
Mere members OF the council hu- ha no.
/ t..-j that 81, was the Work.ncmsn members
( Nhn 5.5 tae hari work and trudsed knee
( deep n the city's mud IN the cty's IN
terr-t
Lawyers and Worklngmeu.
This brought on an argument that VAS
wlte.u au .u-u ot a@.om HE personal tho
/ lawyers holfuS that they sacrificed as
wJ-h far the r.'y good as he worktng-
/ men who -.-.ptei office. aui the other .l.ie.
forgetting cpel manners ia one or two in
stances only. referring go Their ouua7-
EMS as men VINO work with the iaw m
~trsr- point as return play hv ask.l-
/ NJ tiistou % he an not think tue increase
90 salary OF the rut iuHars ~ the council
after tn" arL4wvufs made far n g,oulf De-
termed class eSt~latiou. Middleton di1 nor
ta.uk $50. ami Ja~.n S8l8 y passed There
Na4ld a, men running foT office -fa-
revenue only. The vote was as foI1rns-
/ Fer- Alien. Fenw.rk. KoehIer. Middleton
8ug stein. AEain-t-t}ausman Denny t,s-
/ Wuf TO- Hamin. JoSlu Tremper. W.as9r
sn1 al iTe7ys
Nlv~'~ uus,i to make the compensation