The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-15
HOME RULE POSSIBLE.

Or the two amendments of first mag
nitude to h constitution that were
voted upon at the recent election, that
providing for a constitutional
ton has apparently been defeated,
most happily, owing to the requirement.
that it should receive the approval of
a majority of all the votes cast; and
that conceding to cities the right to
frame their own charters has appar-
emily been adopted. The latter is of
special interest to US and to all the
other cities of the state, and it's pro-
visions seem to be in general but little
understood. The adoption of this
amendment does not set in operation
at once any plan of home rule, nor does
it leave the cities free to act under it.
1t only opens the way for such legis-
lative action as must precede the
framing of n particular charter. The
amendment unties the hands of the
legislature from the constitutional limi-
tations that hitherto bound them. Now
that the amendment will, upon procla-
nation, become effective as a part of
our constitution, it will be in order
for the next legislature to provide by
law for the appointment, in cities that
desire it, of a board of fifteen free
holders, named by the district judges,
who are to frame a new charter.
1t will remain for this law to state
under what circumstances such a COM
mission is to be brought into being
and it will probably prescribe that the
people of the city must first either
vote for such a commission at some
general election, or present to the
judges a petition signed by a certain
number, possibly a majority, of the 10
cal voters. The legislature shall also
say under what conditions this charter
commission appointed by the judges,
which is to be perpetual, shall sub
nit amendments Of the charter to the
people. Inasmuch as the commission is
not elective and it's members hold for
life, this point should be carefully
guarded. It should be made obligatory
upon luc COIIlIIlSSlOH ~ SuDILlII amends
ments when called for on request of.
say 10 per cent of the legal voters Of
any municipality. The legislature shall,
also, according to the amendment.
prescribe by law the general limits
within which such charter shall be
framed" They cannot go outside Of
the rule contained within the amend
ment itself, that there is to be a chief
magistrate and a legislative body Of
either one or two houses, and at least
one of them elected by general vote.
1t may add to this such restrictions as
it pleases, the fewer the better, and
also may classify the cities Of the
state by population into three classes,
and make general laws applying to
each class. There will be, we hope, very
little of this; for if any city is to have
home rule, let it be the genuine arti-
Gle, and not a system already settled,
except in minor details, by a legislative
act.
The first steps, therefore, are the
passage of a law this winter, directing
the district judges when and how to
proceed to appoint local charter COM
missions, instructing those commissions
what the limits of their action shall
be, and what they are to do in the
matter of submitting amendments
for adoption. Then n city,
by complying with the provisions
of this law, can have a charter COM
mission created by its judges. That