New-York tribune., 1896-01-14

stitution that bill specla to Brooklyn can be.
come .aw until the Mayor has passed upon it, and
that while If he rejects IT, the Legislature may re-
pass 1t and the Governor may sign it. on It's brow
and front. and a part of it. wherever that law
may go. and wherever its record may be read, shall
be written as part of the words Passed with
out the acceptance of the city" In otner words.
that such law shall bear on its face the record
that it was passed in hostility to the expressed wish
OF the city. There many hundreds OF speca.
city laws passed last year and do rot know of
sent OF the city It affected In the domain of rea-
son and of better politics. in the for the pub
lie welfare and the record of pubic acts in the brief
year 1t has been I'm force that provision was suii-
cent. without in the slightest degree impinging on
had been built out great guarantee for perma-
nence and continuity in the city afairF Is not th's
BIZ intended to evade the efficacy OF that provs son?
II this bill becomes a law the Mayor of Brooklyn
cannot be called upon TO consent TO later bills, be
cause there VII then be no brooklyn; and Mayor
Wurster. as the bill states VIII be exercising the
power o. local administration in a loca territory
Whether or not the consent Of the Mayor OF
the present city Of New-York would then be neces-
sary | cave Tor others to consider.
a GREAT PROBLEM INVOLVED.
Citizens Of Brooklyn. We have gathered tonight
TO ring the alarm he.l and 10 send message 20 the
Legislature as to the purpose and intent Of The bll
introduced by this Commission and Of our unalter-
able. our unanimous. our fierce but patriotic oppo-
stlon TO 1t. The question Of creating great city,
IN ns,ory ana doinG mat Wnch WI n2' dGie 40 oo as
ular represen tative government. is problem, 10
dcult as forming the Constitution Of the
United States Tae problem is large enough
10 nave special and peculiar constitutional
provisions for a city 50 imperial in population, 50
fully was wrought out the great charter or our
National liberty Is the problem of governing these
cities to be wrought out by first disOrganlzng and
discredtlng all present government. and leaving II
this Commssl5n may have up their sleeves to plan
our government. the government for this great city?
principle Of home rule. II remember right. ii was
Brooklyn hat first asserted ITSELF against the Me-
ropoian Police and Health Commissions and 70
member well the laws by which separate commits
sors for almost twenty streets OF this city were
swept away and Brooklyn obtained laws that the
officers to perform all these great functions SHOULD
be elected by the city or appointed by city officials
II was In the highest patriotism intt Brooklyn c.-
liens united in thar movement. ard * Wa through
Mayor schroeder that our char'er va rei9,rmel
and the principle OF home rule Mas made living
th:ng by enaeins iha5 AL 'he frsa, iye
for the term for which ne was elected
desire to trench on no pQlitIcal issue. We are
bu' have rignt to say that there were many who
believed there had been gross misgovcrnment in
overurn charter. 10 oycrturn th's principle of
direct responsibility emanatins from Mayor Scsroc-
those that thought tha, government was wrong ap-
pealei to the people and TO The ciiz nshp Of Brook
1ave worked ont The problem OF the government ~
brooklyn Now is not The time appropriate for an
attack upon the principle Of home rule In cities
THE PEOPLE CAN RULE THEMSELVES
The great governmental problem or to-day is GOV
ernmlnt under principles representative Of the
immense populations. with tneir eLormous diverse
and often divergent interests. which centred
in these great cities. Every plan has been tried.
government 10y commissions. government hy char-
ters with limited powers. a most learned and reput-
able Constitutional Commission have recommended
for purposes ~ clty -Xpcniitur" limited suffrage
based On proper qualihratons All those have failel
and failed iu ignOminy and disaster. But tac plan
Of telling the people Of these cities that their
crnme ut is permanent ami it shall he they make
10, intir Sc
10 appeal t. the patriotism; the CIVIC s2fli You
these great ciues-ihal j. " prOtsious, d granH
success
C.tzcns Of Brooklyn this project or DISTINGUISHING
the citizens OF these great commonweaiths shall not
succeed The project of linking us under such com
miselons with Tammany Han shall nor 70 through
We viii appeal to tn, representatives. of those
great inland cities. 10 visit which IS refreshing
city of the Lake. o; Rochester, Of Syracuse Of the
cites of he Mohawk. the 81. lhwrents ine HUDSON,
the Susquchanna, tne 'hamplaln .Na.Iey 10 m
utelligencc. the dignity ana patriotism OF the hnl-
ot earnestntse ana patriotic IRE wA,ch p'rVtd'S
here tonight. | am sure our plea ana prayer VIII
not bs in vain
MIR REDFIELD'S PLAIN STATEMENT
The next speaker was william c. Redfcd.
president of the League of Loyal Citizens. to
whom is due. II great measure. the strength OF
the organized movement against consolidation.
His speech was. in part.
Mr Chairman Ladies and Gentlemen Among the
profound reasons stated by II leading real-es,a,e
consoliiauonst for giving up our autonomy IS inis: ms
"Erooklyn is not ht for seli-government rms
comedies happily with that other argument urged
last year against a referendum, that most OF the
people, Of brooklyn would not read a charter II
placed before them and those who did read II
would not understand it, These are statements OF
leading corsodat onists. To BOTH this meeting IS
As look upon this gathering and Think OF what
from Se greatest Of Hooks @ od things ae passed
away: behold. they are become new" II Is but
fourteen months since five men met 10 consider
was lie
over her. There was Little brightness N
the present one duty seemed clear-to work. TO
believing in Brooklyn and in her people. The faith
that evening Pledged among those i've has been
fclt We have fought the fight; what the hence
TRIBUTE TO WORKERS.
There Is one man to whom whatever OF honor and
OF praise there may be in your minds is most justly
due even as he has borne nobly whatever OF sacri-
fee and service our work has put upon him.
Rrooklvn tonight ought TO honor. does honor. the
name OF A. A. Low. treasurer of our League And
speak as my colleagues know. from fuiness or
appreciation OF what each. every one. has done.
when say that cannot oVerestmate the service
70 Krooklyn OF one gentleman who. daily and WITH
out ceas.ng has iabored in our cause, surren-
ana toii without recompense. and working with tact
and energy that have been invaluable | REFER TO
James O. Cleave.and chairman OF our Executive
Is resubmlsslon proper and necessary and why?
Is n vote" that resubmlssion is the baby act"
that one resubmiss.on may mean Two or three etc;
mrasure) OF truth-much OF Misunderstanding.
inch Of Ignorance. How many of those who freely
,ise them are aware of the constitutional condi-
Hons of such a vote as that on consolidation In
,e9io Would they not wisely inform themselves
fmllv on that before thus uttering their views?
THIS VOTE NOT DECISIVE.
The heart OF this matter lies in this: That a
vote by the people OF such a nature-that Is. a
essentially from all other votes
II is radically unlike them In this vital respect.
that II can OF itself decide nothing. The Leglsa-
turc Is the sole law-maklng power 1t cannot con-
stltutlonally delegate surrender that power by
letting the people by ballot decide whether there
shall be such and such law or not. 1t can ask
the peOp,e TO express the.T wlshes, 10 give tnelr
opulon and Il Is free 10 act after that opinion
as before IT, for the moral effect OF the vote
a vote taken Is only a mandate when its condi-
lions make 1t mandatory. or itself 1t decides, can