New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-02
SEPARATE CITY ELECTIONS.
INTENT OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL CON-
VENTION OF 1891 IN PRO
VIDING FOR THEM

tlCn or 1874 WIN regard 10 wv proposition W
separate municipal from National and State cleo
tons are Of peculiar interest al this time. and
especially in this city 1t is we'll recall the fact
that the membership Of that convention was con-
.ituted as follows: Republicans. los. Demo-
Gratis ca and that tho work Of the convention
was approved by the people Of the State in No
vember 1894 by a vote Of 410,09I for the Con-
stitution. to 3214 against it. In this city the
majority FOR the amendments was 1925
The provision Of the Constitution relating 10
SEPARATE elections Is as follows:
Article XII Section 3-All elections Of city on.
cers including supervisors and judicial Officers oi
inferior local courts elected IN any city or part
C C5 cs'E o. v 0% and KnSs and in
ties whose boundaries arc Tho sam. as tnoSs u! n
Tucsdav Succeeding the first Monday in November
IN an odd-numnered year and the term OF e."r!
such officer shall expire at ia" end OF an odh-hu'n
bered year
ITS PURPOSE.
The following explanation ~ the intent OF this
provision was made by the special committee OF
the convention in an address to the people OF the
State issued on September ~, 1921
one-han tho population Of the state are SOUTH
Of The nor,herly boundary Of Yonkers and t t
population ia rapidy ncrea s 81 onsr
soeernmen FOR cities alone but for the Ell FIT
pire state must be largely solved by the lntcii-
For self government Of the inhabitants OF those
cities such a constitutional provision; your
cties both in is direct cec, AID in II. an an
nouncement by tho people OF the stat" ma, s ,nc
s eodsry TO matters Of state or the Na'ion
We seek separate in III" larger cites ininSp,
Tho end that the business affairs Of our great
muncina GcrHGra'iSn~ msY pc by Haonal and
State politics. and 10 the end also tha' ,n' s'" s
ISSUES OF National and state pot!cs may %" o.
nod merits. ir"f from INC N'S-
turbIng and often denorallzing erect o. ioctl con-
so,.s ~ .mcndmcn;s 20 roarrangc tn" terms %
officc and times Of election Of the Governor H,h.
ON elsc,i"ns for state officers vii occur on the
even-numb'red years ard the clcI'lons 'o' ""-
nIcIpaI officers OF The odd-nuinb"rcd years.
Here Il an extrac, from letter from seth Low
read 10 the convention by the chairman OF tho
Committee on cities. expressing his opinion CON
corning the form OF the proposed amendment
concerning home rule in cities az submitted 10
him
: c,nno, close this letter Without expressing IN"
hope tha, the scheme embodied N $500" ., W.,
In Tho alternate odd years. VIII b" approved py .he
convention II Is cn,'onpo 10 pc oaned so long
the voters ssboId' lss,i5nSi eo u '''
!, IL moi so often stated. however. but II Is no less
true that this separation Of elections y W., a.
Imnoriant in the interest % the state and Natlona
politics a. It is In tn" Interest Of city government.
Below arc given some extracts from tn" de-
hates on The Proposed Constitutional Amend
men, 10 Provide Home Rule to Cities
JESSE JOHNSON. chairman Of the Committee on
Ci,ies, We separate into parties on questions 2i
policies Thch , %n y' do 'iI liner Thty are questions
Of policy Of government ana t@iTtsh hsy Naa,on
tariff and q sFS% @ aways 81 have we dereG
Blu, when ye approach the AFFAIR OF ciirI me- Me-
M, ma "a T.. a question Of right and du. admins,
,ns,,or II T. question Of cficeni honest and
c cHsv consiier.d between the patties doub,
wHh"th.r it would lee possible in ali The municpal
con- - wr,," dcfnion Of The differences IN
shat they claim ~ is question 10 ' esecn,e Ot ard
men 10 administer. and men 10 perform me sre Te
trusts e Won are 20 Oh avoys S' upon cities the
srea. question OF who shall best administer 'no.,
trusts II nccss,aT IL. c csn 10 eiernt m
embarrasscd by other questions ana ~ INN
y, domes,i or foreign questions Is not before he
ne rple Therefore the committee nav" nhHh''ho"SN
aGt nsrP p j. CIGATE president Of tn CONVEX.
Pa. II Is orr duty 10 give an oppoi,n.y .Dt
ard 20 pu, zach city goycrnment mon ne peop a,
81 tina, CITY every second year for mem . SAY az,
ao 'n n; rnsidence Of thirty -eish, years in New
H Ynrl rh s II The people Of tho cityby which
,nesn those who are intrrc;ed in i,s w"h@fe Inn sTo
have stake ,nSr a. nd If ,hsr posper as haV
Ing business thtre. a. haYng proprrt! mere -
heine under obligations 10 pay taxes 'het Inc
never has been q time under any FORM U' s"nhu
ment since tho charter Of 1870 was r"peal'' vheh
~ cttizens OF both parties. such az A." icptr.
.er..d on The noor ~ this house by ''l"S' dlstrict
Ieioca,ca from, the city and delegates fatGe Who
reside IN tina, city. whom they conld MOI u ,n.s
Nd ,bis char Of strictly municipa electIot,
he 90 carried things suit themselves IneN VII
be greatly aided. th"y viii he helped IN th.'t ei
t9-ts for GOOD muncipa government ~ ih'r nav We
his opportunity. ~hen the question VII ny W
nbr,htr 4 man Is Republican. but whether ne II
AZ man administer the ahiirs 81 me cl,r -, ~
thev ought TO be administe so a. TO mako ways
.rd means meet. to have every dollar, Spen,
as {, ought 20 he spent for the prhllc eoon anu
no, an a matter % party parondg" ana ParF
rlunder Give them that opportunity $500 49,,
tray G. RECkER-It seems to me tnh ~ IN IN
{. one Of the most important features OF N" hil
rronn ,hc time that II was rrst srgcestch INA,
thie convention should take up III" suolect 81
home rulo for cities. there has been hFrlSnoh "r
Ia. matter in tho public press and among on,
people' have watched v'ry carefully IN" trend
~ fba, disciseiJn md I think | am speaking
within bounds II I say that there IL not Sineie
restor sihlt ueHsrarcr in the state ~ Now 3tk
tbot mas srokrn n, al upon that suhj'oi ihat hat
not eai1 mat II was wise and proper ana desi,an!-
that city elections should be separated from state
ard National elections