The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-16
SENATOR SHEEHAN WOULD LIKE
TO LET THE MASSES BE
HEARD
IN THE MATTER OF A CHARTER.
THINKS THE COUNCIL SHOULD PASS
THE RESOLUTION PROPOSED BY
DAILY
ASKING FOR A COMMISSION
Tbeu ~ the People Want the Pres
ent Instrument Changed They
Can Have 1t.

The sentiment Is growing stronger
every day IN favor of new cnarter
for the city of st. Paul, the same 10
include the good features or the Bell
charter now in vogue and IN adoltlon
many other provisions which it Is pref
ty generally conceded by the citizens
are proper and necessary at this time.
Assemblyman DAILY has an ordinance
drawn calling for the appointment of
commission as provided in the Sheehan
home rule bill. He says he would nave
intro6uced it at the last meeting, put
for the big budget of business. HIS
ordinance, if passed, calls upon the
district judges to appoint a commission
of fifteen freeholders to draw up ana
submit charter to the vote or the
people. as provided by a law passed at
the recent session of the legislature.
This law was introduced by Senate
Timothy D. Sheehan, who has during
his service as state senator taken All
active interest in legislation bearing
on the government of cities. He, too'
introduced the enabling act passed last
session The enabling act PROVIDES
simply that the city council may by
resolution request the district court
Judges to appoint such commlss-on
or the judges may act on the preseiita-
ton of a petition signed by per cent
of the electors.
The amendment itself gives the COM
mission six months to draft ana report
such charter, which may be SUBMIT
ted to the people at the following city
election. That the masses Of the peo-
pie in this city want new charter, as
stated above, there seems to be no
doubt The difficulty up to this time
seems to have been the lack of oppor-
tunity to make that wish generally
known. This new law will, 1t seems,
obviate this difficulty.
Senator Sheehan says he introduced
the bills mentioned both two years ago
and the present winter in the public
interest. He believes he has done his
duty to his city, and naturally is
anxious to see that the matter may at
least be laid before the people in such
shape as will allow them to express
their views.
1t is his opinion that the representa-
tive bodies Of st. Paul should take the
necessary steps for the passage of such
a resolution as that described in the
foregoing, so that the laboring classes,
as well as those who have other means
of making their views known, may
declare themselves on the need of
new city charter. The senator points
out that two years ago nearly every
senator and representative from Hen
nepin. county opposed the Sheehan
amendment. AT the last session, he
says, with but one exception these
gentlemen favored the legislation, and
are even now agitating the matter of
adopting new charter in Minneapolis
possibly at a special election to be held
this fall
Senator Sheehan freely asserts that
the present Bell charter includes many
good features, especially that which
provides for the limitation of expendi-
lures in the various city departments,
but he as frankly states that the Sec
tons governing the administration Of
the board Of public works, the school
board, the water board, together with
the provisions regulating the salaries
as we'll as the expenditures of certain
other departments, are sadly in need
Of some sweeping revision He thinks
the people want these changes and are
willing to say so. He qualities his re-.
marks about the adoption of an entire
ly new charter by saying that the good
features of the Bell charter may read
lily be retained, and that the people
will have full opportunity to study I'D
and pass upon any new provisions
which are submitted by the commission
when 9DDOiDta6 NV tho oo1,,,t
No charter designed for the govern
ment of any three cities like st. Paul
Minneapolis and Duluth, can, in SEN
ator Sheehan's opinion, amount to any,
thing more than a compromise. and
is therefore not to be thought of for
st. Paul. This city is entitled to have
as good charter as can be drawn
ana have it for her needs, as they exist.
without reference to any other city.