The Portland daily press., 1897-01-15
THE NEW CHARTER.

AdfG d INV GudEtCE az niA UAOAO AuD 6OS
to be certain amount of compromise.
Some things which appear desira BILE to
some must be yielded because they seem
undesirable to others. Discussion upon
the draft recently submitted by the COM
mission has revealed great difference of
opinion and has demonstrated pretty con-
clusively that it is not likely to be 40
copied in the precise form in which it came
from the commission. On the other
hand it has shown that the opinion Is
very general that charter is needed,
that shall be better adapted to meet the
demands and necessities of the present
day than the one In existence. The great
majority Of the criticisms Ct the new
charter have been directed against two
or three features of it. In tho first place
there is difference of opinion as to wheth-
er the council should ba composed OF
QUE or two boards, but in most cases the
friends CT the bi-cameral system have
shown disposition to yield, provided
the membership Of the single board was
considerably enlarged. A second point
OH which there has been marked differ
ence of opinion is the election of school
COMMITTEES on q general ticket instead OF
by wards, es at present. Citizens OF
certain faith feel that this is an inten-
tional discrimination against them. and
feeling thus, they are very naturally hos
tile to the change. The third point on
which thera is marked disagreement IL
the increase in the power of the Mayor
that is provided for in the new charter.
Some increase of power nearly eve 'ybody
seems to be disposed to give. but many
think Zone man power" is little too
prominent in tho charter. 1t would not
be correct to say that there are no differ
euces Of opinion upon any other point,
but upon those specified the disagree
ments are tho most radical and general.
1t would seem as If there is O chance
on all hese points to make an honorable
compromise. There is no fatal objec-
tion, perhaps no objection at all, to in
creasing the number of the Board of
Aldermen to twenty eight members. half
of whom shall be elected each year.
Indeed, inasmuch as the aldermen will
have the soIs control of the raising Of
money ami the determining of how it
shall be spent, 1t may DO that large
board will be positive advantage. At
any rate there will be 10 such disa1vant-
age in it MS to make 1t particularly OBJ
iectionahle AS for the new plan Of
electIng q school committee on general
ticket we have already indicated our be-
lief that that may be abandoned not only
without. harm but with positive benefit,
because. adherence to the proposed plan
bids fair to ALLEVIATE considerable body
of citizens who 1t is desirable should be
kept in touch with the public school sys-
tenn and should identify themselves with
it. We have lived under the ward sys-
tenn Of 'electing school committee for
many years and it cannot be asserted that
any harm has come to our schools on ao-
count of it. We're the question arising
for the first time how q school committee
should be elected, and were there no pre-
cedente, we should favor tho general
ticket system because it gives wider
scope for selection. hut the advantages Of
that will not compensate for the aliena-
ton of considerable mum Der of our
citizens which change under existing
circumstances will produce.
Now concerning the increased power OF
the Mayor. The chief objection that we
hear to that, and the most valid one, is
that a headstroug mayor or an inefficient
mayor might do great deal of mischief
with the great powers that the charter
gives him. There is some force in this
argument, and we believe it is possible
to meet 1T and at the same time concen-
trate the responsibility for executive
management upon the chief magistrate,
which is the chief thing that the friends
Of this charter are after. This may be
done by reducing the term of the may or
from two years to one, and making all
his appointments subject to conflrma-
tiun by the aldermen. This will give the
people frequent opportunities to pass
Judgment upon the chief magistrate.
If he proves inefficient or reckless the peo-
pie can turn him out before he has had
opportunity to do irreparable mischief.
On the contrary if he proves competent
and efficient the people can re-elect him as
many times as he will serve. The
requisite of confirm alton will effectually
prevent the turning out OF officials from
mere caprice or any other unworthy
motive, because of the difficulty of get
ting an appointment tn vacancy Gre
ated from such motives confirmed.
All the changes above suggested can he
made without sacrificing anything that
is vital in the new charter. They will,
we believe, remove the great majority of
the OBJ iections that are sincerely offered
to the instrument. Some of them are
improvements, and none Of them sacri-
foes anything very essential to the at
tainnient of the main purpose of the
new charter, which Is to secure more
definite responsibility and greater eff
cienoy in executive management.
The verdict of the people is that DR..
Bulls Cough Syrup is the best remedy for