Evening journal., 1897-12-01
THE NEW CITY CHARTER.

becoming alarmed over tne Sttduy
growth Of sentiment in favor Of the
new city charter. They find that among
the masses there is a decided feeling
that It is time to make a change, and
that the bill presented to the General
Assembly by the Municipal Commission
. last Spring furnishes substantial
foundation for whatever is TO he done.
In Democratic circles the feeling in fa-
vor OF a new charter As especially
marked, and the amendments suggest
between, hut some Of them decidedly
important.
It is proposed to permit the municipal
officers now holding office to continue
in the discharge Of their duties until the
first Of July, 1899, at which time it is
proposed that the new charter shall go
into full force and effect, the municipal
election being held on the first Satur-
day in June preceding that time. The
reason given for the proposition to per-
NIT the present officers to hold over
until that time is that IL would not be
right to cut them out of one-half OF
their time, as would be the case in
good many instances, and that it is all
ways better TO lengthen a mans term
in office than to shorten 1t by leglsla-
tion.
Il is proposed that, instead OF elect
ing councilmen at large as was pro-
posed by the Rossell bill, they shall be
elected from the legislative districts as
prescribed by the new Constitution.
There are five such districts. It is de-
signed that each district shall have
three members OF City Council No
voter shall have the right to vote for
more than two of them, which insures
a minority representation Of one-third
at all times Council shall select its
own chairman.
This means that there shall be but
one branch OF City Council, and that
one party CIR the other will always
have a working majority, with a strong
minority to keep that majority on its
good behavior at all times.
Under the proposed amendments the
mayor shall he elected by the people at
large. He shall appoint a cabinet con-
sitting of four heads of departments
two from each of the principal political
parties. They shall constitute the ad-
visory board and make all appoint
ments, the mayor having no vote in
that behalf, the advisory board being
left entirely bipartisan and insuring
an equal distribution OF the city's Of
fees between the two parties. The
friends of this amendment say that
such condition will relieve the mayor
OF being hampered and tied up with
ante-election pledges, and that It will
insure, in all probability. a permanent
board Of officers for the city, whereas.
II the mayor had the right to a vote I'M
the body, the political party having the
mayor would in all probability change
the police force and several OF the de-
partments at each election, and would
soon bring the offices back to the same
standing that they occupied before the
advisory board was created, and there
by defeat the movement to make cur
city government a business and not a
political machine.
1t is also proposed to cue ,,cut that
section of the Rossell bill giving the
municipality control OF the railroads
within its corporate limits, thus leaving
the matter Of railroad legislation to the
General Assembly. II was railroad in
fuence which contributed very largely
to the non-action of the General Assem-.
bly, last Spring. and the cutting out OF
this section means that the railroad
lobby win have no interest in arraying
itself against the bill when it comes III
for consideration this Winter.
The true friends Of the new charter
are so much in earnest that we. do no
believe that they will>stickle at few
amendments so long as they can get il
operation the broad general principle.
embodied in the Rossell bill Once il
operation whatever imperfection,
there are in the bill will come to tn,
surface, and can be remedied at futur,
sessions CT the General Assembly.