The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-01
HOMERULE FOR CITIES.
Is Strongly Advocated at the Good
Government Conference at
TpdiauauoIia

Indianapolis, Dec. 1.-The second
days session of the conference for good
city government was held this morning
at the Commercial club assembly rooms
The session was devoted TO the conSid-
GRAFTON of the general problem of NUM-
cipal government. The attendance of
delegates from other cities was aug
mented this morning and there are now
about forty present. The attendance OF
those of Indianapolis who are interested
in reforms was representative. Horace
E. Deming of New York read paper
entitled 1.-The municipal problem in the
United States" He said in part:
1.-THE two principal causes of the fail
ure thus far in the United States to
municipal government are:
1.-The municipality is not granted
all matters of local public policy and to
settle for itself the details of its scheme
of internal local administration.
"2.-The municipality as a subor-
dinate administrative agent of the state
is placed partly or wholly under the
supervision and control not of any state
administrative department, but of the
state legislature.
1.-THE cities have been governed from
without, not from within; such gov
ernmental powers as they have are not
exercised by methods and agencies Sc
Iected by their own citizens, but accord
ing to the theories of outsiders. They
have not been self-goVerning cOmmu-
mites free to apply their own remedies
to their own ills and, taught by expe-
rience, to work out an administration
adopted to their local needs.
The remedy is plain. The city must
cease to be the abject slave Of legisla-
fcient for itself. 1t must govern it
SELF
Mr. Deming laid down these funda-
mental propositions:
''First-A municipal corporation should
be invested with the governmental
powers requisite to determine all ques
lions of local public policy. There should
be no excuse and, if possible, no OppOr-
tunity for additional powers, and, on
the other hand, the legislature should
have no excuse and, if possible, no Op-
portunity to intermeddle with the local
government by granting or taking away
any power to enable the city to decide
for itself any question of local public
policy.
''Second-The citizens of the munich
pality under general laws should be free
to make and amend their own form of
municipal government, provided it be
based upon Democratic Republican
principles, and to determine their own
methods of administration of the local
governmental powers, according 70
! their own ideas as to what will best
satisfy their local needs.
''Third-In so far as the municipal
corporation is made the agent of the
state to enforce and administer general
laws within the corporate limits. 1t
should be under the supervision OF and
| responsible to central state administra-
tive departments and not subject to the
sport of special legislation
''FOurth-A municipality thus cOnSti-
tuted is not an imperium in imperio
but a free self governing community,
subject to state administrative super
vision as to all matters of general state
policy to be enforced throughout the
state. Legislative interference is elm
mated. Home rule is not only possible,
but compulsory.
ITO accomplish these results in their
| completeness and to guarantee their
permanence a constitutional amendment
is very much to be desired. In every
state the friends of efficient, economical.
| progressive municipal government
| should organize and continue vigorous
| and UNIV caring campaign until a con-
stitutional amendment ennbodying these
fundamental principles shall have been
adopted. But without any constitutional
amendment many important results can
be effected and the efforts to accomplish
them will not only aid the ultimate
adoption of the amendment but will
| help to create an alert and intelligent
! public opinion, which is a surer safe
/ guard Of popular liberties than any
written constitution.
There is one needed grant of power
/ to cities, however, that can only be
made through constitutional amend :
ment. Our present nomination and
J election methods in city, state and ma
ton, are the subject of just criticism
They have shown themselves made
( quate to the requirements of a Demo-
! cratic republic under the complex con-
/ ditions of modern Industrial civilization
THAT some remedy will be found is
/ certain. To think otherwise would be
/ to despair of the republic. But to dis
cover and apply remedies, to demon
| strate by actual experience which is
/ the better or the best remedy, there
| must be freedom to act. The highest
! public good requires that the constitu-
tion should guarantee to each city, sub
! ject alone to the restriction that a DepG-
/ ic-RePublican form of government
/ be preserved, complete freedom to con-
| troll the methods Of tie exercise of mu-
! nicipal suffrage in purely municipal