The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-01-03
cHARTER-MAKING

1t will soon be the fortune. good or
bad, Of the people of Los Angeles to be
confronted with the charter making
question. 1t is seldom that such ques-
ton is satisfactorily settled to all con-
cerned. Neither theory nor practice has
as yet evolved the model charter. Still,
advance has been made, and each sue
ceeding attempt Is watched with eager
interest.
The stupendous instrument known as
the charter of Greater New York, while
Of general interest, was not directly ap-
plicable, either in the making or after
its completion, to the great majority OF
American cities. At the present time
however, San Francisco is passing
through the preliminary stages of char
ter making, and the operation should be
closely watched by our own people, for
their own instruction and advantage.
At the election last week fifteen free
holders were selected whose duty 1t Will
lie to frame a new charter to be submit
ted first to the people of San Francisco
and then to the state legislature. The
election was suggestive commentary
upon the apparent indifference of the
people regarding the charter question,
an in difference only paralleled when a
bond or a constitutional amendment
election is held. About one-third of the
electors went to the polls and the win
ming ticket secured bare majority of the
total number of votes cast. Thus about
one-sixth of the voters Of San Fran
cisco named the men who are to frame
the charter, after a lively preliminary
campaign in which a great deal of pub
lie interest seemed to be manifested.
Fortunately, a representative body, rep
resenting the reform element was chos-
en-.
The charter committee will have a
difficult task. There are so many di-
verse interests and influences to be at
tended to that a charter cannot suit ev-
erybody any better than can tariff bill
The primary demand on the part of the
people in every city nowadays is, first
for home rule and freedom from the
domination of the state legislature; sec
ond, GENERALIZATION Of power; third, for
simple and economical form of govern
ment based upon these two principles.
Let 1t be supposed and the hypothet-
ical case will apply to every city-that
the freeholders of San Francisco frame
a fairly representative and suitable
charter. It will then be submitted to the
people, and will be adopted or rejected
by a partial vote of the city's inhabi-
tants.
If the charter Is adopted it will go to
the state legislature for ratification. 1t
is the theory, and properly so, that, when
the people of city accept a charter that
is constitutional and legal in all its pro-
visions, it should be ratified without ma
terial change. Unfortunately that has
not been the practice. The state legsla-
lures have almost invariably mutilat-
ed, dissected and otherwise changed the
charters submitted to them so that they
are hardly recognizable when they are
finally passed. Even if the measure is
left mainly to the representatives from
the city directly interested, there is
generally a disgraceful lack of unanim
ity and mutual concession. Here is
where the special interests get in their
work.
1t is of course to be urged that the
people must pass upon the new charter
as a whole, accepting or rejecting it in
it's entirety without regard to any spe-
cially good or bad feature. Here is where
the legislature is in theory a safeguard;
but in practice it Is not usually so.
Much depends upon the men who frame
the original charter. If a good instru-
ment is framed and it is accepted by the
people, "hands off" should be the stern
admonition to the legislature.
THE GOLD PRODUCTION