The herald., 1898-11-19

anything in particular to them by way OF
good or efficient government. Under the
present charter city governments come and
20 and each, regardless Of its partisan COM
plexion, means practically the same thing
to the public at large, namely, city gov
ernment that is inefficient, insecure, expen-
sive and irresponsible. This all results from
an improper distribution Of powers and re-
sponsibilities. Too much power has been
vested in the council, and they could not
be made responsible. because elected by
wards. Yet for many good reasons it is
not advisable or practicable, indeed it
would not be popular to wipe out the wards
and elect the council at large.
The necessary logic of the situation, then,
is that we should shear the council of some
OF these important powers; take the mayor
out of all the boards and commissions; vest
him with the power Of appointment of all
boards and commissions, and also impose
upon him the duty and responsibility of ap-
pointing the three technical and professional
officers, whose skill as trained specialists is
necessary to enable all other department Off
GERS and employees to fully and accurately
discharge their duties, and, if their services
are not satisfactory, he should have the
power to remove them and appoint their
successors. This is complete and we'll
balanced plan of government for the benefit
not of any class, but the general public,
whose necessities demand city government
and who foot the bills, and this plan is out
lined in the new charter in bold and unmis-
taxable terms.
BY the adoption of the new charter the
election of mayor alone will mean so much
to this city in the line of good, responsible
government that there will be a tremendous
advance in the direction of meeting and pre-
pairing for those great and continued waves
of prosperity which manifest destiny must
sweep and roll over our city. There will be
given in the immediate present powerful
stimulus to higher and more energetic ex
ercise by our citizens of their own civic
duties in the selection of good and strong
men for public place The well-dsposed citi-
zen must take an active interest. Then, and
not otherwise, will he become the unit of the
convention, with the result that the nom-
inees of all conventions will be from Me best
men. No convention will dare to put up
weak or bad man for mayor under penalty
of failure at the polls.
Of course, the new charter is framed on
the theory that the citizen will at least do
his duty on election day, in any event, by
voting for worthy man for mayor, regard
less of partisan alliance. If the majority
of the citizens on election day unite on an
unfit man, then, of course, under our rule
of government by majorites, there is no help
for them, and the public will receive its just
deserts and be punished by evil and corrupt
government But the new charter is no
weaker in that respect than the present
charter.
A majority under the present charter can
unite in the choice of an unfit council and
mayor, or either, if they choose. As foun-
tain cannot rise higher than its source, so
the moral plane of city government will nee
essarily be low or high as the source whence
it draws ts inspiration be either low or etim-
ulatcd by civic patriotism.
This government of the people, by the
people, and for the people, means that the
people themselves must practice eternal Wig
lance and fearlessly and thoroughly dis
chorge their own individual duties, and that
il they fail in this, good municipal govern
ment "must perish from the earth
Il. Fl. F. VARIEL.