The Saint Paul globe., 1898-04-17
Make Your Own Charter.

Piqued by the initiative of The
u b to secure a city charter under
the home rule amendment of the con-
stitution. the Dispatch has, with child
like pettishness. set itself in opposi-
ton. This is the sole motive for the
attacks made and for those that will
follow between now and election. The
puerility Of it's objections leave ground
for no other hypothesis to explain its
conduct
The object of the law was to take
from the legislature Of the state, or.
more accurately-under the rule that
accepts legislation proposed by local
delegations for local ends--from the
local representatives and senator's, the
framing of municipal legislation and
put it as closely to the body Of the
people of city as is possible. We all
know how charters have been made
and amended, and 1t was the outcry
against their work and methods that
led to the adoption of the amendment
and the enactment Of the supplement
tary statute.
Without now discussing the merits
of the charter that will be submitted
at the coming city election, it is worth
while, in view Of the latest attack Of
the Dispatch, to consider how it was
prepared for comparison with the
method displaced. In 1891 there was a
complete revision of the charter. 1t is
significant of the manner In which
such charters are framed by legisla-
lures that 1t is known as the Bell
charter, that gentleman having been
the most active and influential In
framing it. 1t was, at the best, the
whom had especial fitness for the work
or was selected with a view to that
task. They were the product Of po-
litical conventions. in the deals and
trades of which the last thing thought
Of is ability to frame statutes of any
kind, if, indeed. it is ever thought Of.
That delegation had some excellent
men on it. but that was an incident
not the purpose Of their selection. It
has not occurred since and may not
again for years.
The charter act lodges tn selection
Of the fifteen gentlemen Who consti-
tute the charter commission with the
judges of the district court. Is there
any citizen. not looking for municipal
jobbery, who would not leave the Sc
lection with them? Is there any bet
ter way, one better calculated to get
the right Elen for this work? Is there
any question that the judges in This
case have chosen well? Even this
NIT oYjti oil hof
but it affects to see in this body, in
it's permanence, an evil. Why? Are
they not good citizens? Is there any
reason to suspect their loyalty to the
city or it's interests or those of the
people? Must they not also be gov
erned by the laws they frame?
But are they the arbitrary, un-
checked body the Dispatch affects to
think them? What can they do? They
can only frame and submit
They issue no ukase to which al
must bow, willy -nilly. 1t rests
with the electorate to accept or reject
their recommendations. True, they
are a perpetual body" but so fa1
from that being an objection 1t is a
recommendation, for, unlike the legis.
lature. the commission is always In ses.
sion.; If mistakes are made, they car
be corrected without waiting two year,
for a legislature to assemble. Fol
seven years now the people of this city
have been trying to get the salaries
Of their employees reduced. One legls.
lature provided the relief: another one
withdrew it before 1t went into effect
and third one purposely put the &C,