The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-02-07

defense n conviction Tor misconduct
or incompetency.
The claim for the police commission
is that it will AXE the force out Of
local politics. Unit a police commits
sion was established under the act Of
1895, through the influence of Governor
Russell and his political confreres,
which act was severely condemned by
the democratic citizens as depriving
our board of aldermen Of its right to
administer the affairs of the city and
manage its firemen and policemen, the
police force was not regarded in this
community, under democratic admins
trations, as either corrupt or incompe-
cent. One would suppose from the
comments Of some individuals that our
police and fire departments under DEM
ocratic administrations of the past has
been a body of incompetent and de-
pendent henchmen. On the contrary,
no such condition of things existed pre-
Vious to the administration OF Russelrs
pets Of debauched, incompetent city
officials. Any objections which might
be made to the police force being elect
ed Immediately following the election
or aldermen are cured in this act by
the provision that they should be elect
ed for specific terms, Once elected they
hold Office for the term to which they
are elected during good behavior. The
board of aldermen cannot remove
tnem. If the mayor, after trial and
conviction, for misconduct or incom-
potency, does remove a policeman or
fireman, he cannot appoint the sue
cessor. The power to appoint cannot
remove. The power to remove cannot
appoint. Here we have a check one
upon the other. If the primary system
is adopted, the mayor is in no wise de-
pendent upon the board of aldermen
for his election, but upon the majority
of the votes Of his party. While the
mayor will be elected by the board,
they will simply record the will of that
party, expressed in a primary to which
the majority of the members of the
board belong. In other words, if a
democratic primary has nominated its
candidate for mayor, the democratic
members of the board of aldermen
would vote for him as a matter of
course, in the same manner as the
members Of the electoral college vote
as a matter of course for the nominee
of their party for president. The objec-
ton to the police commission lies in the
fact that it s~ub-divides the RESPONSE
bility of the administration for a city
government already officially top
heavy. We have now tWenty-three Of
ficials to administer the affairs of the
city government that employs ordi-
narily about sixty men n at present
only about eighty. There has been as
much complaint about our sanitary
conditions as about the police or fire
system, why not have a sanitary COM
mission? There has been equally as
much complaint about the street i'm
provement system, why not have a
street commission? 1t is as urgent for
these as for a police and fire
commission. We need neither one.
1t seems to the great majority of
people in this community that the
question resolves itself simply into the
question of competent emb of the
board Of aldermen. If they are COM
petent and faithful, our city affairs
will be satisfactorily administered If
they are not competent and faithful the
people will quickly turn them out of
office. If incompetent, their selection
of a police or fire commission will
partake Of the same character. If COM
petent, they can as we'll govern the
police and fire department as a COM
mission can do. We want in this COM
munity a simpler form Of government
and the creation Of no more additional
offices.
We regret that there should have
been any division of sentiment as to
what amendments should be made to
our city charter, and we believe that
the gentlemen who took the initiatory
in this matter of drawing bills should
nave pIcSSIlltu II 1OI puOllC SIIIlClSlIl
before any act was ~ntroduce in the
legislature. The views of the public
! might have then been had and this dis
cuSSiOn at SO late a day Of what we
desire have been entirely avoided. The
meeting which we a the honor to
represent was composed of five or six
hundred representative citizens. The
resolutions passed by that meeting
We're fully and freely discussed and
adopted almost misunderstanding
by an overwhelming vote. We submit
these views to you at some length with
the further request that they may be
incorporated in the amended charter
to be passed by the legislature. and if
they do not meet with the reconsider
ed views of u representatives, that
an opportunity may be afforded us to
| consult with you and to appear before
the proper committee at Raleigh for
the purpose of presenting them. The
meeting of the citizens was actuated,
and certainly representing them we
are actuated, by no other purpose or
desire han to advance the best inter-
ests Of this community. It is the first
| duty of every citizen to endeavor to
| provide for this city a simple, direct,
| economical administration of its affairs
that will advance the city'S material
| improvement; n these views are
submitted for you consideration be-
| cause we believe that they contribute
not only to these ends, but, what is of
equal Importance to promote them, the
harmony inc union Of the democratic
white citizens upon whom rest the fu-
ture prosperity and best interests of
our community.
With respect, we beg to remain,
Yours truly,
VIM. E. SPRINGER, Chm,
t ROBT. R. BELLAMY,
]. F. MAJNDER,
IREDELL MEARES,