The Elk Mountain pilot., 1901-03-12
HON E RULE.
Denver VIII Not Get 1t From This Fusion
Leglsiature-The Rush Bin Is Regarded
as "Issd Mediciue- by Many Democrats.

| Denver VIII Not Get 1t From This FusoD n
Legisiature-The Rush Bin Is Regarded
| as bad Medicine- by Many Democrats.
Denver, March 4.-The state Senate.
under orders from Patterson, has
passed the Rush bill, which consolidates
n part OF Arapahoe county with the
city of Denver. All the Democrats
but four voted for it, being driven by
caucus dicration. Whftford, who Is
probably the abIest lawyer on their
side, would not vote for It at all,
neither would Parks One of the hard
est hits the bill hus had was tho
| speech Of Senator Serdomridse in ex-
planning why he had to vote for tho
bill against his conscience and judg.
ment I quote from tilc report in the
Gazette, Mr.. Seldomridge's home pa
per:
In explaining HIS vote, Senator Sci
domridge pleaded guilty TO negligence
and carelessness in having failed to
study the bill as he should. He said
he had depended upon newspaper re-
ports until during tire past few weeks
he had devoted some time to its con
sideration. He did not feel that the
| bill, as it now reads, can ever become
n law because of its unconstitutionali-
ty. He did not think that it would ever
accomplish the purpose for which 1t
is intended. His objections were not
| because 1t proposed home rule, but
because of the means adopted to get
1t. He gave n complete history Of
| the attempts that had been made in
| the past to obtain home rule for Den
| yer. all of which proved failures. He
contended that the tendencies OF the
people were to place large cities under
the control of legislative parties. He
said he was opposed entirely to the
spirit of the consolidation of the
county and city of Denver. HE con-
tended that the bill, IL adopted, would
Great n confusion In stnte affairs. He
contended that there. was. no provision
for that part of Arapahoe county which
is left out of the county of Denver.
He protested forcibly against the re-
consideration of the vote which was
intended to refer the bill to the Sn-
preme Court for it's consideration in
concluding, Mr.. Seldomridge said that
he would bow to the will of the eau
Gus majority and vote for the bill, but
he did not consider it along the line
of true Democracy, nor did he believe
it would bring home rule.
When an iron-clad Democrat like
Seldomridge talks about Democratic
measure like that it must be pretty
bad one.
There Is n real ''home rule" bill be-
fore the Legislature-the one intro
duced by Senator Parks, 1t provides
for the appointment of city officials
that Is, of those who are not elected
by the mayor instead Of the governor,
thus taking Denver city out Of state
politics, as 1t has never been out since
the present charter of the city was
passed Such measure has a deep
interest not only for the people of the
city, but for those of the state at large,
for under the present system so much
of the governors time is occupied with
attending to his functions as boss of
the Denver fire and police board that
his usefulness as governor has been
seriously impaired. Besides, the pres
ent system is undemocratic, and not
in accordance with American ideas of
elf-government. 1t divides responsi-
bility, so that the blame for bad ad-
ministration may be laid by the mayor
to the governor or his appointees, and
nobody is really responsible. The gov
ernor ought to have no more to dc
with the internal affairs of the city
of Denver than with those of any
other city in the state. He ought tc
be governor Of the whole state, ant
not city boss. But the patronage
t connected with the present system Ia
so great and gives to a governor st
much power that it does not seem like
ly that any governor will really favol
: a change.