The sun., 1901-02-28
WANTED:--AN ATMOSPHERE.


Our caption expresses the opinion of Il
citizen Of this city anent the new cit!
charter. This citizen has given mucl
time, study and labor to the question
Of municipal civics, and concludes that
the present local civic atmosphere is not
favorable to the promotion of non-parti-
zan city charters In this condition the
proposition is to follow the example OF
the New England cotton spinner who,
.indirg the New England atmosphere
unsuited for his business, set about mnk
ing an atmosphere that would suit, and
succeeded.
We suggest that making an atmosphere
III physics is quite different thing from
aking an atmosphere in civics. The one
is an easily inhuable ii ing The othc
is an undetnable something which men
feel and recognize, but which they can.
not accurately analyze or measure. 1t is
always existent but never the same
1t is a compound of contradictory and
lntagonistic elements that cannot he
compounded at will or mixed for the
occasion. The making Of civic atmos
phere of any particular grade or quality
may be possible, but is hardly probable
In civics, therefore, we should suppose
the better plan would be to max, the
proposed measure to fit the existent at
mosphere We think this indicates the
difficulty in the proposed new city char
ter business. 1t has been made upon
lines that do not commend themselves
to popular favor. In saying this we
are not disposed to question either the
character Of the work done, or the
sincerity of the gentlemen who have for
mrlatrd the proposed new charter now
before the State Assembly. The char
ter may he the very best thing OF the
kind over produced, but il il is not what
the people want, if it does not commend
tself to the powers that be- it is neces-
'arily not the right thing for this time,
|
suit the local civic atmosphere, and an
atmosphere TO suit it cannot he made
| A little thought about this will make
| it plain. The new charter movement
here is coincident with a political rcvolu-
tion. 1t is confessedy an attempt to
improve upon the charter made and an
| Piled by the party in loWer, that OK.
pectcd to continue in power Indefinitely.
prior to the revolution, and does not
recognize the fact of the revolution. Ii
is an attempt to make a nonpartisan city
government in q community where parti-
Sanshlp and factionalism are rife-an
attempt To improve upon and retain n
character (professedl of city government
which has been tried and voted failure
| Under these conditions it appears that
new charter for this city ought to have
3ccn made with special reference to the
favor of the party in power-the party
or individuals to whose hands il must be
resigned and whose decision fixes its
fate. That would have been suiting the
measure to the atmosphere.
| 1t is evident that the non partisan at.
moSphere has not yet brcn developed il
Delaware. Government, whether it be
municipal or State, is not only decidedly
matter of politics with all which that
can reasonably include but a matter of
party or partisan politics. Sincere non
partisans in Delaware are very scarce.
There are none Of them in the General
AsSembly-none in the Assembly to
which the new city charter must he
confded. In this case it is an Assembly
struggling over an important political
question. Into this Assembly the pro-
posed charter comes from. and carries
with it the characteristics Of an atmos.
phere of opposition to the majority side
of the Assembly struggle. The partisans
Of the charter are thus put in opposition
70 the controlling element of the AS
scIn'ly. and consequently in opposition
TO the peoples majority decision :aajle
~ the last general election. The people
lid not vote for or against new city
charter. They did vote for the election
of two Republican United States Scna-
tors. They voted for Republican State
Administration. They elected legis.
latnre, the majority members of which
are Republicans, and in electing them