Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-04
HOME RULE FOR DENVER.

OhuH MULE ANh NV
With the first day Of December the
proclamation of the recently adopted
amendment to the Colorado constitution,
establishing the city and county of Den
yer as a distinct municipal corporation,
has insured to the people of Denver
complete powers of home rule. In the
future Denver will be under constitu-
tional immunity from legislative charter
tinkering and free to make and change
it's charter provisions as changing condi-
tons may require without appealing to
the assistance of legislators responsible
to other constituents.
Under the home rule amendment and
accompanying legislation the city coun-
Gil of Denver must before December 10
meet and call a special election to choose
delegates to a charter convention, which
must assemble within thirty days after
the election. The charter convention Is
to consist of twenty-one delegates. AK
paying citizens of Denver, elected in the
usual manner The convention will
frame a charter fixing the number of
officers for the government, their terms
of Office and powers, and the charter as
thus framed must then be submitted to
the people for adoption or rejection.
In this connection it will be interesting
to review the steps in the movement
created by the demand for municipal
home rule.
The. first constitutional amendment
g~uarantying home rule for cities was
adopted by Missouri in 1876. giving all
cities in that state of 100000 population
and over the right to make their W
charters. Under this power the cities
of ST. Louis and Kansas City held char
ter conventions and framed the charters
under which they are now governed.
The mex state to release its cities from
bondage was California, which, in 1879,
adopted a constitutional amendment Civ
ing all cities of 100000 population or
over the right of self-government. In
1884 California adopted another consti-
tional amendment extending this right
to cities of more than 10000 people, n
in 1890 adopted another constitutional
amendment for all cities and towns over
$500. The cities and towns of Califor-
mia have held their charter conventions
and have framed their charters and en-
joy home rule.
The state of Washington In 1890
adopted a constitutional amendment CIV
ing all cities of 10000 population or over
the right to make their W charters.
The state of Louisiana in 1896 adopted
a constitutional amendment giving all
cities, towns and villages the right TO
make their own charters. with the Elk
ceptiOn of New Orleans. In Minnesota
in 1896 a constitutional amendment was
adopted giving all cities, towns ms vii
lagos the right to make their wi char
tiers, without exception.
The home rule amendment submitted
In Colorado was adopted by a vote of
3d. 100 to 25,707, or more than two to one,
which may be taken as a fair index of
the popularity of the proposition, as well
as of the growing strength of the home
rule doctrine throughout the country.
Nebraska has yet to incorporate the
principle of municipal home rule in its
state constitution, but that the people
are ripe for home rule is evidenced on
every hand.
In the meantime, however, there is no
good reason why we should not enjoy at
the hands of the legislature at least full
powers of local government so far as Sc
lecting the officers TO administer local af-
fairs is concerned. The appointment
by state officers of city officials, drawing
salaries out Of the city treasury from
money raised by municipal taxation, is
form of government.