The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1903-04-02
THE PROPOSED CHARTER
It's Features Discussed by an Old and Conserva-
Why it Should Meet Universal Approval.
EDITOR HERALD

| On Tuesday next there will be held
in this city an election which to my
mind involves the most important is
sue ever presented to the citizens, tax
payers and voters for determination at
the pollS-that Of accepting or reject
ing a new charter---the fundamental
governing law of the city. Those who
are familiar with the present charter
appreciate fully how inadequate it is
to meet requirements. 1t is as full of
inconsistencies and impossibilities as a
skinner is of holes. Its worst feat
ure is the fact that it is absolutely
infexible--- cannot be changed nor
amended by any power on earth. 1t
is special act of the state Legislature,
enacted before the constitutional
amendment prohibiting special legiS-
lation was adopted, and under that
| amendment to the constitution any
change in the charter is impossible, as
it would be special legislation. Under
the "hOme-rule law" permitting cit
| les to frame their own charters, Sank
Centre, by commission of fifteen cit
| liens appointed by judges Baxter and
Searle, completed charter a year
| ago, which was given the widest pub
licity possible by being printed entire
| in both city newspapers, and at that
time fully discussed. This new chart
| err if adopted, may be amended or
changed at any time by vote Of the
people at any city election, and
amendments must be submitted to
| the people upon the petition of five
per cent of the voters, or about twen-
ty-five personS---a very simple provision
and easily complied with in case any
| change or amendment seems desirable.
| In other words the city will have a
| flexible charter which can be made to
keep pace with changing conditions
consequent upon the growth and de-
velopment of the city. The present
charter has long since shown itself
wholly inadequate for the purposes for
which it was designed.
To point out a few Of the inconSis-
: tc0cieS Of the present charter, which
! are but samples Of many other equally
glaring ones: In one place it provides
! that majority vote shall determine
the issuing of bonds for certain pur-
poses, and elsewhere it provides that
it shall require two-thirds vote to do
exactly the same thing; one clause
provides that the mayor shall appoint
a street commissioner, whereas an
other clause provides that the city
council shall elect that officer; there is
a provision that the mayor shall ap-
point the city clerk and chief of police,
subject to confirmation of the council,
and yet under the charter the mayor
may appoint such officers and keep
them in office during his entire term
without such confirmation, and as a
matter of fact it has been done in case
of both officers. There is provision
in the old charter, practically impoSsi-
bic OF application, which provides that
one mill tax shall be levied upon the
taxable property Of the city for every
thousand dollars of bonded indebted
ness, which at present would add
twenty-five mills to the tax rate, max
ing it considerably more than five per
cent. These are but specimens of the
incongruities and weaknesses Of the
old charter, and as above stated, can
not be corrected.
| A brief history OF the new charter:
The city council, in compliance with
an urgent demand Of citizens, and
with full knowledge of the defects in
the old charter, decided that a new
one was urgently needed. 1t employed
MessrS. Miner, Barto and Kelsey to
! draft a charter which would meet the
requirements of the law and the ne
cessities of the city. The district
court was then requested to appoint a
commission Of fifteen as provided by
law to present charter to the people
for its vote lit requiring four-sevenths
of the votes cast to adopt it. The fol-
lowing were appointed: M. f. Wood
bury, W. o. P. Hilsdale, w. D.,Town-
send, Lucas Kells, w. Frank Perry, J.
| F. Cooper, Chas. n. Bennett, Chas. F.
Hendryx, DR.. E. J.-Lewis, V. A. Whip
pie, Edward Smith and W. S. Dean.
- These are representative citizens
and as to their interests distributed
throughout all lines of business. The
three attorneys who drafted the char
ter were retained as advisers of che
commission, and some of them were
present at every meeting of the COM
mission. The commissioners met in
open session, inviting the presence
and cooperation of every citizen who
desired to be present, and as a matter
of fact on several occasions the invita-
tion was accepted, and such citizens
were given full opportunity to be
heard. Fully twenty meetings were
| held lasting from two to five hours
each, and at no meeting were less than
L Al rvbt y,onr, hnrc v>rneo~% -.