The Mankato free press., 1909-09-17
TALK FOR new PLAN
AN INTERESTING MEETING HELD
IN THE SECOND WARD.
George M. Palmer Has Put at Rest
date for Office; Denounces the
Story as a "Cussed FooP Argu-
ment of the Opponents; No Danger
of the City Going "Dry."

ment of the Opponents; No Danger
of the City Going "Dry."
tFrom Tuesdays Daily
The meeting of Second ward voters
last evening, to hear the proposed new
charter explained and compared with
the present charter, was attended by
fully n hundred of the tax payers of
that ward, who gave the closest atten-
ton to what was said, and showed a
disposition to give the thoughts
brought out their careful consideration.
There is no question but that votes
We're made for the new charter, and
those present will know how to an
swer arguments that are made against
the charter by designing parties, whose
pull might be gone with an economical,
business administration.
Chairman Palmer, of the charter
commission, presided, and said that
the audience had heard for years of
the urgent need of new charter. Two
IOl Iultc -DtcH SuDihltOtu bHu' fOlCu
down and another one was up now.
Would Benefit Pocketbook.
| DIR. j. A. Hielscher read an address
on the new charter, which he had
studied thoroughly and favors just as
thoroughly. He said that it would
benefit everybody on his weak spot,
his pocketbook The present charter
is so old that it's trainers are nearly
all dead and lie under the green sod,
Oblivious to the troubles which their
work has cost the city in recent years.
The present charter had not kept pace
with the progress made by the second
ward and by the city as whole.
When the typhoid fever epidemic
broke out last year, every official de-
MED any responsibility, and finally the
ing station engineer, who was igno-
miniously discharged, which the speaker
had always looked upon as a most
damnable proceeding. Under the new
charter the mayor would have been
removed from office. The speaker said
that when he had complained of the
filth left on Washington street from
the pumping out of the sewer he had
been sent from one official to another,
each claiming that it was the others
business, and the result was that no
steps We're taken to remove it. Under
the new. charter the mayor and each
alderman would have department and
be held strictly accountable for it.
Complaint would have to be made to
but one person, and he could not shift
the responsibility to another, as now.
The voters could also exercise the re-
call at any time for dishonesty or in
efficiency on the part of officials.
One principal feature of the new
charter is that it removes politics from
the city elections. The people would
vote for the men and not the party.
They would vote for those whom that
considered it would be for the best
interest of the city and themselves to
have in office.
DIR. Hielscher presented the official
| figures of the vote cast at the city
elections during the past eighteen years
to show that the lower three wards
hold the whip hand and could elect or
defeat anybody. They had been out
voted only twice in city elections in
eighteen years, and he considered that
they were outvoted the two times be-
cause some of the voters had been too
lazy to 90 and vote. There was no
danger of the city going dry" as the
lower three wards could prevent that.
Present Charter Not Suited to City.
| c.. f. Wise, one of the editors of
The. Review, and a member of the
He said that no one present had a
grievance against the city officials, and
they were attacking the present system
only. The present charter was no
more suitable for the city than the
suit of ten year old boy was for
a grown man. He thought that the
provision in the new charter allowing
assessments for public improvements to
be paid over a period of ten years, at
not to exceed six per cent interest, was
one of it's strong points.
/ The recall was another valuable fea
ture. No one had ever charged a dis
honest act against any city official
in the past, but if the time ever came
when this was the case, the offender
would be put out of office without hav-
ing to wait for the next regular elec-
tion to come around. The people could
also prevent the passing of franchises
and ordinances that are obnoxious, and
could require the council to pass such
as were desirable, by means of the
Initiative and referendum. The new
charter would bring the city govern
ment closer to the people rather than
giving it more power, as some imagine.
1t seemed that the condition of the
city was much that new machine
is needed with which to conduct the
business of the city. If the injunction
plan was to be resorted to, the city
government could be so thoroughly tied
up that it would not be able to move
a wheel, because it is doing things
constantly without authority. of the
charter, 1t has to violate the charter,
because the latter is not suited to pres