The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-08-05
bTII7H5NER RU.|l'Iz|.
BR..l.I|INI|5I | !. | ! ! STEADILY
IN8PDIP.IULARfTl !
PROBABLY THE hosT ADVANCED
STEP THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN
IN MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.
had START IN 81. LOUIS
UNDER CITY HOME RULE ANY.
CITY MAY MAKE CHARTER TO.
SUIT LOCAL CONDITIONS.
(By Frederic ]. Haskln

IN times past the government oil
the typical American city was SC
controlled and regulated by the
state Legislature, and special legisla.
ture affecting adversely the inter
Iests OF the Individual city was so Of.
ten enacted, that many states incor.
porated provisions in their constitu-
tions prohibiting the Legislature from
passing any law with refefencs to one
city that did not apply to all cities
alike. This provision helped along
the good government advocates in
their effort for the improvement OF
municipal conditions.
But 1t remained for st. Louis to
demonstrate to the world the fact
that when a city is given the right
TO rule its own affairs without let
or hindrance from any power high
er up, 1t is bound to make some i'm
proysmont in Its internal affairs. In
1875 Missouri had constitutional
convention. The delegates from ST.
Louis were sent to that convention
with instructions to insist upon a
provision which would allow their
city to build Its own charter, and
which would force the Legislature to
Keep its hands of st. Louis aIfaiis,
Tie attempt was at least PARTIAL
ly successful, for the convention knew
tha. without the support Of st. Louis
the constitution might not be ratified,
by the people. The completed instru-
ment provided that cities with more
than 100000 population might make
their own charters in CONFORMITY
with the constitution aiId laws Of the
state; and that the charter shohuld
be drafted BY, a;icommittee Of free.
holders daily chosen. The constltu.
tlon also laid down some other guild.
ing principles, such as the provision
.aat there should be a mayor and a
two-chamber council, at least one
branch of which should be elected at
large.
Master Of Own Destiny.
But in the main st. Louis had be.
come master OF It's own destiny Al
board Of freeholders was elected with
authority to frame a charter for sub.
mission to the people. This charter
was drafted, submitted and adopted.
The restrictions imposed by the con.
stltution somewhat restricted full free
dom Of action, but the new charter
was such an improvement that home
rule became a fixed principle OF mum
iclpal government. In 1880 California
followed suit with home rule. .consti.
tutlonal provision applicable to cities
Of 100000. The charters under this
provision were to be approved by
the legislature, but it could not
amend them, so that this approval
became merely a perflnctory duty,
So well did the home rule provision
work that in 1887 1t was extended to
cities of 10000 population, and in
1890 still further extended to embrace,
towns Of $500. There were some pro
visions in the California constitution
which were found to initiate against
the absolute independence OF the
cities controlling their local affairs.
and the constitution was twice amend
ed-in 1892 and 1S96-ln a way that
took away from the legislature the
last vestige OF right to interfere with
q city government In the conduct OF
its local affairs.
The example Of California was fol.
loved in 1889 by the stae of Washing.
ton, which gave home rule to cities
OF 100000 population and upward In
1896 Minnesota followed suit giving a |
fair degree of home rule to all cities
within It's borders, Colorado joIated
the procession in 1909, Oregon in
1906, Oklahoma in 1907, and Michigan |
in 1908. In every state where the
home rule doctrine of city charter
making has been applied there has |
been q general tendency towards char
ters more suited to local needs and
better adapted to local conditions,
Limited Both Ways.
The states which have constltu.
tional guarantees against special leg.
ISlNtluu lOl 4hu4NuuuI ClIlGS HuL UNly Il
have prevented legislative interteri
ence, but they have cut off the right
OF city to appeal for aid to the leg.
lslature in remedylng a specific stu,
alton. Authorities say that the ex.
perIence Of Chicago in this direction
is most Illuminating by way Of illus.
tratIon as to what city can do when
conditions are bad The same law
which prevented the legislature from
interfering with Chlcago's affairs al.
SO prevented 1t from rendering Chi.
cago aid when that city desired to
free itself from the thralldom OF a
corrupt city council. SO, ,hampered
by the imposslbllity of adding to or
subtracting from thes powers Of the
council through legislative action,
Chicago Eeformers settled down to |
fight the problem out in another wayI
by cleaning ont the crooked mem.
befa and anhstitutlhg good men. Itl
~ n -. ~ q. III IL Il * lfA Il 1