The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-06
True Intent DisH uiscd.

'"rhere is "A second spccious attempt
on the part Of the trainers Of this pro-
pOeal to disguise their true intent. grant
ing for the sake of argument that their
intent was clearly formulated In their
own minds. Fo ras to amendments OF
charters it is provided that they shall be
subject to possible Legislative annulment
only when they affect the framework OF
the government.
Snow every one may see at n glance
that here is IA word which has no pos
sible precise legal meaning. The re-
suit must be either that cities Will, be-
cause of doubt. submit every proposed
charter amendment to the Legislature, or
will act without such submission and
await the determination of their right
TO do so at the hands of the courts.
II IL apparent to my mind that under
this scheme neither charters nor amend
ments of importance can he adopted by
cities without the interference OF the
Legislature should the Legislature de-
sire to interfere.
1.-THE committee appear to nave at
tempted an impossible thing, They have
attempted to give homc rule to cities
and in the same breath to take 1t away.
II reduires N special acumen to UNI
derstand hat power over local ariirs
and government canno. nc retained IN
the hands of the Legislature ami at
the same time conferred upon tn" mu-
nicipalities of the state. h very at
tempt to evolve such q scheme discloscs
it's own futility.
''The committee and the convention
should clearly understand that the peos
ple Of the cities OF this state cannot
he deluded by a proposal which,, rs
the use of certain alluring phrases IN a
context of ambiguity ana uncertainty.
-..D. ,ha nnstitntinn1 DELEGATES a Dre-
text for declaring that they have
granted a considerable measure OF home
rule. when in fact they ave not done
SO.
'"The machinery that is provided for
the exercise of such questionable pow
ers of home rule as are granted Is cum
bersome and obstructive.
1.-THE obvious and logical eNpedient OF
permitting cities to adopt charters on n
referendum vote, not AT stated intervals
only, but whenever through appropriate
machinery the electorate nay register
its wishes to that end has been care
fully avoided in this proposal. | am
mot surprised. for the committee pro-
foundly distrusts the people and Is UNI
willing to commit To them the direct
registry Of their decisions. SO much Is
this the case that there Is found in
this proposal the specific provision that
IO ttM NAldtlNN -
may provide for amendment through a
referendum to the people.
'I think II should he clearly under
stood by the people OF this state that
the cities committee of the convention
has had before IL for consideration sew
cral proposals which, II adopted In prin-
ciple II not in every detail. would con-
fer genuine home rule upon cities.
EITHER one OF these amendments
would secure TO the cities Of this State
what they ~demand-the power to govern
themselves. But neither amendment
has been seriously considered by the
members of the cities committee. They
were east aside for he very reason
that they were proposals which would
have effected n genuine, undisguised and
substantial grant OF home rule.
at comes to this. IL the people OF
our cities really want home rule-if
they really want the privilege OF di-
recting their local affairs In their own
way, guided by their own experience
and free OF ignorant, selfish or partisan
legislative Interference, they must make
their demand heard now or forego the
opportunity possibly for twenty years.
"To the Constitutional Convention We
have presented in support of this de-
msnd the u%uhrokcn front Of the fftv-
-four cities of New York. But the con
N~entioi, or AT least the members Of rs
cities committee. apparently doubt the
solidarity of all these tifty-fOur cities
In their demand for municipal home
rule"