Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-02-11
CITY CHARTER
PUBLIC POLITICAL AFFAIR

Editor Every Evening-~MalffnG
charter is not a matter Of blind force,
but one OF deep science aud education.
William Penn. . statesman. whose name
viii ever be ilustrious on tho pages Of
history. gave 20 wilmington and all
Pennsylvania their first FREQ govern
mental charter. This was 100 years
before We became a nation Here was
a colony not one-teuth of the import
nnce of our present city. and ruled by
governor and council Of ~ men.
legislative body Of 200 men and n proper
court BEFORE this. tho colony was
ruled hy despotlc general manager"
Under Penn the three department"
principle whs part ahd parcel Of the
mind and soul Of the people. They wers
tired of tho general manager plan Penn
was too big md broad a man to ask
any such authority. Had he attempted
this Pennsylvania and Delaware would
have been dwarfed md Penn know this.
fte wanted this great commonwealth 10
expand md he built Il upon freedom.
In 1620 n noble band on tho drearY
New EnKlund coast. IN the cabin IF the
Maynower. wrote golden wards into an
other free constitution II contained
no general manager provision The
firfA words ~ this compact wore In
tho uatne of God. arneff." They wrote
into their chnrtor that thcy we're form
ing n civif~ body polite" and they
were 70 be bound by '1u8t aud equal
lawa' 70 be enacted by tho wlloGs body
Of freemen There waa no board II
private directors here. Is not WI
mlugton a far moro expanded and com
pez institution than ,gnH tho small
Pilgrim band2
city tho smaller should be tha govern
iuR BODY sce whore this lallscy xiii
lea1. Then Wilmington ahould have a
commission II five. Philadelphia ono.
ard SeY York would get into the in
possible situation where II ahouId BE-
ruled ~ p fraction OF "A man. hence Il
could have no govarnment at all
here Is still another theory New
York city has abopt % times the pop
uiation Of Delaware. Tban II New
York city should be rnied by five Iuou.
why should not Delawafe7 Why should
not the nited states, Commission
rule Is 80 Illogical that ~o ssnnot rea-
son about If. The more + is discussed
ire moro absurd Il becomes
And tho most absurd of ali abaurf-
ity Ia tho attempt 20 regulate govern
mont ~ bgHrd ~ dIr.et3rH the same
aa private corporation Tine idea
IL paro Vision with no contact With
earthly problar1H a thing floating in
spaco Penn sad tha government he
forming w8p a civil body polite"
Tho men who made fhn Delaware con-
atitution 1897 knaw LIST what Penn
know for n Article z Sec Z. IT aays a
manfcipaIfty shall not give money %
a private e1rDorat.on." Section re-
qairea htxss to ~ laid or real estate
tie same uny aa FER county. r4luH.c. .pal
on other public purpose - Private
corporations can only He organ szad
under Il general aw. municipal cor
porations car be created ny special acr
~ tso-fhirds Hote of tho Assembly
The board u directors" ldca % being
carried 10 a ridiculous extent Why
ret as Well rae the e4tr by tue kitchen
cabinet system There are far more
kitchen cabinets ii State ara city than
there are inflated private corporations. /
Never place the private corporation as
a Vital ruling force above the family.
Government originated with taa family.
Tho big corporation tn political affairs
Is placed under tie ban. Il cannot
give money 70 aid elections. and may.
Tor cause. De dissolved Under mo Sher-
maa Law
Keep the hoard - air. ;ozs and the
be corporation il the background The |
I9heriug man. the poal man. anu ne
medium man are frightened by the bare
n4entlon = governr.eu; ga.,. after tEle
stH.le - a b.s corporation. let he cor
poraton thrive IS a purely private busl-
uess affair. but IN no way associate l&s
tactics with personal government
Many men can maze ard ENJOY Only |
thelr living. ara sae cherished privilege /
q being governed hy free and safe /
political policy. Wnat can human +
mind invent 70 compare with the re-
liable State anu national systems? How |
large does city have 70 grow before /
It is 70 be governed By three depart /
mcnts
All must know that State and nation |
could not survive il every city adopted |
rule ard became a breed /
Ing nest for lax constitutional IDEAS. {
ANY ono could see the difference be- /
tween the State opera ting under Legis- /
ature and governor and the city ruling /
With a commission Of I'VE. /
The only way to keep tho republic pure /
IS to be loyal TO its system IN every /
spot OF American territory.
George A Taaey i
Wilmington. February 10. 1871