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The State Commission System

The State Commission System image
Parent Issue
Day
1
Month
December
Year
1871
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

i Ho Chicago firo, though a great ealamity, ivill no doubt have tho effect in many ways of doiug much good. At tho recent municipal election in that city tho mass of tho tfeapëetable citizens, irrespective of party, put uj) and by unparalleled majonties triumphantly elöctod to office men ia whem all had confidence, and who could bc'iinpHcitly rolied upon at this tryingp iriod in her history to watch and guard woll the interests confided to them. In the eleotion an indirect issuo decided by the peoplo was the question whethor Glucago should bo eovorned by irresponMDleboar4a impoasd upon thera by the Stato, or wbethet tho city itself sbould havo contiol of its own municipal affairs. Cha nominóos of the so-callod "fire-proof " ticket were newly all in favor of the ' ter propositiou ; whilo tiloso who had fafctiiiud on the spoils and piokings gathered froru State boards and commissions were ÜXODQ suppoftora of, and somo of thom prominent candidatos on tho " bummors ' " tickets ; and the peoplc, with almost one uccüid, doclarod in favor of tho fire-proof ticket. Mr. Modill, the Mayor elect, ín a speech to a vaat ciovvd on tho nigfat of the election, said that ocououiy was a neoessity in t'uo udministralion of tho affnirs of tho city, but that economy could not be exercised únicas tho Mayor was responsible lor the management of the affairs of evory dopartmi-nt and charged with the appoiutment and removal, by and with tho advice of tho Counoil, of all officers not cL'Ctud ; and in order to do this moro power would have % be vosted in the executive of the city, to which the crowd responded, " Yuu shall havo it." It is evident that at the noxt session cf tho Illinois Logislaturc a strong, and it ia to be hoped successful, effort will be made to do away with the foisting of legislativo cjinuiisiioiis on cities in that State. O'uicrtgo is now poor, nceds and must have rigid ccüiiomy and faithiulnoss in the BMUiagament of its municipal aUiw ; and it doen wit want titule board. At the vory first election af tor passing through a great coufl igration, it put out of placo and pover many.of the vampiras that had loug sueked its lifn-blood. and olected Uouust and capuble men - vaan opposed to Stute iuterfeï'.ncu Üt munióipal mattere - to office. lluuh, if notüll, of the official corruptioi uiid jicuiilaiiou iu largo citii can bo directly trace'l to the boards appointed by Legislütnrus, ax.do;-er v.Lich the authoritioa alected by the citizei-.s have no control. With their íkavout come always ijtcraaaed e„jou(iiturd aud t_xation, which as long as thoy havo ooatrol, ever increasa and ïmiltiplj. Ihoy t-o au outijrowth of liadisalisui, aud oposed ia all respecta to Democratie principie andpractioe ; and as iu the case ot Chicago, wheuevur tho casa is placed íairly bofore the peoplo, they always decide ou the side of right and juatiju. The Democratie party is opposed to any interforouco by the Federal govemment with the resorved rights of the States ; thinks that in thcir propor sphere tho Stiitts shouid b? absolutely iudependent; and it belitres in tho priaoiple of se'fgoverumeut, as f ar ri3 possiulo, in municipal ities as well. !lt is uot muessarily oppostnl to boards . or coiuniissions ; but it i.old-i th;it jhesu should be appointed by ud uoder tliu control ol and rtspousible o the Mayor and Oounoil of the city, and uit no man ot act of :;iüu should bie givn any authority iu a city by the Legislaure of a State uuless at tho request of tho ty interested. Wc t-ineerely hope that the effort to ba ade in lllino'3 to rostore solf-governmeut io the city of Chicago muy prove uccessful ; aud we hopo that tho reform ill not stop thore, but go on, until in all ) irts of the country the system of ap jointing V o irds and commissioñs by Legslatures to govern cities be swept out oL xistence. - Free lJnss.

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Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus