is a Catholic paper which has recently revived after an interval of suspension. The Recorder, also a Catholic paper, was first issued in March, 1898, and has good prospects of success. L'Opinion Publique is a French paper published week days. Skandinavia, Nya Ostens Weckoblad, Arbetarens Van, and Finska Amerikananen are Scandinavian papers, the last named representing the Finnish element. The Builders' Weekly is a trade journal devoted to building and real estate matters, as its name indicates.

Of the daily papers, the Spy in point of seniority stands first. It has recently passed through financial troubles, and is now under the management of Mr. W. S. Walker, who came to Worcester from Chicago, after considerable experience as a newspaper man in that city, and purchased the Spy property. His purpose is to greatly increase the circulation of the paper, and make it a desirable advertising medium as well as a good newspaper. The Telegram was established as a Sunday paper on the 30th of November, 1884, by Austin P. Cristy, a member of the Worcester county bar. The first daily edition appeared May 19, 1886. This paper has been very successful, and has a much larger circulation than any other paper published in Worcester.

It is a lively sheet, of inquisitive and inquisitorial tendencies, and it is prolific in news. Both the above are morning issues.

The Evening Post, a one-cent Democratic paper, published week days, first appeared September 23, 1891. It is owned by a stock company, and Eugene M. Moriarty is the treasurer.

In circulation it ranks next

to the Telegram, and with one exception is the only Democratic paper of influence in the State between Boston and Springfield.

The Worcester Evening Gazette is now under the editorial management of David G. Howland, formerly of The Springfield Republican, who during his two years' connection with the paper has fully maintained its repu tation as a journal of high character, and conservative and refined tendencies.

THE CITY CHARTER AND MUNICIPAL

W

GOVERNMENT.

BY THE HONORABLE RUFUS B. DODGE, JR.,
Mayor of Worcester.

HEN Worcester was made a city in 1848, it was the sixth departure in Massachusetts from government directly by the people. Boston was first given a charter. Then followed Salem, Lowell, Cambridge, New Bedford and Worcester.

Town government had given the American people a simple and effective system of local rule, whereby a voter could realize his sovereignty and see the effect of his ballot. All questions of the slightest importance were settled in town meeting, after thorough debate and deliberation. Committees were chosen from time to time, delegated with authority to do certain specified things, the essentials of which the meeting directed, or caused a report thereon to be made for approval before final action.

Never before had any people lived so entirely on a level with civil control, and never were more honesty and hard-headed wisdom shown than in the days before cities existed in Massachusetts. If the people wanted a thing done, they called a town meeting and had it done. They did not hesitate to express opinions, or to give their representatives instructions.

When the earnest people of the town of Worcester found their clerk had spread obnoxious, Tory sentiments, in the form of a protest, on the records, they dealt with the matter in town meeting, and then and there saw the objectionable matter literally expunged by the clerk dipping his finger in the ink and smearing the page in a manner leaving no doubt as to the sincerity of the obliteration. The record was ordered to be made "utterly illegible and unintelligible," and this was done in open meeting. These were days when theories were not worked into civil affairs to satisfy the craving of quasi reformers for what, in many cases, are mere fads.

When the citizens desired certain action on the part of their representatives, there was no hesitation in giving plain and emphatic instruc

tions. They did not waste time in deciding just where the imaginary lines might be between legislative, administrative and executive functions, but lumped them all together, sometimes adding a little judicial as well. Committees were chosen to act in most concerns of importance, selected for their capacity for the particular duties required, but held at all times to a strict accountability to the people.

When William Elder and others published a protest against the conduct of Committees of Correspondence, saying, among other things, "it is in a great measure owing to the baneful influence of such com

scandalously destroyed in Boston," a formal town meeting was held, that this protest might not, for a moment, be taken as the sentiment of the community, and that it might be denounced publicly by solemn

vote.

Coming from such simple and effective' methods of local government, it was natural that the first city charters should have avoided the centralization developed later.

Worcester's charter of 1848 simply placed the control of the city in the hands of a council consisting of two branches, one a common council and the other a board of aldermen.