Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-05-05
THE IMPEACHMENT OF MAYOR KALLocH.

contains no specifications whatever, but
deals throughout in the loosest and sloppi-
est rhetoric, of the spread-eagle variety, |
and altogether conveys the impression
rather of a campaign attack than of
sober and responsible series of charges,
looking to the impeachment of high
officer A great many of the accusations
brought against the Mayor are such as
could with precisely the same force be pre-
ferred against nine tenths of all the politi-
clans and office-seekers in the country.
For example, the committee gravely de-
clare that 90 in our opinion Isaac S. Kali
loch, Mayor, has been and is ambitious
of ascendancy, and burning for revenge"
Is it crime for an American citizen to be
ambitious of ascendancy:" And is the
opinion of the committee that man is
burning for revenge" a sufficient ground
for impeachment? In the "opinion y of
the same committee, the Mayor sis lack
'ting in sincerity and public spirit, al
though processing it is devoid of integ-
"rity and fidelity to the public interests
Sin the discharge of his duties is faith
'fless to the principles of good govern
"ment, yet is learned in platitudes, which
his facile brain and tongue clothed in
Language convincing to the susceptible
"and unthinking," and so forth, ad nau-
seam. Now it is necessary to point out
that neither this nor anything else that is
in the report of the committee, rises to
the dignity of serious accusation. 1t is
merely and simply invective. No evil
dence is brought forward of any acts on the
part of the Mayor which justify his i'm
parchment. 1t is asserted, in a very
roundabout and diffuse way, that he has
played the demagogue, but if that consti-
tuted justification for impeaching him
there are very few men in public positions
whowould not be equally liable to be ousted.
The opinion of the committee that the
Mayor has neglected or been unfaithful to |
the public interests is of course, an opin- |
ion, and nothing more but even as such |
it would have had more weight had it |
proceeded from other persons than men,
bers of that Board whose shameless en-
deavor to fasten great water steal on the |
city was so recently frustrated by the |
Mayors veto. That Dr. Kalloch has been |
a demagogue everyone knows, but that |
demagogism is criminal in the United |
States is certainly novel doctrine Nor
would it be difficult to parallel Kali
loch's most reckless utterances from the |
speeches of men who have in this State |
occupied higher positions than his who
have even been made Governors and
United States Senators, after having talked |
of blood" and revolution, and in
cited the people to dangerous courses quite
as boldly and far more persistently than
ever he did.
We are no admirers of DR.. Kalloch. |
We think it a misfortune for San Francisco
that such a man should be its Mayor.
But we are none the less convinced that it
is useless to seek his overthrow by methods
the extravaganza and futility of which
every intelligent man can perceive. When
the Republican leaders quarreled with An
drew johnson, and determined to impeach
him, they had public opinion with them at
the beginning, because the public took it
for granted that SO grave a step would
never have been taken had not the proofs
of the Presidents wrong doing been album
dant. But as the proceedings advanced
the weakness and flimsiness of the charges
became apparent, and long before the
end was reached the Stalwart managers
found that their course was condemned by
the mass of the party, and that there re-
manned no alternative but the abandon
ment of the whole business Depend
upon it the same result is the only
one which can flow from such
preposterous methods as the San Francisco
Supervisors have adopted. They have
taken the very worst and silliest course,
for it is one which, if pursued much
farther, is certain to produce revulson
in public sentiment, and this will give
the man they are attacking the advantage
of sympathy he certainly does not de-
serve. However Objectionable DR.. Kali
loch's actions have been, and however in
furious to the community, it is necessary
that precise and substantial charges should
be made against him if he is to be prose-
cuted. As it is, the action of the Board
is far more suggestive of persecution than
prosecution, and this the public will be
quick enough to recognize, while the Mayor
himself is being placed in position to
turn the tables upon his antagonists
It would be as well to realize the truth
that no man can be successfully i'm
peached for demagogism, and that no
official however obnoxious to just Gen.
sure, ought to be arraigned on the strength
of such mere stump.speech as the
report of the committee in fact is. San
Francisco has suffered a great deal
from the mistaken tolerance of her people,
and the reckless course of her politicians
and journalists, but she cannot regain her
lost reputation by turning the methods
of the demagogues against them, nor can
she vindicate her regard for law and order
by ignoring both in the endeavor to rid
herself of officials who are disliked. 1t
may be possible to secure the condemna-
tion of Mayor Kalloch, but not upon such
a loose and vague Indictment as has been
framed by the committee. 1t is necessary
to declare precisely what it is that he has
done, what laws he has transgressed, what
treason he has committed. Thus far, how
ever, it is impossible to gather from the
wild and general denunciation showered
upon him that he has perpetrated any
crime more heinous than thousands of
inscriptions politicians have been guilty
Of, and the like of which other thousands
of journalists have made the public only
too familiar with.
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