Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-08
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COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD OF FREE
HOLDERS,


and estimable gentlemen, and the loss Of
any one of them would be sincerely and
universally mourned in this city. We es-
TEEN these gentlemen, and the relations of
the REcoRD-UNIoN with every one Of
them are cordial and kindly. But when
these things have been said, about all has
been said. There are not, of the entire
list of fifteen, more than three who have
given any reading, study or profound
thought to the great problem and the his
tory 0: municipal government. If we
of them who will say that their knowledge
of the subject extends beyond the limited
experience to be gained within the narrow
bounds of the city of Sacramento.
We venture the assertion that there is
no question to-day before the American
people fraught with greater difficulties
than this problem of municipal govern
=, ment. The Journal Of Economics recently
declared that it is more difficult than the
problems surrounding the establishment of
economic State government, and of the
soundness of that judgment there can be
no question. Indeed, there has been given
for many years to the best systems of mu-
nicipal government the best thought and
the profoundest study of the best minds of
the nation.
1t is true that we should find difficulty
in electing full Board of men qualified by
thought, reading, experience, ard the OBJ
servation of other systems. We cannot
expect to make up Board to the standard
of the highest ideal, but it is true that we
have number of citizens every whit as
good, and standing as high in public
esteem as those named by the Trustees,
who are in some branches abreast with the
literature and the principles of the best
form of municipal government and NUM-
cipal reform vet secured in this country
men who, by reason of their habits of
thought and study, as well as their native
ability, as group would prove more COM
petent for the task to be set the new Board
than two-thirds of those named by the
Trustees.
We have citizens who have had much
actual experience in municipal govern
ment in California who have faced many
problems involved in charter-making
who have served the people in municipal
affairs, and know by experience what are
the special local needs and the best RENE
dies. We have also citizens the peers of
those named by the Trustees who are
qualified by technical education and years
OF study for the consideration of special
abstruse problems for which provision
must be made in the new constitution of
the city, such as drainage, levee building,
street improvement, sanitation, and similar
matters. We have also citizens qualified
by experience and observation, by travel
and by financial attrition with the
money world, to serve on the Board
in aid of the settlement of fiscal
questions. From these several classes of
intelligence and experience there can be
selected fifteen men far better qualified, as
group, to handle the matter of charter
making than two-thirds of the nominees
of the Trustees. And in saying all these
things we happen to know that we reflect
the opinion of some of the very citizens
the Trustees have put forward to be voted
for.
1t has been suggested, and the sugges-
ton comes from sources worthy of con-
sideration, that the composition of the
new Board can be much improved by Civ
ing the places to which legal gentlemen
have been named to others, thus charging
the capacity of the Board very greatly
and leaving to the freeholders theselection
Of say, two counsel to advise it and steer it
clear of the shoals and rocks of constitu-
tional law and the Codes. 1t is claimed,
and not without force, that we cannot ex-
pect from lawyers on the Board that they
will give from their hours of personal
labor that study and research absolutely
necessary to the proper guidance of the
Board. At the most, they cannot be ex-
pected, say the originators of the sugges-
ton, to give any more of their private
time to the business of the Board than
will the merchants upon it, not one of
whom will be expected to permit his bust
ness to suffer for want of his personal at
tention; but wise economy, say these
friends of charter reform, bids us adopt
the plan of engaging counsel to labor for
search for it the law and give to the task
all the time necessary.
There are rumors sufficiently vigorous
to command attention, relating to supposed
outside influences brought to bear in the
selection of the names submitted, which, if
found to have the basis of truth, will
not be at all ereditable to the parties en-
gagged in exercising them. But, aside from
these matters, the list is faulty and I'M
satisfactory. From the lists suggested by
the press of the city and the Board of
Trade and those considered by the Trus-
tees, we repeat that far better group could
have been made up; group that would
in its parts represent the thought given
to these matters, the experience of the past
in municipal government, the best finan.
cial judgment at command, the highest in
telligenee upon technical questions in
volved possible for the city to secure I'M
der the law. In short, from the lists so
submitted it is improbable that the Trus-
tees could have made up weaker group
than that they have presented. This city,
in entering upon this new experiment,
cannot afford to grope or to founder; it
should command its best material, and so
choose from the classes of intelligence that
the very best results possible to be at
tanned by it will be secured, for it is not
building for an hour or a day, or year,
but for time and posterity.