The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-31
ELECTION LAW.
Some Features Now Under Con.
sideration.
A Conference to Suggest the Best Proposed
Rsmedies-Dibble Has Bill Meeting
With Approval.

The effort to secure better election law
Tor THIS State is beginning to assume shape.
Inc man best qualified of any one in the
state, perhaps, to point out the defects of
the present law is Thomas j. L. Smiley.
Registrar of Voters of this city. Mr..
mlley's vast experience during the late
campaign has taught him exactly what
these defects are, and with the view to rem
edy them, or at least discussing means to
that end, ne invited conference in his
Office yesterday of Meyer Jacobs and Max
Pepper. Chairmen of the Republican and
Democratic County Committees; Attorney
A. Ruef. representing the Republican
County Committee; Senator II. c. Dibble,
A. L. SPOTS and others.
NEW LAW NECESSARY.
That new law, or the present law thor
ougbly renovated, is very much needed, was
the sentiment of every one present. Refer
ring to the specific defects the one point that
absorbed the most attention, and that all
were most emphatic in desiring changed,
was that section of the existing law which
puts the control of elections in the hands of
partisan candidates, as was the case this
year.
Mr.. Pepper was more pronounced in his
opposition TO that section than any one
against propriety; it put the entire ma
chlnery Of election into the hands of the
party in power, and nine times out of ten,
as had always been the case, these COMMITS
sloners would be candidates for reelection.
NO one would be insane enough to presume
that any man under such circumstances
could be absolutely impartial.
A REMEDY WANTED.
Mr.. Dibble Endorsed this sentiment fully,
as did also the others. The attention then
turned on the bast remedy.
Mr.. Dibble believed that the elective ma
chinery should be in the hands of the two
prevailing political parties that they should
be empowered with the appointment of an
election commission and selection officers,
and should be Gade to carry the entire re-
sponsiblity of the election. The election
commission should be as nearly as possible
non partisan, that is, il should be composed
OF an equal representation of the two lead
ing parties. Exactly how this commission
should be appointed, whether by the county
committees, the Supervisors. the judiciary,
the Mayor or the Governor, was open to
grave discussion.
the Governors hands was the very general
objection to the centralizing tendency, and
1t seemed to be shared by all.
WHO SHALL ASSUME THE FUNCTION.
10 put such function upon the judiciary
was objected to BY the attorneys present
with equal emphasis, because it would have
too great tendency to take the Judges into
politics.
Giving the power to the Mayor was looked
upon with some favor, because in looking
over the list OF Mayors iii this city not one
was found IN whose hands such a power
would not be perfectly safe Such law
Could not be general, however for the sim
pie season that this is the only city and
county in the State having Mayor. There
dld not appear TO be much objection to hay
ing the Supervisors appoint the commission,
with the understanding, Of course, that it
should be Of the strictly BON partisan char
acter mentioned.
REGISTRATION IN PRECINCTS.
Attention was turned to that portion of
the law regulating registration, and Mr..
Smiley suggested the adjustment of pre-
cinct registration.
Mr. Pepper antagonized that propositi on
from the start. He said he was confident
that the Democratic leaders would not con-
sent to it at all.
Mr.. Dibble thought it piece of useless
extravaganza that registration should be
spread over ninety days, and in defense of
MS position, cited laws in vogue in other
large cities where short registrations of five
or ten days bad proved highly satisfactory
to the people. Under such circumstances
OF course it was all precinct work and he
was sure would entail much less expense
ana confusion than the present system.
BILL IN PREPARATION.
One argument against short periods of reg
is,ration in this State was that some of the
precincts are so very large as to make it i'm
practicable.
The general idea of short precinct registra-
ton, however, was approved One of the
proposed conditions is that such registration
shall close twenty or thirty days before
election, so as to give the Registrar, or
proper officer, plenty of time to revise and
verify his registers.
Mr.. Dibble had prepared bill patterned
very much after the law in vogue in New
Jersey, that 1t was agreed seemed to cover
more of the defects OF the present law than
anything yet proposed, and after it has been
changed to more satisfactorily fit the condi-
tons OF this State he proposes to Introduce
1t at the coming Legislature.