The morning call., 1892-11-06
TIE ELECTION.

Only one working day intervenes before
election. In few hours it will be decided
whether the city and the State are or are
not going to make the old round Of a
thoughtless election. corrupt Legislature,
yenal Board of Supervisors, a suborned
bench. and another term of general demor-
alization. BY Tuesday night il will be
determined whether the day of reform has
dawnec, or whether we must spend two
more years in an atmosphere of political
debauchery.
To the thoughtful citizen it is sad to OBJ.
serve the figures of political statisticians.
They are all based on the belief that pn blic
opinion Is immutable and that men go on
from their youth to their grave voting the
same old party ticket, in spite OF changed
conditions, altered circumstances and the
inevitable corruption into which parties
sink when they have been long entrusted
with power. Collectors of election returns
make little allowance for the march OF edu-
cation or the Quiekening of the popular con-
science. If district gave 800 Republican
majority in 1890 or 1888 il is taken for
granted that it is good for an equal majority
to-day; If county gave 500 Democratic
majority in 1888 it is figured as worth so
much to the Democracy in 1892. Yet such
an assumption is equivalent to an admission
that the American people are unfit for self
government because they are unable 10
change their minds.
In the past II has been precisely that
capacity to change which has distinguished
Americans from other people, and demon
strated their fitness to govern themselves
The English Tory, who stamped on his flag
the motto. 'The laws of England must not
be changed; the French royalist, who
can see nothing that he would alter In the
policy Of the BOurbons; the Spanish hidalgo.
who is ever looking to past history for
guidance-have each and all of them proved
Incapable OF operating system of self
government. They gaze with amazement
al the spectacle of people conducting their
own affairs. without hereditary leadership
and without friction or discord. They can
not account for the difference between
Americans and themselves. 1t does not
occur to them that the solution of the mys-
terry is the simple fact that Americans are
always ready to adopt new principles when
they are satisfied that they are true.
San Franclscans are now called upon TO
decide whether they will pursue the Ameri-
| can rule or whether they will follow the
| lead of the English Tory, the French royal
| ist and the Spanish hidalgo. They have
found it failure; they have seen that it
has led TO corruption, fraud. vllainy,
robbery, decentralization and disgrace. They
are now offered an opportunity of trying
city government by the people, carried on
| through agents who are the slaves Of no
boss, the tools of no corporation. the
creatures of no pull" 1t is not asked OF
them that in national affairs they should
desert the flag of their party. What is pro-
posed is that In city business and State
| business they should give the people a
| chance of showing how they can manage
! without the leadership OF bosses or the ma
| chineIy OF packed conventions. If II Is
| shown after a fair trial that the people Of
| San Francisco cannot manage their own
| affails without the guidance Of the Buckeys
and the kellys and the railroad, it will 20
| upon the record that the American race on
this side OF the continent has so degeneTated
as 10 be unfit for self-governmeDt That is
an admission which no San Franciscan
should be willing TO make until every effort
has been exhausted TO prove the contrary
1t will be bad business If, from neglect
or indifference, the boss tickets should elect
| any substantial number of their cand-
dates. Such a result would consolidate boss
rule in the city, and would confirm the
domination Of the rain oad so that all hopes
of competing line or lower rates Of trans
| nortation would at least be damaged.
| Whether such prospect will loom up before
| the public eye on Wednesday morning will
depend Oh how the ballots are cast on
| fTueadaV