The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-09-14
OUR MUNICIPAL GovERNMENr.

! Philadelphia correspondent writes:
Why is Il that san Francisco OF all the cities
q the United States, has such a VIGOROUSLY evil
form Of city governments Is It not partly be-
csu-e the municipal legislature consists OF but a
single branch? DAILY READER
Our correspondent begs the question. San
Francisco has not VIGOROUSLY bad form of
city government As evidence Of this asser-
ton We present the fact that with assessed
property amounting TO more than $500. Co.,
600 the city does not owe one million. It is
quite true that theIe have been propositions
to incur as large an indebtedness as the con-
situation Of the State would allow; but none
Of them have been carried. The people
have had sufficient influence to prevent the
carrying out Of such projects. In fact. no
debt can be incurred without the consent of
tie people. There is some waste of public
money, but the boOdlers as yet have only
got their hands on the excess Of current
revenue after meeting unavoidable public
expenditure.
The point in which San Francisco IS
achieving an unenYiable notoriety is in its
lax administration of law. 1t is difficult to
convict person Of crime here even with
conclusive evidence il such person has
political influence. The reason for this is
not hard TO find. A good many years ago
tie Southern Pacific Company conceived
the idea of controlling conventions and
courts in its own interest II has worked
to this end sometimes with one party
and sometimes with the other, but al
ways for itself. 1t has nominated law
makers and law executors, one set to
frame laws in the interest Of that
corporation and another set to construe
the laws so framed. The inevitable conse-
quence is that the courts do not command
the confidence of the people. Within a
year the people have seen the lawyers Of
the Southern Pacific Company dictate to a
department Of the Superior Court and to
the Supreme Court in bank in behalf OF one
OF its own political agents. Seeing such
exhibitions Of power the public has come to
regard justice in this city not only as not
blind but as perverted. The courts can per-
eeiYe the differences between offenders and
hardly take the trouble to pretend that they
cannot.
The ASSUMPTION is untenable that the
peO.le may permit one gigantic corporation
- be law unto itself and hold lesser cor
poTations or persons 10 strict account.
The source Of power has been the Southern
Pacific Company. That company has Sc
lected State and municipal legislators for
years past and has named most of the
Judges for the Superior and Supreme
benches. If they have not named all our
judges they have named enough 10 serve
their purposes. 1t is not to be expected
thai men would be named who were frail
only as to one element of power If a cor
Iupt person is elected as lawmaker or as an
administrator of law he will be corrupt
whenever a suffi lent inducement is offered.
One effect of the Southern Pacific control
of conventions is to keep the better class OF
men out Of public life. s. man who has any
pride of character viii not accept Office with
the understanding that he owes his first
allegiance to a corporation. A man Of real
character will not send messenger to the
corner OF Fourth and Townsend streets TO
ask if he is eligible TO public Office. Conse-
ouently we have in our highest Offices men
who Yill. Who dreams now of aspiring TO
q seat in the United States Senate without
entering into bonds not to DO anything the
Southern Pacific Company will not sane
tions 1t is through this condition of things
that such aspirantS as De Young secure
footing,