The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-10-04

~
an Never AppOint Them, Nererg
| county of San Francisco, nominating can
Gdates for public office. viz, the Citizens
Non Partisan party. is entitled to a heading
in the tickets to be voted at the next cleo
ton to be held in the city and county On
| the Sth of November next. But as the
! Board of Election Commissioners is mani
mOusly opposed 10 my opinion, as | have
expressed it. | therefore join with the Elec-
ton Commissioners without admitting that
they have aay authority in the premises in
denying said party heading on the ticket.
as they have prayed for in their certificate
on file in my Office"
On motion of Commissioner Tilton the en-
tire matter was postponed until this morn
ing
The board took up as the next order of
business the appointing of election officers
for the various precinct boards Of registra-
ton.
1.-THE Registrar" said Commissioner
Smiley. ''has rnn away with the idea that
the Beard OF Election Commissioners has
no power in this matter. Now / wish TO
show him he is in error"
II do not so hold" returned Registrar
Brown, warmly. "The board. under the
law, has the power to select all the names.
'My duty is tn swear the men selected.
II tell you | will not appoint any man
whose name is not Oh the assessment-roll.
you may select them and reseleet them
again and again, but | will never appoint
them or swear them in, never"
Loud applause from the lobby greeted
this determination of the Registrar TO resist
the appointment of incompetent and dis
qualified registration clerks.
The Mayor raped severely for order.
l.. Z. Phillips here arose and stated that
he desired to know whether it was the 6-
tention of the board to give the Nom
Partisaus "a show" in the selection of the
registration officers.
Commissioner Smiley replied that the law
settled that point as il said the officers
should be selected from the two political
parties casting the largest number OF votes.
Attorney Phillips called the attention of
the Commissioner TO section II I the act,
which he claimed gave the Commissioners
powers of indepeudeut action.
He said the Non-P artisans appeared be-
fore the board with petition signed by
| IS coo citizens. and in The cause of honesty
| and deeency they should be allowed repre-
sentation on the precinct boards.
| There was no inhibition on the board act
| ing on the names which would be presented
| by The Non-Partisans as against the pGliti-
| cal merceuaries and r0ckrolers selected by
interested parties.
He claimed that the board could not re-
lieye Itself of independent action, particu-
| larly as the Non-P artisans were composed
| of both Republicans and Democrats. repre-
senting the best elements in these two par
| ties.
Don't you think there is more tangible
| evidence that the Prohibition party or the
| Licensed Taxpayers have more right to a
representation ," asked Commissioner
! Smiley.
| "There is more tangible evidences TO that
| effect-in your mind" returned Phillips,
but not in the minds OF honest voters.
| Marcelus A. Dorm. representing Grim
| Minis. Kelly and DeY Dung. held that neither
| the Republicans nor Democrats had the
| power TO select any names; this power re-
| sided alone with the board. In his opinion
| il was the duty Of the Registrar to resent
the names of all citizens on the assessment
| roll and the board should select the names
| it wished.
Everybody laughed at this.
Even the Commissioners, three Of whom
are renominated for Office by the party that
Dorm represents, smiled at the construction
of the law made by the young attorney,
Attorney Phillips replied:
"The immaculate innocence of the repre-
sentative OF the Republican party is COM
mendable, only we know that he has been
here before very often"
The speaker made another earnest plea
| for Non-Partisan recognition aud the selec-
ton of honest officers.
why, look at the names presented here
by the Republicans" he said. "Mr. Dorm
stood by with a book in his hand aud read
them off himself. aud yet in only four dis
tricts sixty-ihree are not on the assessment
roll.
Just think of it!
again, one of the members of this COM
| mission, an influential one, himself stated
after reviewing this Republican list that
there were names on il of men he would not
meet in dark alley for fear of his lfe."
Ali eyes turned toward the Commissioners
and there was a loud laugh.
AT this point there was considerable con-
fusion. and Mayor Sanderson proceeded to
call off the names OF election clerks
Your Honor" said Attorney Phillips
firmly, If you please, desire a decision on
my point about giving the Nop-Partisans
representation. l don't want the matter
deferred until after the election"
IF we have any more speeches." said Mr..
Smiley, I'VE will have no officers until after
election"
81 insist on a decision" said Mr.. Phillips.
The Commissioners looked at the ceiling
and then at Chairman SandersoD.
The Mayor grew red in the face and said
There is no motion before the house."
Everybody laughed.
The Non-P artisans had been IS at op."
The laugh was grim sarcastic cachinna-
| tion at The farce enacted.
/ 1t was seen how the commission is using
| its power.
Phillips again tried to say something.
| "Do you want the earth?" inquired
| Smiley.
81 don't want that fraction of the earth
| you inhabit." was the REPLY.
The examination OF the list OF names pre-
sented by the Republican County Commit.
tee was begun.
Max Pepper. chairman OF the Democratic
| State Central Committee, stated that he
| was going TO oppose the appointment OF
election officers who were assessed and re-
sided in one precinct and desired TO serve In
| another.
| :, He wanted men appointed who resided In
tneiI precincts, and who knew everybody In
the district and could detect fraud.
He also believed that the commission
should insist on the election officers verify
Ing their work by going through the district.
That portion Of the law was never obeyed.
Thenam were then read for the Twenty.
eighth. Twenty-ninth, Thirtieth and Thirty
first districts.
NJ. A. Dorm, on behalf OF the Republican
County Committee, withdrew many of the
names, as they were read, thereby acknowl-
edging that they were ineligible and not on
the assessment-roI
l.. j. Welch. on behalf of the Democratic
party. objected to the names as they came :.
In cases where there was any doub