The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-10-22
A MILLION A YEAR.

The visitor to the City Hall is struck with
the number of curious-looking people who
are to he found hanging round the Offices OF
the County Clerk, the Sheriff. the District
Attorney, the Superior Courts, the naturali-
cation Office, and latterly the registration
Bureau and the Election Commissioners.
They do not seem to have anything to do.
vet they appear to be well fed and fairly
well clothed A close inspection shows that
they have money to spend. Inquiry. ju-
dieiously conducted, reveals the fact that
these are working politicians, who draw
salaries from some department Of the city
government for services to be rendered be-
fore or at election. 1t was in order to sup
port such men as these that County Clerk
Blattner-who is now running for Sheriff
on the Crimmins and Kelly ticket-chose to
violate his pledge TO keep the expenses of
his Office within given sum per month. 1t
is to support such men as these that the
Sheriff is running up the expenses of his
office. 1t is to support this class of people
that the city taxes have been swelled until
they amount TO fair rental ON the prop
ertv.
How many such men there are in and ont
of the City Hall 1t Is hard TO say. One
meets them in the most unexpected places.
Perhaps it would be no exaggeration to say
that there are a thousand Of them, and that.
one with another, they draw, directly and
indirectly, from the sum raised By taxation
not less than a thousand year each. That
is million dollars taken out of the people
OF this city every year to feed idlers Here
is a city, not of the first class, with popula-
ton Of 800, 600, which pays a million a year
for the support of people who will not
work, and who spend their time in de-
bauching our politics, packing primaries,
stuffing ballot-boxes, shoulder-hitting at
elections. serving as jurymen on cases
which have been fixed, and taxing the
energy Of 500 policemen to keep them In a
semblance of order. Is it any wonder that
taxation is Gripping industry and reducing
wages?
This is the fruit of the boss system. The
same gang Of pauper politicians fOurishes
whichever party is in power. Neither boss
Will diSband them for fear they should de-
sert in a body TO the enemy. Whether
Democrat or Republican rules the Toost, the
paupers are always there with the same
hungry faces, the same beared eyes, the
same tobaeco-stained mouths. Aud the
workingmen of San Francisco. on whom the
chief burden OF taxation always falls, go on
year after year paying out of their earnings
a million dollars in order that these pests
shall fatten in sloth! What patient crea-
lures they must be!
A million dollars divided yearly among
the laboreTs and mechanics of The city would
make all the difference between comfort and
pinching economy. 1t would add a whole
some dish to the laboring mans dinner,
would outfit boys who have worn out their
clothes, would replace many q broken boot.
Ii a generous capitalist should announce
that he proposed TO give a million a year
hereafter to benefit the working class he
would become a popular idol. and any re-
ward which the people could give would be
his for the asking.
The people have il in their power 10 make
themselves this present. All they have to
do is to sweep out the bosses and their IN
derlings from those hotbeds of corruption
the City Hall and legislative chamber at
Sacramento-and the money will be theirs.
From the hour that the offices of the munich
palty and the seats Of the San Francisco
delegation pass into the possession of men
who are the slaves of no boss and who are
| not in it for personal gain, the noble army
! Of pauper politicians will disband. Under a
| NOn-Partisan regime no city money will be
] paid out except for necessary service really
rendered. 1t will not be necessary to keep
| a brigade OF mamelukes under pay, for
there will be no party 10 be looked after at
next election. The hoodlums who are now
to be met with in every corridor OF the City
Hall and at the entry of every municipal
department will have to 90 to work or do
openly that which they now do secretly
steal The money they have been drawing
from the taxpayer will stay in the pockets
Of the latter, and in these times OF hard
scraping q million a wear is worth saving