The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-10-17
PURIFY OUR CITY POLITICS.
The Meeting Of the Anti
Dive Party.
The Non.Partisans Enthusiastically In
dorsed at the Wigwam by the Citizens
Defense League.

Yesterdays meeting of the Anti-Dive
League was held in the Nigwam, which is
cold and damp in the afternoons, but here
after the gatherings will take place in ODD
Fellows Hall.
good crowd was on hand when the pro-
ceedlngs opened, and as the meeting pro-
crossed all the vacant seats filled up. with
the execution Of few in the gallery.
Michael Flood took the chair, and his ap-
pearance was the occasion OF loud applause.
The chairman began by saying that the
proceedings would open by the quartet
singing America" The audience were re-
quested to join in the chorus. and responded
with will. the volume of sound making
the rafters shake.
After the inspiring strains had died away,
Chairman Michael Flood said
"The clouds have passed and brighter
prospect Is looming up for the future. We
are not alone here for apoltieal purpose.
This meeting is being held under the
auspices Of the Citizens League The
league retains its identity. 1t is not merged
into the Non-Partsan party, though in ac-
cord with that party. That movement had
its origin and was the direct outgr0wth OF
the Citizens League. We have adopted its
platform and will use every effort In cur
power for its success. No matter what may
be the outcome OF this movement to rid the
city of b0ssSm we will still continue the
fight for good, clean and honorable govern
ment. We know no distinction in this move
ment. The time has come when the citizens
Of San Francisco have agreed 10 stand to-
gather for the public veal, irrespective of
creed or politics. There are many abuses to
be corrected. Our first meetings were held
to suppress the dives. We must not lose
nf hof nh "a oh emf
lcient interest in our boys and girls to re-
move from them the obnoxious temptations
OF the dives. They should be swept away.
Ii the owners Of those dens OF iDiquity can
invoke the law to continue their existence
the law should be changed Our first object
is to see to the election Of Board of Super
visors who will obey the will, not of boss
but OF the people. 1t is the will of the
people that the dives should 60. and they
b. p. Flint, candidate for Supervisor On
the Non-Partsan ticket. was introduced
and said:
1T ia certainly movement for good
when we can see the churches lay aside
their creeds and join hands to better the
condition OF the cty's politics. l am glad
that the churches have so united. / expect
TO see this movement broaden and its in
Huence extended.
MY friends. when you have put down
the bosses, yOu put down the dives. The
bosses are the ones to fight, as they are the
root Of the evil. Elect Board of Super
visors which is not subservent. and whose
members are not tools OF any boss, and the
dives will be no more.
You have Endorsed the Nom Partisan
party. Its platform contains all that you
desire, and Woe to any member of the Nom
Partlsans. tx elected, who Will go back OF
its pledges.
is to be hard fight, and we must not Sleep
tlA trained pOlitipiQuG hrinOinn
against US all that cunning and fraud can do
to win. Ii they succeed this time it will be
long time before San Francisco will recover
from the blow"
Rev. Eli McClish, in stirring address.
said: Il have never been at an Anti-Diye
meeting, because my Sunday-shO0l has al
ways met on Sunday afternoons. And yet
am citizen, and under the black coat of
the preacher is the citizens heart. for /
earned my citizenship by marching with
Sherman to the sea. The real question that
faces us is, How are we to govern our cit
les? The rural communities can take care
OF themselves. 1t s in the centers of large
population that vice and infamy breed.
The hoodlums and feather-heads govern us
not only in San francisco, but in Cincn-
natl, Boston, New York, St. Louis and Chi
cage. The Goths and Vaudals who are
going to threaten the perperuity OF our re-
public are the yandalS OF Tar Flat and the
Barbary Coast They ara reaching out for
citizen has got to keep his eye on them.
The citizen must throw the search-light of
public opinion on all places OF power, so
that everything shall be clean.
1t Is sometimes q good thing to have
ghtning. and | am inclined TO believe that
that we had last night was a porrent of that
ballot-box lightning which will strike the
boodlers and politicians on November s for
the publication of the city, morally and po-
iiically.
ut behooyes US and the hour has come
when we cannot allow great political par
ties 10 step in and manage aud dictate our
municipal affairs. We should and will man
age them ourselves. We must recognize
municipal affairs irrespective of national
issues. 1t is a proper thing to have citi-
Zens' league in all great cities irrespective
OF party. They make politics clean. /
cannot sufficiently condemn those who obey
the party lash. Party or no party, shall
never vote for man TO administer public
affairs whom / would n OF trust to manage
my own. The city belongs to us, and we
should see that It's affairs are honestly ad-
mnistered by electiag honest men,
The chairman next introduced ex-Judge
X. IL. Thompson. who In the course of his
address said:
do you wish to go with the honest ele-
ment or with the questionable element?
Then vote for those who are clean and who
have pledged themselves. and whose char
acters are guarantee that they will keep
them: that they will protect our city from
boodlers and our homes from the degrada-
ton of the dives"
The remarks of all the speakers were en-
Enthusiastically applauded, showing how SIN
cerely the large audience were with the
mnVpfnant n urifV the eitv's politi