The morning call., 1892-11-07
A LAST WORD.

The work Of the independent press is
over. Every one knows how be is going to
vote. No opinions will be changed between
the hours when these lines are read and the
entrance of the voter into the polling booth
At this moment every citizen has made up
his mind whether he is going to do his part
IN the work of rescning the city from the
clutch Of the bosses, or is going to allow
old party feelings to override his duty to
the community Of which he is a member. or
campaign lies to delude him into casting a
= ballot which he will ever regret.
1t is impossible TO conceive an honester
attempt to purify city politics than the one
which is now being made by the Non-Par-
tsaDs. The men who inaugurated the
movement were absolutely dsinterested.
They had no axes to grind, no private aims
to serve, 90 personal or corporate interests
10 favor, 70 dependents to lcok out for, no
enemies TO punish. They were recruited
indiseriminately from both parties. without
regard TO party affiliations. simply and
wholly by reason of their Intelligent devo-
ton TO pure iolties. They chose their
nominees from the ranks Of both parties.
solely on the ground Of fitness. These
nominees were not assessed for their nomi-
nations, nor were they expected to pay for
Office. or any part OF it, to the leaders of the
assemblage which had chosen them. In as
serting the absolute independence with
which these candidates will assume Office,
If they are elected, the chairman of the
Non. Partisan convention said in his speech
on Saturday:
AS chairman OF the convention, and speaking
as know do for nine tenths of It's members
say TO our nominees that II any one of US ever
goes to ask any Of you for any favor for ourselves
relatives or friends, we viii In doing SO be going
to you as sneaks and pledgebreakers, and now
insist that your duty will be at once to show US
The door, and II necessary. TO expedite our exit
wife the Toe OF your boot, bestowing upon US the
loudest aud severest naledIetion which just In
digDaton Inspires
Thus, In a sentence, the N0n-Partis an
nominees, chosen by citizens absolutely
without bias, will enter upon the discharge
Of their duties without obligation to any
one; and the question which voters should
put to themselves is this-are such men
more or less likely to prove honest and eff
heient public officers than the nominees of
party conventions, who are bound to take
orders from the boss who gave them their
nominations. and who bought their positions
on The party ticket by paying party assess
menis? The question answers itself
Citizens will remember that an oppor-
tnnIty ike the present only rarely occurs
1t is work of enormous difficulty to organ
ize general revolt against party domina-
ton. Everybody belongs to one party or
the other and naturally resents a bolt from
his party. The entire machinery OF work.
ing politics Is in the hands of the bosses.
They are backed by the interests which
flourish by keeping up the seeming rivalry
oil parties. Thus, at the outset q non
partisan movement has to encounter OBJ
stacles which appear almost insurmount-
able. Then, again, the work Of organizing
the malcoDtent elements into a compact
body requires labor, ingenuity aud self
sacrifice. The organizers must give their
time, to the injury OF their business; they
must expect to be traduced by scurrilous
partisans; they must count on making
enemies and the public whom they serve is
apt to be an nngrateful taskmaster. For
these reasons reyolts against party are up-
hill work. In 1888. in 1890, as now, the
citizens, of San Francisco were ready to
seek reform by throwing off the shackIes of
party. But there was no one to lead the
way and the discomfort did not materialize
Now people have chance of emancipa-
tion from boss control. II they will vote
the nn-partisan ticket en- masse we shall
have seen the last of corrupt bossism for
years. We shall not. for long time to
come, see com binations 10 the County
Clerks Office and in the Sheriff's Office to
pack jures. We shall not witness Judges
on the bench prostituting their authority to
defeat theVs.nd of justice. We shall not