The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-10-12
AN OBJECT LESSON.

The refusal of the Non-Partisan CON-
mittee to assess its candidates was an eye
opener to voters as well as politicians. No
practice is better settled than the one
which requires candidates to contribute to
the campaign fund sum proportioned to
The salary of the office to which they
aspire. 1t has been SO long 10 use that no
one notices how demOraliZing it is. When
a candidate paws money to the campaign
committee he practically buys bis nomina-
lion, and the convention sells it. On no
other theory can the tax be explained.
Not mauy years ago an eminent citizen,
who had received nomination for Judge,
was notified by the campaign committee Of
his party that he had been assessed for SO
much. aud that be would oblige by sending
round his check. He replied that he would
do nothing IF the kind. Being stout be-
lever ia the doctrines of his political
party he had been in the habit OF con-
tri buting to its resources at election time
according to his means. and that contribu-
ton he DOW inclosed. He would not give
a dollar in consequence of his nomination
as Judge, because he would not appear t o
buy the position. That was the way the
practice of assessing candidates struck an
honorable man.
When candidate submits to be assessed
be tacitly admits that there is money in the
Office he seeks, and that he is prepared to
spend money to get it. He does not abso-
lutely proclaim an intention to get all the
money he can out of it, but he raises
strong presumption that he will. The
theory of our political system is that the
people, through their chosen delegates.
shall nominate the best available men for
public positions; that theory is knocked
on the head when the men chosen are re-
CURED to pay money for the nomination by
way of an assessment. The payment is
the entering wedge of corruption in the
business. 1t is the first intimatiou which
an honest candidate receives that money
plays part in practical politics; it pre-
pares him for the further use of money at
subsequent stages in the transaction. A
candidate who buys nomination under
cover of an assessment will not strain his
conscience much if he goes a little further
and buys votes; and 1t will only seem con-
sistent If, when he has been elected, he
recoupS himself by selling his authority in
Office.
The assess ment Of candidates is justified
on the ground that public meetings.
posters. advertisements, brass bands and
turchlights cost money. and that the
money must be got somewhere. That is
rue. but the proper place to get it is not
from the candidates. who are tainted with
corruption when they furnish il, but from
outside citizens, who are willing to con-
tribute something Of their surplus to pro-
mote the cause of good government TGai
Is the way the subject strikes the Non
Partsaus. They do not ask their
nominees for a dollar. They propose
that they shall 60 before the voters
with clean hands, aud not as men
who have made an investment IN
a nomin ration, and naturally want the iu-
vestment to pay. Whatever Legitimate
expenditures the Non-Partisans may have
tie incur for the conduct of the campaign
will be betrayed by pubIie-gpirited citizens
who are Not bosses or office-seekers but
who are willing to spend little money TO
secure an honest government for the city.
An Endorsement of that doctrine by large
majority of the voters of San Franc SEQ
would 60 a long way toward purifying
politics for the future.
In fact, in this, as in other matters, the
Non Partisans stand for good government
III the interest of the people, while the old
parties stand for Doodle in the interest of
the bosses and their henchmeu. The new
organization is a revolt against corruption
ntrenched behind old party affiliations.
The two old parties, relying that their
rank and file will vote the regular party
ticket on election day, permit the party
bosses to dictate nominations and TO agree
upon an equitable division Of the spoil.
The N0p-Partlsans do not believe that the
conflict of doctrine between the Repubii-
cans and Democrats has anything to do
with the admins tration of municipal gov
eminent in San Francisco, or that mans
opinions on the tariff make or mar his
fitness to he Mayor, Sheriff or Supervisor.
If the bulk OF the voting population agree
with them we may be entering upon an
era OF clean, pure, honest and efficient city
government II not, We NAV be on the eve
of another term of robbery. spoliation,
waste, ineficiency and grinding taxation.