The morning call., 1894-09-17
ORIGIN OF MUNICIPAL REFORM.

Wherever any successful Roadway has
been made in this city against rings and
bosses citizens acting independent Of old
political organizations have taken the
matter in hand. The recent Pepper and
Buckley revelations, with a great deal
more in the background. have made an
inderendent or Non-Partsan municipal
ticket as necessary as it has been at any
former time. The call therefore for
Non-P Partisan municipal convention was
in order. The old organization is still in
existence. 1t is composed of men who
have heretofore done good work for mu-
nicipal reform. 1t will furnish the basis
for the new movement,
1t is probable that a body not exceeding
thirty welkuown citizens will name a
municipal ticket. 1t will be placed in the
field Without the aid of clubs or ward
strategy. A majority of well-disposed
citizens detest the machinery of politics
when it is controlled by tho bosses. Ii
they attend primaries constituted in the
usual way they are generally defeated. The
arrangements are all cooked" In advance
The men who work the primaries are I'M
scruDuloGs political experts. They man
age to take such advantage as to always
have their own way.
Non-Partisan movements for municipal
purposes have always steered clear of
primaries. At the recent Non-Partisnn
convention in Alameda County not only
were all primaries discarded. but when 1t
came to voting in the convention all the
candidates names were placed on printed
lists. Each member of the convention
checked such names as he wished to sup
port. The sum of these checks deter
mined the success of the candidates. No
wire puler could get 10 his work. The
boss had no place. He could not tell how
any member OF the convention voted, even
ii he had been there to watch the proceed
lngs.
Whenever municipal reform is started,
about the first thing that is done is to dis
card all the intricate political machinery
that bosses and ring men have employed.
a few leading citizens call a convention.
Back OF that is the great body of good cit-
Zens who are ready at all times TO give
The best ticket their support Names are
thoroughly csnvassed. The old Peoples
Party convention searched the antece-
denis Of every candidate. If they found
any disqualifying facts they dropped the
name and said nothing about it on the out
side. They made very few mistakes. The
ticket commanded confidence and ultimate
success.
Occasionally one will hear the objection
that it is not good year for a Non Parti-
san movement. Such an effort is always
in order when municipal corruption is
rife. 1t is a public necessity that calls
such independent organizations into the
field. When has such an exigency been
more pressing than just at this time?
There nsver was similar movement that
was not beset by any number of reasons
against the expediency of il just then. The
truth is that any effort t. secure good local
government is always considered by wire
workers and Tingstsrs as untimely and
quite out of order.
About thirty well-kown citizens will
shortly assemble in t:is city to consider
the eXpediency of presenting a municipal
ticket. They will meet just ter series
Of disclosures have bsen made touching
municiI al affairs that have surprised and
shocked the community. If they are called
to intervene to save this city from pillage
and plumber. can there be any doubt that
such an exigency will justify the framing
Of municipal ticket by a Nou-Psrtisan
c0nVeutiOn2