The San Francisco call., 1895-07-16
Applicants for Admission Cate
ChiSed-Many Turned
Away.
NO TALK ABOVE A WHISPER.
Quietest Meeting in History-Some g
Good Legislation Slips Through
by Consent.

of Supervisors convened yesterday after
noon broad-shouldered policeman took
position at the back door leading into the
clerks Office, through which the members
of the board and the privileged few make
their way into the board rooms.
Another big policeman took position
at the general public entrance to the lobby,
another stood at the door leading into the
gallery. Two other policemen patrolled
the corridor outside the lobby door and
two others the corridor outside the gallery,
while Sergeant Gillen, in command of the
squad, together with q fright hand man."
took positions in the body of the lobby.
1t is customary at every meeting of the
board for one policeman to be stationed in
the lobby and another in the gallery by
way of keeping order, ana that it is usually
merely matter of form is evidenced by
the fact that the man in the gallery sleeps
through the entire session.
But last week it will be rem rendered the
gallery and the lobby. outraged and dis
gusted as, for two hours, they heard the
majority of the board-the Solid Eight
resist every appeal for justice and a plain
observance of the law; heard them vote
time after time, in spite of repeated ad-
monition and remonstrance, in favor of
granting to the Market-street Railway
Company franchise which the law par
ticularly stipulates shall be granted to the
highest bidder in fair and open auction,
openly jeered and laughed at the humili-
ating spectacle presented by their repre-
sentatives.
Since that time the whole City had been
in ferment of excitement, and the open
betrayal of the trust by the Citys law
makers has been the one thing talked
about. One heard it everywhere-in the
streetcars, IN the cafes, in the lobbies of
hotels, the foyers of theaters, and as your
friend caught step with you in your hur-
ried walk down street his first question was
''What do you think of the Solid Eight
now?"
So it was not much wonder that these
men felt some anxiety about coming to-
gether again in their capacity as public
servants, convicted, in the eyes OF their
constituents, of having violated the law
and sold themselves to the corporations
and, with that consciousness, sitting all
the afternoon under the eyes of that ter
rible gallery.
Chief Crowley on Saturday received
note from Clerk Russell notifying him
that the Board of Supervisors would ex-
pect the protection of his department at
the meeting on Monday.
By 1.-The Board of Supervisors" was
meant, of course, the majority-that is,
the Solid Eight-these gentlemen:
JOSEPH KING, First Ward.
PETER A. SCULLY, Second Ward.
c. E. BENJAMIN, Third Ward.
ALPHONSE HIRSCH, Fourth Ward,
Z. G. HUGHES, Sixth Ward.
CHRIS DUNKER, seventh Ward.
A. w. MORGENSTERN, Ninth Ward.
EDWARD L. WAGNER, Twelfth
Ward.
The four who compose the minority had
no anxiety. There was no reason why
they should ask the police to protect them
from gallery filed with their own fellow
citizens. They had no fear-nothing to
fear. Their members compose the mi
nority:
JOSEPH /. DIMOND, Fifth Ward.
c. L. TAYLOR, Eighth Ward.
A. B. SPRECKELS, Tenth Ward.
j. K. C. HOBBS, Eleventh Ward.
1t was in answer to the note referred to,
in behalf of the Solid Eight, that Sergeant
Gillen put in an appearance at the clerks
Office early yesterday afternoon and as
signed his men to the duty of guarding
every door leading into the Supervisors
meetin groom. His instructions were to
question every person who applied for ad-
mission to the room and to allow no one
personally unknown to them to pass un-
less they could show some right to do so.
So strict was the surveillance that several
men who had business before the board
were refused admittance even while some
seats remained vacant in the lobby News
paper men whom the policemen did not
chance to know were required to show
their credentials. With all these pre-
cautions, however, both the gallery and
lobby were well filled by interested citi-
zens before the meeting was called to
order, while numbers were turned away.
Those who came with the expectation of
hearing any sensational proceedings along
the lines of the previous meeting were
disappointed. This Gordon of police stood
guard over the tamest meeting that has
been held in the chambers of the board in
years.
Not a word was said or motion made
outside the routine as it stood already pre-
pared upon the clerks files. Clerk Russell
and Assistant Clerk Farquharson did all
the work.
The usual grist of petitions and COM
munications were read by the clerk and
by the Mayor referred to committees, the
reports of committees were read and
adopted and then the unfinished business
was taken up and the resolutions, orders
and authorizations upon it were passed in
steady procession without dissenting
voice, the motion being made by the Super
visor interested and followed by the
Mayors rapid formula, "If there is no OBJ
lection it stands adopted"
In not single instance was there any
objection. The "new business" file was
taken up and rushed through in like
manner. Not SO much as once was the
roll called, and the entire business of the
day-a fair average for quantity-was dis
posed of in a little over an hour. There
was none of that querulous questioning
and interference with every measure
emanatlng from the minority Just because
it emanated from the minority, which has
come to be characteristic of these meet