The San Francisco call., 1895-11-03

selves, however secretly, with political
knaves who have assisted them in robbing
others if they have been dishonest. Special
game in such a hunt will be wealthy men
who are suspected of having bribed public
offcers for the purpose OF securing privi-
leges to their own advantage and the injury
OF the public. Such men are the greatest
towards in the world. The moment
finger is raised in threat of their wealth or
IN menace of their avarice they become the
most doclle of coadjutors. The inferen-
tlal story of their wrongs could be easily
dug out of the public records and if shown
to them it would whip them quickly into
line.
| Of course they could not be depended on,
and OF course while pretending undying
fealty to their new allegiance they would
not dare do so openly and would still
maintain secret friendly relations with
| their political partners in infamy. That
/ would be all right. Meanwhile we shall
have secured their money and they will
not have secured our whole plan of cam
palgn. For that matter I would not care
| if they did, for it would be contrary to
their policy to disclose it to the enemy.
| We would always bear in mind the fact
| that such men dare not antagonize any
force that may have the slightest chance
of securing supremacy; and while it is true
that they do not want an honest govern
| ment and would be injured in pocket by
its establishment, their cowardice under
| certain circumstances would prevent them
from fighting it openly and thus lend to
knavery the strength of an apparently
| respectable support. We should give
<bAeo II
are the backbone of corrupt municipal
politics, and they rightly belong in the
category of the thieves, pluguglies and
bummers who understand the art of
practical politics.
We would sedulously keep out of the
organization all cranks, professional re-
formers and chronic agitators, and have
only earnest, quiet, business-ike, clear
headed and capable men and women; and
women, if properly organized and willing
to submit to the discipline required in such
a fight, would be among the most efficient
agencies imaginable.
Next would come very hard task-the
enlistment of persons of the desired kind
who may have diverse political faiths. If
they cannot be won by persuasion or argu-
ment or moved by conviction that they
would be doing noble work for humanity,
they would not make useful assistants and
would better be left alone.
The raising of fund must be held in
abeyance until something like an organiza-
ton has been accomplished. Among
those able who would be willing to con-
tribute If they were assured that the
money would be honestly expended
would be minor merchants who believe
that their wealthy competitors have es-
capped their due share of taxation by re-
sorting to bribery; high-minded persons
OF the wealthy classes who want clean
government for decency's sake; wealthy
rogues who are particeps criminis with
| political thieves; large property owners
| who would not condescend to crooked
ness, and whose accretions of wealth
| through public Improvements are held in
| check by official negle ct of the public well
fare and by pilfering of the money paid
as taxes for the public benefit; rich and
decent men who have a harmless vanity
which desires qualification by election to
responsible public Office, which, though
small, may be an Introduction to loftier
flights if the movement which seeks their
support Is within the lines of a great Ma
80 it would go. The sources from which
the fund might be drawn and the means
which might be employed legitimately to
| raise it are of endless variety and limited
only by the intellectual abilities of those
charged with the task of raising it. In
| this branch of the work the services
of able women would be exceedingly
| valuable.
An important step near the beginning of
| the undertaking would be the organiza-
| tion of Grand Jury of kind not very
familiar to the people hereabout. This
does not mean to reflect on all the Grand
| Juries which have been drawn here, but
| merely to say that the work even of the
best Grand Jury that we have ever had
! might be surpassed in excellence. This
| jury would come after the organization
| had been effected. Its work would be first
to bring the Police Department into per-
feet harmony with the purposes of the
movement. Both in this and in the work
of bringing the gin-soaked, ill-smelling
knaves and vagabonds of practical poll
tics" to terms if not to the penitentiary,
| the corps of newspaper men could per-
| form invaluable and heroic service. And
| they would enjoy 1t more than the most
stirring detail that the city editor ever
gave them.
| Under the present system of drawing
Grand Juries some difficulties would pre-
sent themselves, including influences
which might or might not affect the con-
| duct of some branches of the Superior
Court, but way out of all these, and
clean one at that, could be found.
The primaries and elections would be
merely matters of detail. Men who have
the sense and public spirit and courage to
do all that has been indicated here would
know what to do when these occasions
arose. With the whole police and legal
machinery of the City under decent con-
troll the task of guarding the polls and
count would be simple enough. A part of
the scheme would be to punish to the last
limit every one who violated the smallest
provision of the election laws.
What would be the effect on the City of
the establishment of a municipal govern
| ment on these lines? Is it necessary to
| ask that question? There are in this City
| hndiaS 0f