The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-01-15
He Thinks He Has a
Good Thing.
Is OBDURATE TO ALL.
His Resignation Asked but Not
Given.
AA ATTEMPT MADE YESTERDAY
10 IndEe Him to Retire, but With
out Success.
HE SlYS NOTHING TO HIS VISITORS.
What Was Done by the Subcommittee.
Some Strong Opinions Expressed
on the Situation.

Moses A. Gunst, the new Police Com
missioner, has at last committed himself
beyond any further doubt, and now the
hosts of anxious taxpayers and legions OF
law-abiding citizens know exactly what to
expect.
The action of Mr.. Gunst has been some
what of a negative one and consists in
telling not what he intends to do now that
he is one of the board, but what he pro-
poses not to do.
What he proposes not to do is to resign
from the commission.
Mr.. Gunst seems to have become most
impressed with his new office, and he pro-
poses to keep it if he can. While the
position may not be the personifcation of
a sinecure still Nose deems it sufficiently
good for him, and he has so declared him
self.
No doubt he reasons that the office is
always in these days sought by the man,
and now that the almost ironclad custom
has the exception of his own shining ap-
pointment he would show a great disre-
gard and disrespect for that office by re.
signing. He prefers therefore to ignore
the wishes of the public, and so intimated
=
come possessed of the idea that he would
like to emulate a great Gotham example
on the Pacific Coast.
'Well, what are you going to do about
t?" was the query put by Tweed when the
cries of indignation from citizens were
ringing in his ears and this is precisely
what Mr.. Gunst is saying TO the people of
San Francisco to-day. If actions speak
louder than words, then the local edition
of Tweed asks this question in the clarion
tones of a trumpet. His Indifference TO
the influence brought TO bear on him
amounts to'apathy. The silence that he
has strictly maintained up till yesterday
has been of the most eloquent nature. No
one who has ever seen Mr.. Gunst could
have imagined for one instant that within
was stored such vast fund of the qualities
OF a Demosthenes.
Yesterday was the end of the nine days
silence, however, and what had been wor-
SHIPPED as the sphinx resolved itself once
more into plain everyday Moses a. Gunst.
1t was while in this latter existence that
the new Police Commissioner declared that
he intended to stay where, by the hypnotic
Markham hand and the directing agency of
Dan Burns, he had been put.
What led Commissioner Gunst to thus
declare himself was visit he received at
his store on Kearny street yesterday after
noon from three gentlemen who called
with 4 modest request. That request was
for him 20 tender his resignation as Police
Commissioner. The Commissioner be-
came greatly incensed at the visit and ex-
pressed himself in very positive language.
The meeting ended by Mr.. Gunst saying he
had nothing to say to his visitors.
Il was exactly 4:30 o'clock yesterday
afternoon when Judge a. \. Thompson, G.
T. Gaden and J. A. Anthony walked up to
Nose Gunst's cigar-stand and inquired if
that person was in. They were told he was
out. The trio then remained in front of
the store for fifteen minutes more waiting
for the appearance of Mr.. Gunst. They
were committee that had been appointed
at meeting of the committee of eleven
earlier IN the afternoon, to wait upon the
new Commissioner and to hand him the
resolution adopted at the mass meeting
Saturday night, requesting his resignation.
At quarter to o'clock the Commits
sioner put in an appearance and walked
into his store. The committee, headed by
Mr. Gaden, were hot on his heels though,
and as Mr. Gunst was about to enter his
office he was stopped.
''Is this Mr.. Gunst?" asked Mr.. Gaden,
the chairman of the committee.
Eyes, SIR replied the Commissioner,
with characteristic grace of manner
s'Well, then, we are a committee who
have been appointed to wait on you and
hand you this communication requesting
YOU to resign" said the chairman And
with these words he handed the following
note to Mr.. Gunst, who accepted it:
SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, Jan. IA, 1895
Mr. Moses Il. Gunst, EOS Keay1g street
SIR: At mass-meeting of the citizens of
San Francisco, held at Metropolitan Tenn
pie on the evening of Saturday, January
II, 1895, the following resolution was
adopted viz:
ResoIved, That committee of three be
appointed to wait upon M. A. Gunst and
request him, in Difference to the universally
expressed wishes of the people, to resign
the appointment of Police Commissioner,
tentered him by the late Governor, H. H.
Markham.
We, the undersigned, having been APP
Dointed the aforementioned committee,
as such, and on behalf of the citizens of
San Francisco, hereby request you to re-
si0ner of the city and county of San Fran
cisco. Geo. T. Gaden, J. A. Anthony, A.
w. Thompson, committee.
Had Mr.. Gunst been lightning change
artist ON the variety stage before he be-
came Police Commissioner he could not
have transformed himself any sooner than
he did upon the receipt of that commune
cation. He became furious, and in an in
slant was trembling in every fiber with
anger. First he started toward his Office,
then he turned to the three visitors and
said:
LET me ask you one question, just one.
Are you citizens? Are you taxpayers3"
Eyes" vociferated the three.
Mr.. Gunst then walked to his desk and
returned to the committee.
When you tell me your authority and
communicate to me your requests viii