The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-11
Legal Steps to Be Taken
Against the Supervisors
at Once.
PUBLIC SENTIMENT AROUSED
Proceedings for Impeachment Are
Being Considered and VIII No
Doubt Be Brought.

W.
permitted to openly violate the law With
out suffering its penalties?
That is the question that lies with the
people of San Francisco. They are the
parties in interest. The answer must
come from them. If the answer is no
then they must act. They have only TO
remain passive if the answer is yes.
But if the answer is passive indifference
then the penalty will certainly be upon the
City.
But although the people Of great city
are disposed to be Iong-sutterlng they
will not stand by and, with their eyes open
witness their fundamental rights traded
away.
No. The people of this City and County
have placed large powers IN the hands OF
these gentlemen. But by the same token
they expect of them high appreciation
and fulfllment of the trust. Selling out
TO the corporations is not considered
privilege and perquisite of Supervisor IN
these later days and the people call halt.
The story of the shameless barter OF the
peoples rights, the open disregard OF the
nlain provisions of the law, by the Solid
Eight of the Board of Supervisors on Mon
day last as told in THE CALL of Tuesday
morning, has sounded up and down the
highways into the homes and business
houses of the people of this City like
sharp CRY of alarm, an unmistakable note
of warning.
But who shall act? said one to another
as they met in the streets, on change or at
the cafes. That isssalways the embarrass-
ing question in matters of this character
where every citizen is equally interested.
Which one shall take the trouble of acting
for all the othersP
This has always been the chief anchor of
security to those who betray public trusts,
at is everybody's business, so no one will
act" they say and then they blow the safe
open and carry away the securities
But in these later days certain men
have organized for this especial bust
ness-the business of acting where the pub
lie interests demand it.
The Citizens Defense Association is one
of those organizations. 1t has held no
meeting for long time because its mem
hers saw no occasion for its doing so. But
THE CALL of Sunday with its prediction OF
what these Supervisors were going to do
on Monday, THE CALL of Tuesday with its
story of what they had done on Monday,
and then again THE CALL of Wednesday
with the clear presentation of the law that
had been violated, and how it had been
violated, fell, one after the other, into the
hands of these gentlemen, and they seem
to have seen in it personal appeal from
the citizens of San Francisco.
Yesterday the secretary of the Citizens
Ntrn tot "a
members of the executive committee call
ING a meeting, to be held Immediately, for
the purpose of considering what steps shall
be taken in this matter. They deem it an
occasion for prompt and heroic measures.
The Civic Federation is another organi-
zation with good and honest government
as the purpose to which it is working. 1t
will hold it's regular meeting this evening,
and the Supervisors barter of the peoples
rights to the street railway monopoly will
be discussed. and some action toward
bringing the matter into the courts will be
taken.
George T. Gaden, secretary of the fede-
ration. speaking of the matter yesterday,
said:
1.-THE CALLS report of the proceedings of
most scathing arraignment of legislative
body that l ever saw in any newspaper,
while being, as it was, only the truthful
report of their own proceedings. l say
this as one who was there and saw and
heard all that was reported. The law has
been fagrantIy violated, and the Civic
Federation cannot but take cognizance
of it,
at was most high-handed action, and
complete disregard of the law" said Mayor
Sutro, yesterday. 81 am informed that an
action is to be brought against the mem
bers of the Solid Eight, for malfeasance in
office, but am not at liberty to mention the
name of the citizen who will bring it.
"Why," continued the Mayor, "what is
the use of making laws if they are to be
disregarded in this manner by the men in
high placesp A law is made directing, in
detail, the manner in which franchises are
to be awarded, and designed to defeat mo-
nopoly. The Supervisors, by placing re-
strictions and stipulations about the grant,
make it impossible for any other to bid
upon it than a single corporation, and that
corporation the one that already has its
tentacles about the entire City. 1t is clearly
unlawful. The law requires an open and
fair field. If they can lay one restriction
they can lay others, and forever prevent
any others from bidding but the one whom
they desire shall receive these privileges"
Steuart Menzies, one of the members of
the executive committee of the Citizens
Defense Association, is ready to take the
initiative in bringing before the proper
tribunal the Supervisors who have vio-
lated their trust and so fagrantly dis
regarded the law.
The attention of Mr.. Menzies was called
to the article in yesterday mornings CALL
dwelling on the disregard of the law ex-
hibited by the solid eight and how their
action had placed their positions in ieop-
ardy.
81 saw that" said Mr.. Menzies, ''but 1
have been so busy to-day that I have not
been able to give it the attention it de-
serves"
"Section 772 of the Penal Code, you OBJ
serve, says that if an accusation verified by
the oath of any person is presented to a
Superior Court alleging that any officer
within the jurisdiction of the court has not
discharged his duties, and on the charge