The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-02
A THREATENED INFAMY.

The bill introduced into the Legislature
authorizing the Governor to appoint COM
mittee of three to investigate alleged
frauds and corruption throughout the
State is nothing less than threatened
infamy. If it passes 1t will be an actual
infamy. 1t will outrage every principle of
law, of politics, of expediency and OF de-
cency. 1t will be an affront to the con-
stituted authorities of every community,
an insult to American manhood, viola
ton of the spirit of our institutions and a
dangerous menace to individual rights and
liberties.
The bill is so extraordinary in its scope
that only by a full reading can the meas
ure of its abomination be understood. 1t
empowers Governor Budd, without the
consent of the Senate, to appoint three
men to investigate all kinds of alleged
abuses. The only limitation put upon his
freedom of choice is that one of the three
men must be chosen from each of the three
great parties of the State. They are to
hold office for two years. They can act in
any county, city, town or village. They
are given inquisitorial powers almost with
out limit. They can probe into private as
well as public business; and in short they
will constitute tribunal of inquisition with
out parallel since the overthrow of the
Council of Ten that curbed the independ-
ence and paralyzed the energies of Venice.
Such powers free people cannot safely
intrust to any set of men. 1t is madness
to intrust it to committee, the majority
of which is certain to be partisan. Before
el h.
through the excitement of a Presidential
election. Party feeling will run high and
partisan passions will be aroused. The COM
mission appointed by a Democratic Gov
ernor will feel a fervent desire for Demo-
cratic success. Their investigations will
have an eye to political effect, and the
result will probably be a series of pro-
ceedings more inscriptions than can at
the present time be imagined.
In addition to this argument from poll
tics, however, there is the greater one OF
law. Our system of government is based
upon self-governing communities. The
whole fabric of our republic is woven OF
the great truths and principles of home
rule. Each organized community is en-
dowed with authority to look after its own
affairs, and to supersede that authority by
an extraordinary commission would be
such deviation from the settled order OF
our institutions as to constitute practically
revolution in our legal methods.
The attempt to cloak this innovation
under the speeious name of reform adds to
the outrage. The advocates of the scheme
can only defend it by assailing the reputa-
ton of the city and of the State. They are
forced to denounce San Francisco and her
people by thousand offensive terms in
order to justify their proposed inquisition.
Other cities in the State fare hardly better
at their hands. The opponents of the bill,
therefore are the defenders of the good re-
pute of the city and the State. They assert
not only the principle of home rule, but
the fitness of our people to practice it. For
multitude of reasons, therefore, the bill
is offensive to all right-minded men, aud
all honest legislators should unite with the
San Francisco delegation in denouncing
the outrage and preventing the completion
of the threatened infamy.