The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-22
WILL GUARD THE EIGHT,
Chief CrowIey's Men at the
Meeting of the Supervi-
sors To-Day.
SUMMONS WILL BE SERVED.
Great Public Interest Shown In the
Impending Proceedings for
Impeachment.

These are not halcyon days for Super
visors who betray the confidence reposed
in them by their electors. These are days
in truth when the path of the corporation
collared Supervisor is strewn with stumb-
ling blocks in the shape of honest newspa-
pers, public sentiment, civic declarations,
Impeachment suits and the like. All, it
was not always so. Once upon time
Supervisor counted his corporation gains
peace and contentment (such was the IN
duration of his conscience) and had moth
ing to fear from an occasional burst of in
dignation on the part of the people; once
upon time-but that is an old story.
The new story is more interesting There
is suit for impeachment in it, and con-
spiracy will be charged against the Solid
Eight. Conspiracy, malfeasance IN office
and similar unpleasant things, all IN legal
and regular form, too = these are the
things that rob the emoluments of the
Solid Eight of half their sparkle and JOY.
To-day the real interesting part of the
story will notwithstanding to the public,
that is, and also full of interest for the
Solid Eight AS they take their seats in
the chamber of municipal legislation a
them. This summons will demand their
presence in the Superior Court TO show
cause why they should not be deprived of
their honorable office because they have
betrayed its trust.
Not all of the Supervisors will be sum-
moned. Only eight of them, the Solid
Eight, these eight;
Joseph King, First Ward.
Peter A. Scully, Second Ward.
Charles f. Benjamin, Third Ward.
AIphonse Hirsch, Fourth Ward.
Edward C. Hughes, Sixth Ward.
Chris bunker, Seventh Ward.
Alfred W. Morgenstern, Ninth Ward.
Edward L. Wagner, Twelfth Ward.
None of the other Supervisors will be
served with summons. The reason for the
distinction is that only these eight are
charged with conspiracy and malfeasance.
Only these eight men voted to perpetuate
the street-paying monopoly and voted to
override the State law. which says dis
tinctly and emphatically that ali street
railway franchises shall be sold at public
auction to the highest bidder.
The suit is brought by K. NJ. Smith,
well-known attorney, who has been largely
identified with the work and the legal bat
ties of Improvement clubs.
The complaint charges the Solid Eight
with malfeasance in Office in willfully and
knowingly violating their official duties;
with willfully and unlawfully conspiring
together against the public interests and in
behalf OF the interests OF the Market-street
Railway Company.
1t cites the facts of that meeting of the
board on the afternoon of July s, which
have been told in The CALL, when the
Solid Eight caused TO be advertised the
Market-street Railway Company applica-
ton for franchise with conditions and
restrictions in its own favor, drafted and
framed by order of the said Market-street
Railway Company, with the object and in
tention of defeating the purpose of the law
and preventing any competition or bid
ding whatever against it for the said fran
chise, expressly in the interest of the
Market-street Railway Company and
against the public welfare and interest of
the people and taxpayers of the City and
County OF San Francisco"
And because of this complaint, based as
it is upon facts exposed by THE CALL a
great deal of public interest centers in the
meeting of the board to-day, and extra
precautions have been taken by the Solid
Eight. 1t is understood that they have
requested a squad of police double the
strength of that which guarded them from
the violence of their own imaginations last
Monday afternoon. A big, blue-coated
Will SbdI1Q UeIlluQ oil Vi Jue
eight Supervisors, and there will besides
be a Gordon of stalwart officers drawn
faulty all around the three sides of the
room and only few feet back of the legis-
lative officials.
But all the policemen that Chief Crowley
can spare for the occasion. not even the
City's entire force of new uniforms, can
keep out what the Solid Eight have reason
to fear most-those eight summonses for
the eight Supervisors to come into the Su-
perior Court and be tried for malfeasance
and conspiracy.
The thing most talked of in the City yes
terday in all quarters was this approach
ing trial for impeachment, ana it is evident
that the public interest is at high pitch.
There will doubtless be a crowded house
at the meeting of the Supervisors this
afternoon, and if the police are too numer-
Gus many of those who might otherwise be
enabled to squeeze into the spectators
space, now allotted to the policemen, will
have good reason to grumbIe at the nu-
merical strength of the guarding army.