The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-24
FOR MUNICIPAL REFORM.
The Members of the Civic
Federation Decide to In
corporate.
AFTER PRACTICAL POLITICIANS.
The Grand Jury Asked to Inves-
tigate Commissioner Colnon'S
Charges.

TlRaIe com missioner SOlnOnS
Charges.
One of the most important steps taken
by the Civic Federation since its organiZa-
ton was that of last night, when it
adopted articles of incorporation. The
meeting was we'll attended and was pre-
sided over by President Isaac ]. Truman.
Among the various bodies represented
were: The Good Government Club, Pres
byterian Church, Law ana Order League,
Methodist Church, Congregational Church,
Episcopal Church, Epworth League, Gold
en-, Gate Union of Christian Endeavor,
Union for Practical Progress, Citizens
Defense Association, Home Protection
League of San Francisco Woman's Chris
tian Temperance Union.
Without loss of time the report of the
committee on articles of incorporation and
bylaws was presented, and after being
considered seriatim the articles of in
corporation were, adopted.
They provide that the organization shall
be known as the Civic Federation of San
Francisco, and that its purposes shall be:
partisan, non-sectarian association, embracing
all the forces that are now laboring to advance
the municipal, philanthropical, industrial and
moral interests of San Francisco, and to use
| and aid such forces in promoting the honesty
| aud efficiency OF its municipal government.
Second-To serve as medium OF acqualnt-
anceship and sympathy between persons who
reside in different parts OF the City, who pursue
different yocations, who are by birth OF diff
ferent nationalities, who prefer different creeds
or no creed who for any of these reasons, are
oil Int hn arth no agg
have an interest in the well being OF San Fran
cisco, and who agree in the desire to promote
every kind OF municipal reform
Third-To increase the number and efficiency
of the agencies designed to discover abuses in
municipal affairs, to increase the interest of
citizens in such affairs by securing the utmost
practical separation of municipal rom State
and National politics.
The principal means to be employed by the
federation are investigation, publication,
agitation, prosecution and organization,
together with the exercise OF every lawful in
1uence needed to carry into effect the purposes
of federation.
This Civic Federation shall have no capital
stock, and its members shall be fifty in num-
Der, named and elected by the eleven fncor-
porators herein, and such others as may be
provided for in the bylaws of this corporation.
This was not adopted without consider
able discussion and amendment, the de-
bate centerlng on the question OF whether
the organization, by the terms of the arti-
Giles OF. Incorporation, was to be made
close corporation with limited member
ship, controlled by the eleven incorpora-
tors, or whether it was to be popular in
character According to the articles
| adopted the organization will partake OF
the latter character.
Next came the work OF selecting the
eleven corporators, which resulted in the
! following named gentlemen being dele
| gated to incorporate the body: [. j. Tru-
man of the Epworth League, E. r. Ollie of
the Methodist church, Stewart Men
zies of the Citizens Defense Asso-
citation, ]. Cumming Smith of the
Presbyterian Church, M. McGlynn OF the
Government Club, Wallace Bradford of
the Golden Gate Union of Christian En-
deavor, D. Gilbert Dexter of the Congrega-
| tionaI Church, George T. Gaden of the Law
and Order League, M. s. Woodlands of the
Golden Gate Union of Christian Endeavor,
and A. G. Towne of the Citizens Defense
! Association.
| The articles of incorporation will be at
once filed with the County Clerk, and
| copy then forwarded to the Secretary of
| State for his official Endorsement.
| AT the next meeting the bylaws will
come up for action. Their most important
! feature is the proposition to organize dis
! trict clubs to be affiliated organizations of
the main body, one to be established in
each of the eighteen Assembly districts of
the City, and each club to have the right
| of being represented by delegate in the
main organization. This would make the
actual working body'of the Civic Fedora
ton consist of sixty-eight members, as it is
understo TODD to be the intention of the eleven
incorporators to elect not more than
thirty-nine members to add to their own
number.
The committee on articles of incorpora-
ton and bylaws comprised M. S. Wood
hams, J. L. Case and ]. NJ. Reynolds.
Considerable discussion followed the
presentation of a resolution to request the
Grand Jury to investigate the charges
ticians by Harbor Commissioner Colnon.
The following was finally adopted by a
unanimous vote:
WHEREAS Harbor Commissioner Colnon, in
an interview published in the San Francisco
CALL on Tuesday morning, August 20, 1896,
declared that certain unnamed San Francisco
politicians had attempted to make corrupt bar
gains with him in the matter of appointments
by the Board of Health, and there stated that
In one of these propositions will say that the
cool suggestion was made that there would he
as much as S400 month one appointment.
OF course. not wishing to do practical politics on
this basis, refused to entertain any such propo-
| stion.
And again:
was approached in other matters and solicited
to engage in practical politics. in another appoint
ment. an important appointment under the Board
of Health, where the sum of $1,000 a month was
represented as the profits IL / could control and
secure the appointment for the person desired
And whereag MIR. Colnon is a man of respon-
sibility whose statements are entitled to great
weight with this community, and the Civic
Federation, therefore, assumes them to be
true; and, whereas the exposure and punish
ment of the corruptionists who approached
Mr.. Colnon would be of the greatest practical
benefit to the cause of good government in San
Francisco; therefore, be 1t
RESOLVED That the Civic Federation respect
fully calls the attention of the Grand Jul y of
San Francisco to the statements of Mr.. Colnon
investigate the truth of the charges so made,
to find out the guilty men and subject them to
criminal prosecution.
The secretary was instructed to forward
COPY of the resolutions to the foreman of
the Grand Jury now in session. The meet
ing then adjourned.