The San Francisco call., 1896-09-22
PLATFORM OF THE
NON-PART|S T|SANS
Adopted at Last Nights
Meeting of the Con-
ventiOn.
DEMANDS FOR REFORM.
Supervisors and Some Other City
Officers Are Roundly
Scored.
FREE TELEPHONES AND GAS.
Commendation of the Local Wheelmen
for Asking Good Pavements
and Streets.

Prospect Hall, in the Odd Fellows
building, was rather thinly populated at
last nights session of the Non-partisan
convention. but what the assembly lacked
in numbers was amply made up in en-
thusiasm.
The chief business of the meeting was
the adoption of party platform. George
K. Fitch presided.
The platform prepared was read
by Mr.. Sullivan. 1t is
long document and promises great
things. 1t demands clean streets and
clean municipal government, scores
Supervisors, the ''push" ana the politico-
religious combinations, and favors a
dollar-hmit tax on $500, ZOO, 600. valua-
ton.
The County Clerk is denounced, and
free gas, water, light and telephone SER
vice are some of the things to which tax
paying citizens are said to be entitled A
protest is entered against the high fees al
lowed to stenographic court reporters, it
being claimed that So day or TX cents a
folio would be amply sufficient.
The action of the local wheelmen in
demanding good streets Is warmly COM
mended, and the position is taken that in
no case should the Superintendent of
Streets be other than practical engineer
The new charter is indorsed with MANY
phrases of approval. The reckless ex-
penditure of public funds is roundly
scored, and hope expressed that the
may be paid in full like any other debt.
George Cumming had an objection to
offer to the platform.
''It cannot be of any use to crush out
the spoils system" he contended, "unless
it provides for good elective system
Supervisors ought to be elected by the
people of the wards which they repre-
sent
Ex-Mayor Ellert deprecated the caustic
references in the platform to Assessor
Siebe. This caused quite little discus
sion.
But the wordy wrangle of the evening
was between Messrs. Sullivan and lie Bre-
ton as to provision in the platform call
ing for a fearless District Attorney. Mr..
Sullivan in particular waxed eloquent
1T is not enough he cried, ''for Dis
trict Attorney to be young and courteous
and popular; he must be ready whenever
it may be his duty to proceed against all
persons guilty of malfeasance in office and
get them over to San Quentin if they de-
serve it"
Mr.. LIE Breton at length made it clear
that he had intended only to criticise the
wording of the section and quiet was par
TALLY restored.
MT. sullivan, however, OTOK0 out afreSh
when a mention of the Assessor was
made.
He ought to have gone to Sacra-
mento, he said, "and made his report to
the State Board of Equalization. 1t was
his duty, and he neglected to perform it."
Mr.. Ellert rejoined that the Assessor
was not obliged to present himself before
the Board of Equalization, and should
not be censured for not doing a thing
which the law did not compel him to do.
Several others spoke warmly in favor of
Mr.. Siebe, stating that the Merchants
Association and other friends of the City
had advised him not to go to Sacramento.
The offending reference was stricken
out, and the platform as amended was
unanimously adopted.
But barely had the platform been
adopted when the members Iell to picking
it to pieces.
Tine Supervisors ought not to be de-
nounceq as whole" remarked Mr.. Ell
lert. at would be better to limit our
condemnation to the "Solid Eight"
Mr.. Truman offered q resolution refer
ring the section back to tire committee on
platform and resolutions for revision, but
after much discussion the resolution was
tabled.
The committee on place of meeting re-
ported that the hall of the Academy of
Sciences seemed in their judgment both
central and commodious.
The following committees were then ap.
pointed by the chair:
On judiciary-Henley, Ellert Jacobs, Root.
Sullivan, Ziegler, Halladie, Smith, Capp and
Gregory.
On municipal affairs-Le Breton, Cumming.
Harris Whiting. Davis Berteling, Burr, ZeiIe
and Swain.
On Supervisors-Ellert, Capp, Ashton,
Lynch, Sherwood. Payne, Truman, Menzies,
Altsehul and Sbarboro.
On education-Sherwood,P Perkins HalIadie
Bonestell, Lynch, Milliken Whiting, Deneke,
Romaine and Coll.
On prin ting-Towne, Well and Smith.
Literary committee-Lynch, Hallidie, Per-
kius, Paine, Samuels and Webster.
Mr.. LIE Breton caused general consterna-
tion by making motion that the mem
bers be assessed $40 head for campaign
expenses. The amount was at length
reduced to $40, and it being put to vote,
all promised to subscribe that sum-
The longest discussion of the evening
was as to the time of the next meeting,
cries of "wednesday" Thursday" and
FRIDAY" alternating with confusing
reiteration. Wednesday was at last de-
clared the winner, the place to be the lee
ture hall OF the Academy of Sciences.