The San Francisco call., 1896-08-12

This, it seems to me, is shameful confession
| under the circumstances. Would not 100000
| buy good deal of manure? | should say thai
10000 loads of dung, if applied TO the roots oi
| those dying trees, would be more beneficial to
| the park than that unnecessary lodge at its
entrance.
| Would Park Commission appointed by the
Mayor-who is always here and who would
take cognizance of what is going on-instead
OF by the Governor, who, from the nature OF
things, is seldom here. be likely to expend
$4,000 upon vice-regal lodge while the
trees we're dying for want of manuref II the
people of this City prefer to be governed in
this way, by boards, commissions, and trustees
chosen for them from without, they will vote
against the new charter and continue as de-
pendency, but if they wish to govern them
selves they will vote for it.
We are to Id that the offices which the Mayor
would fill by appointment under the proposed
charter, ought to be elective; that to make
them appointive would be to deprive the
electors of the right of choice which they now
enjoy. Now give myself leave to say that at
each election we are required to vote for so
many people that an intelligent, discriminate
ing choice is impossible in eacn case.
AT the next election, which will not embrace
the choice of State officers, we in this county
shall have to deal with ticket almost as large
as the page of q newspaper and covered with
the names of candidates for Presidential cleo
tors, members of the Legis ature, Boards of Su-
pervisors and School Directors, also Judges
great and small, besides numerous other mu-
n1c1pal officers. The eIectorS-siXty or more
thousand OF them-are expected to take a
ticket OF this character into a narrow booth
and in a very short time stamp cross in front
OF the name of each person for whom he elects
to vote. This is q task that / personally have
never been able to perform to my own salts
faction, and suppose there are thousands of
others who would make like confession if
called upon.
The result is that the names upon the last
half of the ticket receive but about one-half
OF all the votes cast. Therefore, in giving the
Mayor the appointment of some of the inferior
officers OF the municipality, together with
those not appointed from abroad, you would
not be depriving the electors of any privilege
which they value-you would merely relieve
them of a duty which they now perform
either reluctantly or not at all.
l understand that considerable opposition
has manifes ted itself to that provision in the
new charter which says:
''The Board of Education shall not appoint
any person to be teacher in the primary or
grammar classes of the schools of this City and
County except upon competitive examination
OF those persons holding teachers certificates
and who have been educated in the public
school system of the State of California"
1t is alleged by some that this limitation is
iiliberal, narrow, selfish; that these positions
should be open 10 all persons competent to
teach, no matter whence they come. It should
be remembered that this City expends annu-
ally for the maintenance of her public schools
a million dollars, not including her contribu-
tlons to the support OF State normal schools
and the university; and in view of this large
outlay of money and of the fact that from the
public schools are graduating annually q large
number of persons qualified TO act as teachers,
it is not 10 be wondered at perhaps if the City
should be little jealous of its prerogatives in
the matter of employing teachers.
In regard to the boards commissioners and
trustees that l have named as appointed by
the Governor-and which I contend ought to
be appointed by the Mayor-the law provides
that they shall be citizens and residents of San
Francisco. All the State officers are required
to be citizens and residents of the State. The
municipal officers are required to be citizens
and residents of the City, and in case of men,
bers of the Legislature and Board of Super
visors, OF the districts which they represent
We cannot take citizen of another county
officer of the City. The paragraph quoted is
more liberal than these laws to which nobody
objects, because the field from which to
choose teachers, is coextensive with the boun-
daries of the State. Had they limited the
appointment of teachers here TO those
educated in the public schools of
the City, there might, perhaps perhaps b. be 1901 room for
upon the principle that those who furnish the
banquet usually invite the guests. The public
schools are open to all alike; there is no one at
the gate to question the chlld's right to enter
there. Many people, however, living here
and elsewhere in California, who, not believ-
ing i'll the pubic schools or in their methods
OF teaching, prefer 10 have their children edu-
Gated in other places and in other ways. 1t is
claimed that those educated in this way
would, under the paragraph of the charter
of teachers in the public schools hereafter.
But l understand this is not the case. The
State normal schools furnish way out of the
difficulty Pupils from private schools can en-
ter them, and, by passing the requisite exam
nations obtain the coveted certificate which
would enable them to teach in the public
schools.
Having answered the objections to this para
graph point by point, am told finally that it
leveled against the Catholics and was inserted
IN the charter by their enemies. l find in the
character of the men who framed the charter
and recommended it to the people for adop-
ton complete refutation of this allegation.
j. j. OBrien, and the other enlightened citi-
zens who comprised the Board of Freeholders
that framed this charter, can be trusted upon
this point. Besides if | believed this allega-
tion were true / would be one of the first to
resent it and one of the last to recommend the
adoption of an instrument thus tainted. Were
the political institutions of this country ever
to fall under the control of those, ifsuch there
be, who would prescribe any portion of their
on account OF their religious
beliefs, the Declaration of Independence, with
its promises, and the constitution of the
United States, with its guarantees, would not
be worth to me the sweepings of your hall
But such conditions can never arise in this
country, because the American people are too
wise for that
When Lincoln, in his immortal speech at
spoke of government by. for and
OF the people, he meant all the people of the
United States. England, with its established
church, OF which the sovereign is the head, |
law-givers, was the last of the enlightened na-
tions to throw down the barriers which ex-
cluded the nonconformists, Catholics and |
Jews from her halls of legislation, and other |
high places in the realm; but now they are all |
admitted and admissible. To-day the Lord |
Chief Justice OF England, Baron Russell. is an |
Irish Roman Catholic. 1t is not SO very long |
since the House of Commons, by unanimous |
vote, petitioned the crown to have q monu- |
ment erected in Westminster Abbey to Benja- |
min Disraei, and Mr.. Gladstone, in making |
the motion, said the dead statesman never |
hesitated to defend his race, even at the ex- |
pense of his own popularity
/ have dwelt upon these sectarian matters |
.hus much, and perhaps you will think over
much because they have entered into this con- |
.reversy, and it has become necessary to take |
notice of them.
The religious sentiments of the people are
being played upon for the purpose of making |
7otes against the charter. OF course you must
expect opposition to it from the 1000 or more
persons who hold offices here under extrane-
Jus influences.
1t is reported that the police are making an
letive canvass against the charter, though |
Why they should do so l am at a loss to know, |
because it re-enacts the act OF 1873. which