The San Francisco call., 1896-10-08

understood in some quarters, and 1 request
permission TO state through your columns my
views on a matter of great public interest and
importance.
am not, and never have been, in favor of
the charter. I consider that instrument
democratic, un-American and unworthy OF
the support of any citizen who has at heart
the welfare of this community.
1t is q conglome ration OF laws, rules and
regulations crudely and hurriedly put to-
gether, which if adopted as the organic law of
San Francisco viii certainly work a vast
amount of mischief. have not time here to
discuss. or even refer to, all of the defects ap-
parent in the charter. will however, touch
In the first place the charter is undemo-
cratic. Its trainers were evidently imbued
with the notion that the people of this City are
not capable OF self government, for 1t is sought
by this charter TO deprive the people of the
power OF electing their own servants The
charter might be well ADAPTED to the govern
ment of a Russian or Chinese municipality,
where the common people enjoy few priyi-
Ieges other than that of living, but II is GER
tainly Ill suited to the wants OF great Ameri-
can city.
The most serious objection to the charter is
the power vested by it in the Mayor. 1t
makes of him q verilable Gar.
If the char ter is adopted the Mayor will ap-
point
1. Board of Education.
2. Police Commissioners.
3. Fire Commissioners.
T. Park Commissioners.
5. Board of Health.
g. Election Commissioners
q Board of Public Works.
3. Civil Service Commissioners.
g. Library Trustees.
10. City Attorney.
IL Public ministrator
And when the constitution and the laws
shall be changed he will appoint:
IL. County Clerk.
13. Recorder
IA. Tax Collector.
Is. Coroner.
16. Justices of the Peace.
What does this grea power mean? 1t means
MaVOT shall nOminallV. q
troll the appointment directly or indirectly of
fully 5000 persons employed in the different
departments of our municipal Government.
With the Fire Department, Police Depart
ment, School Department, Park Commits
sioners, Street Department, County Clerk s
Office, Tax Collectors office and Recorders
office acting together IN politics, they GER
lainly would when con trolled by one man uhe
Mayor, nothing could Withstand their in
huence in primary politics as well as at
general elections; their com bined power
would be inyincible. If an absolutely perfect
man would always be elected Mayor no danger
need be appre hended but in no man can per-
lection be found. 1t is better for US on account
OF the imperfections and frailties of men to
divide authority as much as possible among
the people and give no man the vast power
which the charter contemplates shall be exer-
cised by the Mayor
A greater danger yet to fear is the danger
that the Mayor may be the tool of boss. NY
nomination was conferred on me by the
Democratic and Peoples party conventions
without solicitation on my part and withou I
pledge or promise OF any kind from on
my behalf. J am satisfied that the other gen.
tlemen nominated for the Office of Mayor, all
OF whom know to be men of pure character
and strict integrity, are unpledged. 1 know
that each is too honorable to barter away the
patronage of the office to which he aspires.
But the charter is not yet adopted. If the
new charter becomes the organic law of this
municipality pledged candidates will be the
rule and not the exception.
have said more than I intended saying,
but not one-tenth as much as might be said
upon this subject alone. 1 will now refer to
that portion OF the charter which relates to
the powers of the Board of Education. The char
ter provides that the School Department shall
be under the control and management of a
Board Of Education composed of five school
directors, to be appointed by the Mayor.
Under the charter the board has power "to
employ, pay and dismiss such teachers and
persons as may be necessary to carry into effe ct
its powers and duties. = But no teacher
shall be dismissed except for sufficient cause.
which shall be determined by said board after
giving the accused teacher due hearing in his
or her defense.
Under the present law q teacher once elected
'sshall be dismissed only for violation of the
rules OF the Board OF Education or for incom-
potency, unpro fessional or immoral conc duct !"
On two occasions at least the Board of Educa-
ton of this City, through favoritism or
prejudice, has attempted to dismiss mpetent
teachers from the department. without any
proof OF violation of the rules of the board, or
without proof of unprofessional or immoral
conduct, and In each case the Supreme Court
of this State has compelled the board to re-
instate the teacher. / refer to the case of the
late Kate Kennedy against the Board of Edu-
cation and the case of Miss Fairchild against
the ssme board.
Under the charter, if adopted three mem
bers of the Board of Directors, acting in con-
cert may dismiss for any cause which they
may determine to be sufficient any teacher
however capable. The charter places each
and every teacher in the public schools of this
City at the mercy OF three School Directors or
perhaps the Mayor who appoints them, or the
political boss by whose grace the Mayor fills
his Office. ANY schoolteacher who raises his or
her voice or whose influence is exertei in ad-
vocacy of the charter displays woeful lack
of interest in the welfare OF the department
and wonderful disregard of his or her own
interest. Under the charter the Board of Edu-
cation at Its first meeting may dismiss every
teacher in the department. Suppose the board
thus arbitrarily acts 1t of course may ap-
point teachers to fl II the vacancies. The board
may every year dismiss the teachers What
worry and anguish may not the teacher suffer
realizing as he or she must that his or her posi-
tion at II times is held subject 10 the whim,
caprice or prejudice of majority of board
composed offve, or that at the dictation OF a
boss intent upon rewarding a fayorite the
teacher Is liable at any time to be cast adrift
in the world with profession, but without the
right to practice ii.
There is another clause, however to which I
object, and to which every LIBERAL l-minded
American ought to object. That clause is
alone sufficient to damn the entire charter
! refer TO subdivision of section /, chapter
III, article OF the charter. That clause reads
as follows:
A. The Board Of Education shall not appoint any
person to be a teacher 10 the primary or grammar
classes of the schools of this City and County ex-
Ceot upon competitive examination of those
persons holding teachers certificates. and who
have been educated in the public school system OF
the State OF California
That clause was intended to exclude from
the right TO teach in our public schools men
and women who have been educated in pri-
vate educational institutions. II is a direct
slap in the face of a large body of our citizens
who represent half the population, half the