The San Francisco call., 1896-10-13

this country are such gatherings possible.
The purpose of the meeting was to con-
slider whether the proposed new charter,
which had been advocated by some, would
if adopted be beneficial to the City. That
question should be carefully considered.
San Francisco needs charter. The City
was given the right to adopt charter un-
der the new constitution. AT present
there is confusion and much misunder-
standing.
He at first held back from opposition to
the charter proposed, but he had reached
the conclusion that he was unable, as a
good citizen, to vote for the new charter.
He had tried to swallow it; be choked,
and could not get it down. His first OBJ
lection is that the charter is undemocratic,
and that is sufficient to condemn the
whole instrument. There are people
standing high who doubt still the ability
OF the people to govern themselves. He
did not have any such doubt.
Democratic government has not full
filled its mission in all respects. Thomas
Jefferson, could he be cognizant of the
events of the past twenty-five years. would
have found much that he could not ap-
prove; but it would be unjust to suppose
that Jefferson would therefore conclude
that democratic form of government is
failure. The trouble has been that the
Government has not been democ ratio
enough, land too little faith has been
placed In the people. The dangerous time
Is when the people go to sleep and the
politicians and so-called statesmen have
time and opportunity to do their nefarious
work. The hopeful time is when the
people are reused to defend their rights.
The proposed charter took away, he con-
tinued, from the people the power to elect
their own officers. 1t took the power from
the people and gave it to an autocratic
Mayor. Pe would never vote for any in
strument which would take from the
people the power TO name their own of
ticers. He thought that one of the worst
features of the charter was its narrow and
un-American provision concerning the
School Department. He did not believe
that it was true that only those VINO have
been educated in the San Francisco public
schools are able to instruct. Ii an educa-
tional Chinese wall was erected around
San Francisco it would not be long before
all reason for pride in the San Francisco
public school system wou d disappear.
There were unconstitutional measures
proposed in the charter. That ought TO
condemn it. The 800 intelligent school
teachers in the public schools were in
themselves a sufficient reason for op-
posing the new charter. They were almost
as a unit opposed to 1t. He wanted every
thing done that could be done to bury the
charter out of sight. He introduced
James II. Barry as "the brave, eloquent
and disinterested friend of the people,
Mr. Barry was greeted with cheers and
applause which lasted some time. He
said that he, at first, wanted to support
the new charter and labored day and
night to tint good features. He found
that there might be a way to get rid of
the eternal and rotten Police Commission
and that would be good, but when he had
found ono good feature he had found
Others which made him say that it were
better to bear the ills we have than fly to
those we know not of The City has
needed a new charter for eighteen years,
but it would be better TO wait eighteen
years more than to adopt the charter now
proposed. He did not want to surrender
his constitutional rights. He styled the
Mayor, as provided for in the new char
ter, Gar.
1t is said that the Mayor would have
only the same power as the President of
the United States. That was enough rea-
son to oppose the measure. For now we
have a man as President who acts not
as il he was our President, but as if he
was a being who could do no wrong. He
sent troops into Illinois and Colorado
when no overt acts had been committed.
He practically told the Supreme Court
that the ant-Chinese law was unconsti-
bubtOudl, anu e4eIClSeQ MS lDAU6uCe III q
way not contemp plated by the constitution.
1t would not do TO make the Mayor
autocratic. 1t behooved voters to vote
for the best candidates SO that IF that
Infamous instrument shall, by chance, be
adopted, we shall be as well represented
as posi- ble." Tie new charter would be
hard to change if it should not be salts
actory. An amendment could not be
made. The corporate have controlled
seven or nine Supervisors. How much
easier il would be TO control three Super
yisors than to control nine. 1t would take
three-ffths OF the Supervisors and three
fifths Of the people and then o majority
of the two houses oil the Legislature to
amend the charter. Under it the people
surrender their rights.
A voice-It is ridiculous.
Barry-It is worse than ridiculous: it
is infamous.
THE friends Of the charter" Mr.. Barry
said, "averred that the Supreme Court