The San Francisco call., 1896-08-13
UNITED TO WORK HARD FOR THE CHARTER


board of directors of the Merchants Assoeia-
ton determined that il the charter would pro-
Vlde proper system OF municipal govern
ment 1t should have its hearty. support. After
full and careful study of the charter the board
OF directors became convinced that it was far
superior TO the present laws governing this
City.
In order to take no action that did not fully
represent the wishes of all the members OF the
association the board addressed a circular
letter to over 1000 of our principal taxpaye RS,
Association, asking this question: "Do you
favor the new charter, to obtain the proper
machinery for carrying out an extensive plan
OF municipal improvements? ?"
OF the answers received fully 81 per cent
were unqualifedly in favor of the charter and
indorsed the plan of having the Merchants
Association work actively for its adoption.
AT the last annual meeting of the assocta-
tion the following resolutions were unani-
mously adopted:
That the Election Commissioners be re-
ques ted TO place the charter question at the
head of the municipal ticket and to give the
election.
To both of these requests the Election Com
misSioners have compiled.
At this annual meeting it was also unani-
mously resolved to call a charter convention
TO devise ways and means for securing the
adoption of the new charter. Inasmuch as
tion directly or individually benefited by the
adoption OF the new charter, 1t could
hardly be expected that active sup
port in its favor could be secured in the
decided by the Merchants Association to take
up the charter and endeavor to secure for 1t,
not only the support OF every political party,
but also of those citizens who were little in
terested in party politics.
II was decided to have the convention called
upon strictly non-partisan lines so as to draw
to the support OF the charter all classes OF our
fellow-citIzens. Especially would those citi-
zens respond in this effort for the general well
fare who were accustomed to devote much of
their time for the public benefit. Therefore,
many associations OF a charitable, benevolent,
fraternal and social character are represented
in this convention,
The character of this convention shows that
the Merchants Association has made no mis-
take in acting upon these lines, and the result
of the work of this convention will confirm
that belief
Fully sixty-fve organizations are repre-
sented in this convention, from every locality,
calling and interest. Still others have prom
ised to join, and we may safely hope that
every public-spirited organization in San Fran
cisco will have representatives in this body.
The board OF directors fully realize that the
work so far done by the Merchants Association
is but the skirmish in the good cause, and that
the real battle has only just begun. They are
here now TO turn over the campaign in ffv
of the charter to this conven ton and its
leadership to those officers whom you will
select.
The directors, as well as the members, OF the
Merchants Association Will cheerfully assist
you at all times. It's offices and employees are
at your service. We believe you can also count
upon the cooperation of all patriotic citizens
OF this community. In conclusion we sin
cerely hope and trust that the hard work
which now awaits you viii be so well per-
formed that an improved City government.
prosperity OF its citizens and the blessings OF
such change will surely be secured.
When Mr.. Dohrmann concluded, NJ. H.
Hecht on behalf of the community, he
said, extended the sincere thanks of the
people of San Francisco to MIR. Dohrmann
and through him to the Merchants Asso-
citation for the consistent and persistent
efforts to give "this otherwise favored City
good government" He nominated James
D. Pbelan for temporary chairman of the
mously elected to that position OF honor.
On taking up his duties of the evening Mr..
Phelan spoke as follows:
Gentlemen: This convention has been called
by the Merchants Association of San Fran
cisco for the purpose of bringing together in
conference representatives of all business,
commercial, improvement, reform ana other
organizations interested in providing good
government for the City of San Francisco.
There Is no organization in our midst better
entitled to leadership in this movement than
the Merchants Ass sociation, for it has fairly
won this distinction by work actually done
and reforms bravely lnauguratcd. 1t will be
the purpose of this convention to provide the
ways and means OF favorably bringing to the
notice OF the voters the necessity of a reorgan-
ization of our City Government and the ad-
vantages which this charter presents over the
old law. On three other occasions the citi-
Zens OF San Francisco have endeavored to
adopt charters, but on each occasion the
charter presented was defeated on the face of
the returns. This result was due to the active
opposition of selfish interests against the
charter ana no organized advocacy OF it; but
ii is our duty, believing as we do that the
charter is OF paramount Importance to this
IN oh {O
ize for its support and TO bring knowledge
of its benetcent provisions to the mind of
every citizen.
THE IMPORTANCE OF MUNICIPAL POLITICS.
1t is one of the surprising phenomena OF our
politics that the liveliest interest is taken in
National elections for President and members
of Congress, constituting the Federal Govern
ment, while but comparatively little interest
is taken in municipal campaigns. And yet it
is true that whereas the citizen comes in touch
but at few points with the Federal Govern
ment, he is daily feeling the hand OF the muni-
cipal government in one way or another. Ii
is not the Federal Police nor the Federal Fire
Department nor the Fede raj Assessor nor the
Federal Tax Collector that he knows in his re-
lations with the Government, but it is the
municipal officer in these several departments
that comes into his daily life. Hence munich
pal charter providing for the government of q
city where dwell large population takes its
rank side by side with the Federal constitu-
tion as an instrument designed TO protect the
individual, his life, liberty and property, and
to impose limitations upon the power OF Off
cials, and to provide orderly, effective and
rational scheme of government. SO we cannot
underestimate the value of good municipal
charter to the welfare of the people ana the
prosperity OF the town. Now ask you could
there be plan of government devised, enacted
or Judge-made less consistent or more per-
nicious in its effects than the present govern
ment in the City and County OF San Francisco?
A CONSTITUTION OF RAGS AND PATCHES.
The consolidation act of Horace Hawes was
drafted many years ago for this City when ii
had q population of but 10000. And it has
been amended with little or no consistency by
the Legislature until we have an organic law
of rags and patches, which nobody, not even
the highest court, pretends to understand.
Under the consolidation act the City for some
time enjoyed such protection as the Mayor
could give it against the rapacity of the boards
OF supervisors which had practically unlin-
tied power for evil. But the Supreme Court
has in recent years decided that the veto
power of the Mayor, who formerly, with the
aid of four Supervisors, acted as check upon
the extravaganza and corruption of that Dody,
was no longer legal, and that all the good the
Mayors had done in the past was really accom-
plished in defiance of the law. So the Mayor
cannot now veto the rates. for instance, fixed
by the Board of Supervisors, for the water sup
ply to the citizens, nor can he veto the tax
levy, which two years ago was fixed at 50 %,
an outrageous imposition, burdening property
with debt, confiscating its income and depre-
ciating its value.
We know that the municipal government of
San Francisco, as now provided Tor, has broken
down and cannot do its work. 1t is without
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