The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-06

opposition for the office of corresponding
secretary, and around whom and DR..
Hardness the brunt of the battle will be
waged, said last evening:
Professor Davidson has said that have Dr..
Hardness between my thumb and finger That
is absurd on the face of 1t. DR.. Hardness is not
that kind of man, but If had Professor
Davidson between my thumb and finger he
would not have said such a foolish thing.
The opposition is anxious to invest the
money OF the academy in the Alaska CONNER
cial Company and other corporations of that
kind, but have little faith in such concerns;
they are subject to fluctuation and loss. I be-
lieve in treating the academy as savings
bank and safely investing its moneys.
The great fight is about Molera. He has GER
tain ideas about the conducting of the finances.
You know the condition of the Mercantile
Library. 1t now is barely able to keep afoat,
and it is Molera who has engineered that.
do not want TO make this institution po-
litical arena. l believe it should be conducted
on purely scientific lines: These charges that t
have been made emanated fIom disgruntled
men. The academy owes DR.. Hardness much
gratitude for the services ne has given 1t and
the conscientious manner in which he has con-
Quoted its affairs. He has procured for II dona-
tons OF large amounts and has expended Its
money wisely.
1 was asked to run for the Office of CORE
spending secretary and refused TO accept the
nomination unless the incumbent slgnitied his
intention of discontinuance.
am not especially anxious to be elected.
has run the institution into expenses. One OF
his schemes is the preparing of Lick mem
orlal, IN which the Pioneers VIII have their
pictures and memorials. This is not science /;
1t Is foolishness. James Lick would rather we
conducted the institution along scientific lines
than 10 get up things of this description. l do
not recollect that single man has withdrawn
except Tor the non-payment of dues, and this is
according to the constitution.
should not say word against any man,
except 10 answer what they have said against
ue ana everything that has been said is
groundless and absurd. In regard to the per-
Petuston OF our administration, let me say
that Professor Davidson was the tyrant who
held othce Tor twenty-five years.
The anti-Harkness forces are we'll organ
lied and under the strong management of
Professor Davidson and Mr.. Croker their
prospects appear exceedingly favorable.
Mayor Sutro said on the subject:
The octopus is reaching out for every
thing that has either money or influence.
Why, just look at this and he drew from
pile of correspondence in front of him
two printed ballots; "these are the regu-
lar and the opposition tickets of the Acad-
envy of Sciences to be used at the election
tomorrow. These have been prepared by
the octopus in the interest of the octopus
1t will not make any difference which
ticket is elected, the octopus will be on
top. All but few unimpoTtant offices
will be filled by octopus men.
What interest can the railroad have in
the election of the Academy of Sciences ?
Why, the academy has money and the oc-
topus has bonds it wants to dispose of.
Under the old constitution there were
no scientific qualifications for member
ship required, but a new constitution was
adopted in 1889 providing that mem bers
should be of four classes-resident, life,
honorary and associate-and that only the