The San Francisco call., 1897-10-23
A NON-PARTISAN CHARTER.

ME proposal of the Democratic County Campaign Com
mittee to unite with the Republican County Committee in
the nomination of non-partisan Board of Freehoders, to
be voted for December rs needs only to be agated to meet
the approval of all rghthnkng citizens The idea of nom
partisanism chartemang be overturned either by
remarkable about boss conspacies by the logic
of experience In fact nonparsan charter is the
only kind of organic law that be adopted this city,
Any document submitted to the people which is understood to
be the product Of acona combination just certain to
be defeated the polls that the shines. All work done
such charter will be thrown away. And this is true not
wthstandng every member of the faction might angel
with sprOuing wings.
P. j. Harney of the Democratic County Committee ex-
presses the popular idea this subject when he says:
ANY desire gain political advantage either by individuals
political organizations in the framing of charter
should unquesonaby be frowned down. The Board Free
holders should be composed of the foremost citizens of the city,
thoroughly representative of the industrial and progressive de-
vepment of the municipality They should not be friends of
particular Individual be he either official otherwise,
neither should they be adheentS of any political party
seIapponed political combination posing before the
munity under the appeaton of a nonparisan body
The Freehoders should be really partisan in the true
and not otherwise. The law recognizes political organ
zaons and gives them official life conference of repre-
sentaveS of all political bodies recognized by law should be
had and effort made agree the selection of fifteen
resentave frame charter Should such conference
result agreement in the selection of Board of Free
holders the election of such board would be assured
Board of Freehoders nominated and elected in such
as proposed would, in Judgment the framing of
charter for government that the people would ray and
adopt
This is the idea in nutshell 1t is nothing to the point
to that the charter framed by Mayor Pheans
tee OF hundred good charter which should be adopted
such be the tact what danger would its trainers incur
submitting it to the consideration of partisan and impair
ta Board of Freehoders? Why should meritorous nstr
ment become the subject of political scheme for the election
of convention pledged in advance adopt it? The very
evidence that the charter framed by the committee of
hundred not the ethereal document its makers claim found
the fact that of its friends, backed by newspaper
trying to choke it down the throats of the people. No
meorious charter needed that kind movement to
secure its adoption.
If the Examiner really working in the public interest
would cheerfuly acquiesce in the nomination of
partisan Board of Freehoder, confident that tae good pro-
visions in its charter would of their intrinsic merit
the band of desperate politicians who, it clam are
plotting its overthrow The truth is, however that journal is
itself trying to boss the charter business and shouting
conspiracy mainly the purpose distractng attention
from its conspiracy.