The San Francisco call., 1898-02-27
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 WITH ENTIRE FRANKNESS

By HENRY JAMES.

 stances material for a laugh, but he car employ facility of expression in setting forth the sober truth. When he says in one of his weekly letters that School Director Waller was heard to remark that two San Francisco school teachers, female, had been seen drunk in the street, there Is only one of two conclusions to be reached. The first is that the teachers were ob- served in this condition; the other, that Waller lied. I cannot think that even Waller makes out very good case for himself in either event. Since the election of that person to a posi- tfon for which he was in no way fitted there has been but one chance for him to do a generous and gracious act, and his mental and moral equipment seems to have prevented him from grasping it His early resignation would have been appreciated as indicating a de- sire to promote the cause of education and avert disgrace from the schools.
 There Is something almost reprehen- sible in the conduct of the local pick pocket. His persistency in extract
 
 rowing the watch of the visitor with evident intent not to return 1t, is bad enough. The real lack of considera tion, however, is manifest toward the police. Anybody desirous of infor- nation can ascertain by inquiry at de- tective headquarters that the pick pocket has been chased to other fields; that he went so swiftly as to cause his coattails to crackle like the week ly wash hung out in a gale; that he will never come back, and that his one fear is for the law as applied by the police of this city.
 There are reasons for fearing the de- cision of Judge Dillon in relation to the invalidity of bonds issued for the proposed Folsom boulevard is based on law. One reason for believing this is that Judge Dillon is an able man. He was for years on the United States Circuit bench In Iowa, and had the rep utation of being jurist of great acu- men and profound knowledge. He re- signed because private practice urged upon him offered many times the in- come of the Federal position, and went to New York, where he took charge of the Gould interests, and accepted also the post of lecturer at Columbia Law College The second reason is that so many laws are bad, and apparently de- signed to prevent progress. It is strange thing if the people who want a road and are willing to pay for it cannot have the privilege.
 It is hard to understand why, when for a hungry man to pick crust from a garbage barrel constitutes him an of fender worthy of arrest, man rated at $66, 900 can do the same thing and go free Of course it's all right, because Judge Campbell says SO, yet l believe the law, should at least be exactly re- versed No rich man has any right to assume the guise of a beggar nor to garner crusts decent tramp might ap- preciate If it is wicked to annex a discarded and not wholly attractive scrap of bread when the impulse to do so comes from a vacant stomach, it is doubly wicked when the act can be traced to sheer meanness. Far be it from me to encourage the practice whatever the motive, but I would sen tence the famished individual driven to 1t to a short series of square meals, but, taking the other fellow, dump him into the barrel, with the less noxious refuse, head up the barrel and roll it into the bay.
 "Soapy" Smiths desire to be Chief of Police of Alaska may be merely his expression of belief in the old idea that setting a thief to catch a thief is good detective policy. If there is any virtue in this scheme it follows that the big ger the first thief, the quicker the sec ond will be caught. Then with "Soapy" in the former role there would be ab- solutely no show for escape. I have known "Soapy" for many years. There was never a queerer compound. He is genial and generous, enjoys a fight, pays his debts, gives his last dollar to whoever wants 1t and steals the first dollar the next man is rash enough to expose to view. I cannot regard it as probable he will attain the honor he seeks. He is asking too much. If the people in a community not beyond the vigilance committee period refrain from
  consideration as a distinguished favor.
 It does not seem to me that Bateman Brothers are showing the public the re- gard that is due, and even that they are putting that excellent and benign body, the Supervisors, to unnecessary trouble Is tolerably clear. They have been granted until October 1 of this year in which to finish their contract to erect the Hall of Justice. Anybody who has observed the ability of these gentlemen not to push the work which should have been complete last fall, must conclude that they intend to fin ish it when, as the crude but emphatic expression is, they get good and ready An extension to next October simply means that when that month arrives the Batemans will be in a position to accept another extension. This involves useless for1nality. They might as we'll have been given an extension to termi- nate with the rolling up of the heav- ems as a scroll. Perhaps ought to un- derstand why city tolerates such foolishness, but I don't. There was only one proper course to pursue, and that was to annul the contract the mo-