The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-16
TOO MUCH POWER.

c ENATE constitutional amendment No. TO-
- which proposes to authorize the people OF
- counties in this State through Boards OF Free
holders, to frame charters for their government
should be carefully scanned by voters at the coming
election The principle upon which the amendment
has been drawn is good enough. Beyond question
the power legisate for counties should be taken
away from the Senate and Assembly. Those bodies
have abused their privileges heretofore and will prob
ably continue do in the future, yielding they
constantly do to the demands of the politicians and
tax-eaters whose interests ordinarily ininca to
those of the people.
But the amendment gives the counties more home
rule than they can reasonably ask and certainly
than on principle they should possess. For instance,
it is proposed to confer upon the Board OF Freehold
ers which may be chosen frame county government
charters the right ito prescribe the and
method by which all elections by the people shall be
conducted and may in addition determine the tests
and conditions upon which electors, political parties
and organizations may participate in any primary
election
Since the amendment provides that the charters so
framed shall not be subject to general laws upon the
same subjects the clause quoted would authorize the
County Boards of Freeholders to their counties
to repeal the Australian ballot law or any general
primary act which might be passed by the Legisa-
ture We doubt whether the people of the State will
generally sanction any such grant OF power as this.
So far as San Francisco is concerned it has in
terest in the amendment, and unless there is some
sort of an expression from the people of the interior
with respect to this feature of probably they will
vote for its adoption. 1t is to the interest of the
counties, therefore, that they should inform at
once of their desires in the premises
Ballot laws and primary laws ought to be general
1t would be absurd to have fftyseven different ballot
and primary systems in California yet Senate amend
ment No 10 throws the door open to such condi-
ton If particular Courthouse ring of particular
county should desire return to the straight ticket
system all it would need to do would be to capture
County Board of Freeholders and get the matter
before the people The latter might not be persuaded
to adopt the change, but amid multiplicity of issues
there is always danger of losing sight of many i'm
portant ones and the grant of power might lead in
many cases to turning back the hands of progress
The Australian ballot system is now we'll rooted, and
it should be permitted to bear its full fruit What
ever good there is in it only be got out of il
by enforcing and developing the systen which it has
established
Home rule for the counties is an excellent thing
but in Our judgment the trainers of Senate amend
ment No. 10 have given them too much of it. The
counties do not for their own good government re-
quire authority to control the manner of voting
within their limits at general and primary elections
Legislation on that subject may safely be left to the
State which is required to pass general and uniform
laws.