The San Francisco call., 1898-05-21

Thomas Magee, Esq.-Dear Sir: The interest you take in municipal reform leads me to address to you some obser- vations on the proposed new charter for San Francisco. You are advocat- ing its adoption. With great regret am forced to disagree with yourself and other friends, for the following among other reasons:
 A leading objection to the adoption of the proposed charter Is the inord1- nate and uncontrolled power 1t gives to the Mayor. He not only appoints the members of the Board of Public Works, Board of Education, Police Commissioners, Fire Commissioners, Civil Service Commissioners and Park Commissioners (to which, I think, there Is no objection), but he has the power of removing all or any of these off, cers, at pleasure, by merely commun- icating the fact to the Board of Su- pervisors with his reasons for 1t. AS those reasons are not required to sat isfy any one but himself, it will always suffice for him to say that he cons1d- cred that the public interest required the change. This power of removal is not confined to his own appointees, but extends to all city and county of- ffcers, who owe their positions to ap- pointment, as distinguished from cleo tive officers, of whom, besides the Mayor and Supervisors, there are but ten, namely: The Clerk, Auditor, Treas urer, Assessor, Tax Collector, District Attorney, City Attorney, Coroner, Re- corder and Sheriff. All other princi-
 h0-i mo ir1- cluding the Police DepartmenD proba- bly 500. or more, are subject to instan- taneous removal by the Mayor for any reason satisfactory to himself. This is a greater power than has been within my knowledge confided to any Ameri- can citizen less than the President or the United States. Exercised by him even, it has given rise to the gravest dissatisfaction and led during the last twenty-five years to constant agitation in favor of it's curtailment; it's inevita- ble tendency to produce corrupt admin istration is undeniable; successive Presidents have deplored the evil and have, by extending the application or the civil service act of Congress, passed as remedy, striven to diminish IL. Nevertheless, though diminished, it still exists, deplored by all but mere poll ticians. Many of the States have en- acted laws in the spirit of the act or Congress referred to, and earnest re- formers of all parties, the country over, are steadily working on that line. The acceptance of it is universal, except by political hacks and corruptionists The new charter itself recognizes its impor- tance and provides for civil service commission with its examinations, rules, etc. The cardinal principle of this reform, briefly stated, is that all appointments to office shall be based on merit and capacity, ascertained by open competitive examination; and no re- rnovals made, save for proved miscon- duct Yet in violation of this whole some rule and of the experience and Judgment of the whole country, here Is a Mayor clothed with power of arbi- trary removal, which destroys the inde- pendence of every executive officer and makes them all his servants, not those of the city, because they owe their daily bread and that of their family, to his forbearance and favor. These are pow CTS not for a frail man, but for an an' gel. or a demigod. Coupled with the enlarged power of veto given by this charter they make the Mayor practI- caIly an autocrat, and will probably cause the political conventions to set or a nomination for the office a price cor responding to the power and patronage conferred on it's incumbent. The nom- inee when elected will find himself suo- feet to an amount of political indebt- edness fatal to his independence and usefulness. He will have to pay these debts in offices and preferments and offices and salaries will be multiplied accordingly. In several department, under this charter there is no limit tc the number.
 need only add that there is abso- lutely no check on or punishment foI the abuse of this enormous power.
 There are numerous other faults omissions and contradictions in the proposed enactment which will surely entail litigation and loss. The provis- ions as to revenue and taxation are specially faulty in this respect. but they are too technical for popular dis cussion. Among other emissions 1 mis.