The San Francisco call., 1898-04-20
WOULD AMENDMENT BE EASY7

\ in mapping out a charter campaign calculated to fool the people declares that one of the best features of the proposed instrument consists of the with which 1t may be amended "If any one is dissatisfied with any provision of the charter" it says, a that he need do is to find E per cent of the voters to agree with him and the matter will be brought before the people of the city for correction section of the legislative article IS quoted to show that amendments may be framed and submitted at any time, and it is stated that the Supervisors have no discretion in the matter They must set the machin- cry in motion when requested by fifteen per cent of the voters.
 This IS all very well, but misleading Like our con- temporarys argument with respect to the principle of oneman power, it is calculated to pull the wool over the eyes of the people.
 The Mayor under the proposed charter will appoint the Fire and Police Commissions, the Board of Public Works the Board of Health, the Board of Education and the Election Comnis- sion Not only this, but he may remove at will any commission or member of board who does not suit him. The charter places no restriction upon his power of removal. The only requirement is that he shall send to the Supervisors letter giving his reasons for any action that may be taken. The power to appoint and remove at will make every ad ministrative officer of the government the abect slave of the Mayor.
 Through the Fire Commission the Mayor could control the club politics of the city. Four or five hundred lusty hremen armed with hose wrenches and
 fire axes could be relied upon to carry every primary election and dominate every political convention Through the Police Commission, which is given power to issue saloon licenses, the Mayor could handle the saloon vote'-the League of Freedom the Liquor Dealers Association, the Grocerymen's Union and their kindred organizations This is estimated by practical politicians to be of great value There are 33oo saloons in this city each of which is good for five votes. This yields I5ooo ballots for or against any proposition in which the saloons interested. Naturally the Saloon vote" would go for a Mayor who fostered and cared for it. Through the Board of Education the Mayor could control the school teachers, through the Board of Health the patronage of the almshouse and hospitals, through the Board of Public Works the street contractors street railways and paving corporations and through the Election Commission he could count the votes cast at all elections
 How vain to tell people that they may amend charter which contains official invested with these powers True, the charter may be amended but never without the permission of the Mayor.
 The application of the point make may be derstood by a single illustration Suppose Mayor Phean were elected to appoint all these commissions and should soon after arbitrarily remove everybody who did not obey Colonel Sullivan, Lawyer Murphy and his other advisers The people could then of course, petition to amend the section which confers him the power of removal. Would MT. Phean permit any such amendment to pass? Would he not regard the proposition as insulting revolutionary personal, subversive of liberty and direct blow at reform politics? Of course he would, and he would not be and a politician if he did not fight Could there be any question of the result were he to swing against the amendment the 25.ooo votes placed in his hands by the charter? How silly then to talk about the ease with which the charter may be amended It could never be amended without the consent of the Mayor.