The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-06-07
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Assembly district three well-known intel
ligent and Independent Democrats to act
as an auxiliary committee to assist the
general Committee OF One Hundred There
are no open signs of break between
Phelan and Lawrence, but the latter S
clumsy methods and raw work in the in
terest of blemished and discredited poll
tictanS have alarmed the Mayors friends
and induced them to caution the Mayor
against reposing faith in either the sin
certty or skill of Lawrence. Vigilance
Will be observed at the meeting tonight
to detect signs of the Lawrence pro-
gramme which proposes to distribute gold
bricks to SeVenty-five members of the
Committee of One Hundred and give to
twenty-five men the power to name the
ticket.
Buckley, surrounded by his staff, is oc-
eupying Temporary quarters in the Emma
Spreckels building, while the rooms in
the Arcade, or Baldwin Annex, are in
process of renovation. He receives daily
reports regarding the work of the club
districts. Many of his followers are old
timers as one readily learns by listening
to the general talk at Buckley headquar-
tiers, yet they manifest much enthusiasm
IN talking OF the success of this or that
club. They are going about the work of
organization in methodical manner,
noting that this man should be seen be-
fore the club in his district meets as he
has promised TO bring in three of the
boys" who live in his house. Ten or
twelve man were waiting to see the boss
when he arrived al his rooms yesterday
afternoon They were admitted one by
one, to the inner or conference room.
Buckley dwells with especial delight on
the record for economy in municipal at
fairs which was made during the years
that Washington Bartlett and e. B. Pond
were respectively at the head of the city
government. Referring to the past, the
boss remarked
I'm 1881 the city was in a chaotic con-
dftion. The present situation of affairs
municipal reminds me of the condition
then. The local government Immediately
following the adoption of the new con-
stitution was extravagant. The expense
of maintaining the County Clerk and AS
SCISSOR department was enormous. The
Supervisors, from whom much good was
expected, disappointed the public. When
| the time came for selecting a new set
of officers Washington Bartlett and 10
| seph Clarke called on me at my office on
Bush street and wanted to know if some
| thing could not be done to bring about
better and cheaper local government l
| invited them to sit down and talk over the
subject.
In the course of the conference / sub
mitted the plan that the Democratic State
| Club should recommend the Democratic
| State Central Committee to appoint a
committee of twenty-five and that the
Democratic County Committee should
appoint an equal number. II was pro-
plan for the reorganization of the
| Democratic party in San Francisco. Out
of this grew the plan of forty-seven
clubs. l was in favor of placing John S.
y,
but the plan was changed and Washing
ton Bartlett made Mayor. Not only was
the dollar limit observed but the rate
was reduced to SO cents. The debt in
Cured by previous extravaganza was
| liquidated the streets and sewers were
cleaned and good government was Sc
cured in all departments.
I'VE had a good deal of discussion over
water rates" resumed Buckley, but we
managed to obtain material reductions
Mr.. Pond was not ready to accept the
nomination for Mayor when we proposed
a 10 per cent reduction of water rates
! The corporation objected strongly to the
proposed reduction, but 1 advised the
company to accept it. The corporation
resisted and the result was the adoption
of an order by the Supervisors reducing
the rate 16 per cent The courts were
then appealed to, and while the right of
the Supervisors to fix the rate was con-
ceded, the court held that the corporation
should have been heard, and so the order
was sent back to the board. The COM
pany was then ready and eager to accept
the. 10 per cent reduction which l had
recommended Another order was passed,
but the Mayor vetoed it on the ground
that the reduction was not sufficient"
In speaking of party bosses, Buckley
remarked that Higgins was the ablest one
that he ever met, and added that he had
met many of the most noted leaders in
New York and elsewhere.