The San Francisco call., 1899-10-17
Dodge Pleads for
Himself and De-
ClareS Straight
Voting a Relic
Of KnOWnOthing-
ism.
Administration Of City Al
fairs Under the Charter
Announced as the Only
Issue Of the Campaign.

a gallant officer. Continuing, he said:
1--WE are now engaged in a great bat
tie. The battle that has been going on
in San Francisco is, Shall we own or be
owned? There is always in every city a
certain class seeking to obtain proprie-
tary rights over our streets under our
streets and in the air above the streets,
and in the success of the efforts of these
greedy monopolists lies our greatest dan
ger. The Republicans are not prepared
to wage a war against this greed because
they would be warning against them
selves. They would be committing hara-
kiri, by which man destroys himself.
Republicans Not Blamed.
But that is no strong Indictment
against our fellow-citizens. They are
not to blame but are unfortunate in be-
ing SO placed. [ came here tonight for
the purpose of telling you what the city
would be under the new charter. I did
not come to reply to the speeches made
by the Republican nominees in this hall
the other night, for l really see nothing
in them to reply to. l believe they spoke
on the new charter, and do not see that
they are entitled to any credit for it. 1t
was not the work of any party, but was
compiled for the benefit and with the CO.
operation of all good citizens Of San
Francisco"
The speaker then proceeded to detail
the steps taken to organize board of
freeholders to draft the charter and the
subsequent events leading up to its adop-
tion and ratification by the Legislature.
I'VE do not claim the entire credit of the
new charter" he said, but we claim that
of the adoption Of that charter. There is
not a man on the Democratic ticket who
was not an advocate of this charter and
who did not fight for it, while there are
men on the Republican ticket who op
posed 1t from the beginning.
NOur party, the present Democratic or
ganiZation, had its birth in the charter
fight, and say that the men who are
leading the Republican party today do
not refer to the head of the ticket, but to
the men and corporations who are behind
that party-are opposed to the charter
and before. 1t was adopted did their ut
most to defeat it
II will say of the Democratic platform
this: 1t has come to pass in the last three
years that platforms have come to mean
something. The Democratic platform
means something. 1t means that if elect
ed we will give the city a businesslike,
honest government.
Claims All the Credit.
"It is rather peculiar, perhaps. for you
to know that the Democratic minority in
the Board of Supervisors during the past
year has controlled nearly every essen
tial act of the Supervisors. notwithstand-
ing the opposition of the majority"
He claimed that there had been reduc-
created a laugh by saying that in trying
to explain how the minority had managed
to have its own way one of the Repub
lican Supervisors had claimed that he
(the Mayor had f1imflammed them
Mr.. Phelan proceeded to explain how
according to his theories, the Democratic
minority on the board had secured a re-
duction of the gas rate. The history of
the fight against the San Francisco Gas
and Electric was rehearsed in detail and
the claim made that the Democratic Su-
pervisors and himself were entitled to the
entire credit for the victory over the mo-
nopoly, a victory which he said meant
saving to the people of the city of San
Francisco of 100000 a year. He also re-
ferred to the attempt of the Market Street
Railway system to get franchise to the
county line in order to evade assessment
by the City and County Assessor by or
ganzing an intercounty system and thus
placing the authority to levy an assess
ment against its entire line in and out of
this city and county in the hands of the
Market Street Company controlled This
scheme also, Mr. Phelan claimed, was
foiled by the Democratic minority of the
present Board of Supervisors.
Fight Against Corporations.
1.-THE great battle, L say is between the
people and the corporations. l do not
mean to assert that the corporations do
not bring any benefit to a city, but 1 claim
sation for the privilege of doing business
in the municipality. Il is battle, but
bloodless battle. The corporations are on
the defensive; they are compelled to re-
sie+ while II is our business to press them
and force them to pay a fair cOmpensa-
ton to the city for the privileges they en-
''The remedy for all this is in the mu-
nicipal ownership of public utilities. When
we have these we will have won the great
fight against these quasi-public corpora
tions.
Now that the people with the new char
ter have the means of putting these re-
forms into execution we ask for g. renewal
of confidence in order that we may inau-
gurate the charter in the spirit in which
it was adopted. Under the charter the
Police the Fire, the Health and the Edu-
cational departments will pass into the
control of the Mayor, and 1t is a RESPONSE
bility that any man might we'll Shirk. The
man who undertakes the task of naming
the men who are to serve on these boards
should possess three qualifications: He
should be possessed of experience in the
affairs Of the city and the character of the
work his appointees will be called upon to
flll and he should be a good judge of
men.
Mr. Phelan declared in conclusion that
he was under no obligation to any man
for his nomination; that he had been nom
mated by the people, owed fealty to the
people only and II elected would be wholly
free from any political obligation and in a
position to devote his best energies for
the next two years to the welfare of the
people of San Francisco.
Then the audience gave three cheers for
Phelan, the band played and the people
marched out of the hall.