The times., 1901-06-23

follow the dictates of popular judgment
and sentiment, and restrains it from
taking any course which the people VIII
not endorse.
Only once during the existence of the
city's charter has it been found neces-
sary TO resort to the initiative and re-
erendum. and its successful operation
in expressing the win of the people in
this instance have convinced them of
its efficiency The board of supervisors
passed an ordinance prohibiting pool
selling and bookmaking in the city
This action met with strong opposition
on the part of those who were interest
ed in this line of business. Under the
charter it is necessary only to secure
the petition of Is per cent of the duly
qualified voters to have any question Of
this kind submitted to popular vote.
The required number of signatures was
obtained, and the people voted upon the
question as TO whether bookmaking and
poolselling should be conducted within
the city. The result was that the board
of supervisors was sustained and the or
charter point TO this as pure democracy
At present in San Francisco all Of
the franchises for public utilities are in
the hands of private corporations, the
gas, water, and electric light supplies
being controlled by individual COM
pan.es, and the city is in measure de-
pendent upon them for furnishing these
hut ba de-
clares explicitly that 1t is the purpose
of the people of the city to gradually
acquire and ultimately own all of these
public utilities. In this respect they be-
lieve that they have taken a step in ad-
vance of other American cities, even
though they have not yet realized their
intentions, for they purpose to carry
municipal ownership further than any
! other city has yet gone
Wards and districts have been abol-
ished so far as the city government is
! concerned, and the eighteen members of
the board OF supervisors corresponding
! TO the common and select councils of
other cities are all elected at large. In
! this manner IL is claimed that it is pos
sibIe to obtain the services of the best
men without respect to their place of
residence, and the political parties are
/ not required to name any candidate
| from the slum sections, as is necessary
where a city is divided into wards.
| Still, an effort is made to have all sec
tions of the city duly represented.
| The leading advocate of this form of
| government for San Francisco, and, in
| fact, the father of the unique charter,
is Mayor James d. Phelan, who has
| three times been chosen as the chief
magistrate of the city, and, notwith-
standing the fact that his progressive
policies and advanced ideas have made
him some enemies, he is nevertheless
the leading Democrat in the Golden
State. Four Democrats have stamped
themselves conspicuously upon the pol
itics of California during the past dec
ade. They are ex-senator Stephen NJ.
White, Ex-Governor Budd, exRepre-
sentative James C. Mcguire, and Mayor
James D. Phelan. The first named is
dead, Ex-Governor Budd has retired
from activity, Mr.. Mcguire is now busl-
| ly engaged in the practice of the law,
intent upon making a fortune TO enable
him to re-enter politics for pleasure.
and thus Mayor Phelan stands alone as
the leading representative of the party
in the State.
Mayor Phelan has a remarkable per-
sonality. He is many times over mil
lionaire, yet notwithstanding this he is
as modest and unassuming in manner