Year: 1879

oAcs-sty leu HOUSES VI 0esioi"
tion," for the government Of San
Francisco. The City Of the Golden
Gate was to be independent of the
1t was to frame its
own charter and its action could
only be arrested, not overruled, by
a vote of taOo.thirds of both houses
OF the Legislature, with the Cover
nor's approval annexed. All the
while, we are compelled to think,
the contemplation WAS that the
Kearneyites were not only TO rule
San Francisco through these
"Houses of Legislation,' but were
to "boss" the rest OF the State
through the city's almost dominat-
ing membership of both the State
Senate and Assembly.


The curious fact of this whole
business Is that San Francisco is
to-day the envy of her sister cities
of the Atlantic sea-board and Of the
Union at large for her small debt.
The only debt she owes is relic OF
a former demagogic rule, such as
that which is provided for in the
new Constitution, by a malign,
Phenix-liks revival Of local DEM
agoguery. The San Francisco Bulle'
tin, of the 25th inst, puts the matter
very neatly thus:


This city had charter made by
q local convention elected by the


people about the year 1928. I'm


der it we had the Meiggs frauds,


the ruin OF public credit, and cor


poration debt OF three or four mil


lions, on which we are now paying


interest. There was the CONNER


cial revulsion of 1866 and the revo-


luton Of 1856. In short, under q


charter hastily drawn, and, as 1t


turned out, in the interest of job.


bers, this city was ravaged and


plundered for about four years. We


have net yet recovered from the
effects of this misrule. The situa-
ton became intolerable. For years
there was no safety for life nor


property. Corruptionists, thieves
and murderers got the upper hand,


and they held 1t until better sys-


tenn was created. The Hawes Con.
solidation Act of 1856 permitted
the city to recover from bankrupt
cy. There was not n dishonest
politician or jobber in the city who
did not declare against it and who
has not spent his breath for years
in denouncing it. /. 1t is true that
this charter has been lbotehed and
debauched to some extent by COR
ruptionists, but even in its mutiiat-
ed form it contains some checks
and safeguards in the interest of
the community, and it can be re-
stored to Its original force.


But the people of the State of
California at large and of the city
deprecate this demagogic surren-
der, the former because they have
no art or part in ruling San Fran
cisco, while San Francisco would
rule the State, and the latter be.
cause they desire the people of the
State to stand between them and
the Sand Lot gentry. The same
number of the Bulletin puts the OBJ.
lection of the citizens of that city
to these provisions In this cogent
shape:


The city is required under the
new Constitution to turn over the
business of making a charter to fif-
teen men, who may have no other
qualification than that they are
free.holders. Suppose these fifteen
men were all contractors or men of
hat ilk, dug up for the occasion ?
What kind of a charter would these
men probably make? Now it is
he active local politician, the con-
the man of jobs who would
,ome to the front for a place in the
lst of fifteen. Nicholson pave.
nent, tarred brick, pitch and wood,
Ind every other interest of that
Iort would press for a recognition
md for an opportunity to mould
he city charter. Fifteen unknown
men, or, If known, 1t might be only |
n connection with Questionable |
obs, might be chosen to frame the
The taxpayers, the men
who have the largest interest in the
zeal welfare of the city, would be
IN a minority. It required about
ane hundred and fifty men to frame
! Constitution for the State, and
hey made dreadful botch of 1t.
It requires, under the new
Constitution, only fifteen men |
TO frame charter for O
city which contains nearly
half the population and wealth of |
the State. IT the fifteen unknown
men chose to play into the hands
OF the thriftless element who want
a redistribution of property, what
shall hinder them?


There is In this new tangled
Constitution another sop to the
Sand Lot Cerberus. We have ad.
verted to it before, but we find it
intelligently put in the San Fran
cisco Post of the Goth. That jour-
nal says:


Under tho New Constitution
street contractors would have q de-
cidedly "soft thing" At present
the property owner is not required
to pay for the work until it is done
according to contract, and can


withhold payment until he has OBJ


tained the value of his money, q


system that Is too equitable on its


face to require discussion of its


merits. The new Constitution,
however, provides that the proper
ty owner shall pay for the work be-
fore a pick is stuck into the ground,


and he has no adequate means of
enforcing an honest fulfillment of
the contract afterwards. The con-
tractors must have had powerful
friends in the Convention to have