Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-09-03
THO E,eesss. IN san Francasco.

In reply to some remarks in a
morning contemporary, we pro-
ceed to explain what we mean by
. Democratic triumph In San
Francisco. Three weeks ago 1--WE
know whereof we speak) the Re-
publicans Of that city were going
about in high glee. They were not
willing to concede that the Demo-
Gratis would elect a single official in
the metropolis. Gladly seizing ad-
vantage Of the Democratic dissen-
sions, which were supposed to be
irremediable, the Spring Valley
Water Company, which is really
the power behind the throne in
the Republican party, employed
Mr.. Reuben e. Lloyd to engineer
its forces In the Republican con-
clave. These tactics were 80
completely successful that its con-
trollers thought that all they had
to do thereafter was to lay the
wires to keep up the Democratic
dissensions. How successfully
Yosemite was played off against
Manhattan, and the Workingmen
against both, no reader of the daily
papers needs to be informed. Sure
of victory, the Republican nomina-
ting body-is was in no sense a
convention of the people-not only
disdained to respond to the popu-
lar sentiment respecting tax, gas
and water matters, but Judge
Blake, their nominee for Mayor,
insulted the universal anxiety by
saying that pledges before election
amounted to nothing. Still secure
in Democratic dissensions, as they
thought, the most ordinary decen.
cies were not observed in the can
vass; and, as result, the whole
people became thoroughly alarmed
at the absolute success of audacious
corporation tactics, and a whole
some and successful pressure was
brought to bear on the warning
Democratic factions. Such influ.
ential Republican journals as the
Bulletin and C0ll-we style any
journal Republican which is inva.
riably found supporting the Repub.
lican candidate for Prssident-told
the wrangling Democracy that
their opportunity for success in
the city and county election had
arrived, and that all that was
needed to assure it was the nomi-
nation of fair ticket OH plat
form unequivocally pledged to
rate of taxation of ST. on the 500,
and cheap water and gas.
To the surprise of the vaporing Re.
publicans, the aroused Democrats
promptly took the advice. Their
platform is everything the taxpsy-
er could ask for; and the candidates,
on the whole, are men of unusual
excellence. Within the compass
Of twenty-four hours the whole po-
litical situation was changed, and
Republicans no longer talked of
making clean sweep of every
thing, but spoke in bated breath
only of what they could save.
While Judge Blake is admitted to
be an amiable gentleman, who
fllled judicial station very accept
ably, he is In fact, a mere theorist,
Of an impraoticable emperament.
Opposed to him is Robert Howe,
. merchant who stands high
amongst all Glasses. Until Judge
Blake made the unfortunate ad.
mission that political pledges be-
fore election counted for nothing,
the general impression was that
his chance Of being the next May
or was very good. That it has
been very much diminished by his
REORGANIZATION utterances cannot
be doubted.
John ssdgwick, the Republican
nominee for Sheriff, was thought
TO be the coming man until within
the past ten days. Rightly or
wrongly, there has been some bad
blood against Desmond amongst
the old Workingmen element, and
principally amongst men who, like
himself, are Irish-Americans. His
success or defeat will depend ex-
aotly upon the extent Of this disaf-
fscti0n. As sort of counter-irri-
taDt, the friends of Desmond are
pointing to the fact that, years ago,
John 6edgwick was elected Sheriff
Of Tuoluomne county by the
Know Nothings. Tom Des.
mord, in spite of the clamor
which has been raised against
him, has made very good Sheriff,
and the fact is generally conceded.
His chances of election have great
~ improved and are improving
svery day. 1t cannot be said Of
him, ~ II can of Ssdgwick, that he
sver failed a. . stock broker and
Dhut his door, with "suspendedn
written upon 1t, upon the hard
sarned savings of poor people.
John 6edgwick had no earthly
right to speculate with other peo-
ple's money; and, II he had been
simply an honest commission
he could not have failed,
the hard earned coin Of