Los Angeles herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1890-1893, 1890-10-04
now THEY STAND TO DATE.

There is perhaps no surer test OF the
trend of campaign than the estimate
of Republicans themselves OF the stand
ing of their own standard-bearers. In
California today the Republican esti-
mate of President Harrison could not
we'll be more contemptuous. The writer
heard one of the most prominent Re-
publicans of the state, who would Meth
er seek nor accept Office, refer to the
inheritor of his grandiather's hat as a
"chipmunk." Such expressions are
current on all hands. When Colonel
Markham was advocated for governor
the impression was created in San Fran
cisco and in the northern and central
counties that he was a man of states
manlike ideas, attractive manners, and
captivating oratory. The surprise OF
the masses has been extreme at
the utter inanity of the tall Pasa-
denan's speeches. As an indignant Re-
publican put it, they could have en-
dured the disappointment if his COM
manding stature had not led them,
when he opened his mouth, to expect
something commensurate with his ap-
pearance in the way of oratory. The
wild agony of his supporters as his
schoolboy efforts crystalized into speech
has been something really pitiable. His
canvass in San Francisco is admitted
even by his partizans there to have been
an unexampled fiasco. 1t is an open
secret there that the managers of his
campaign telegraphed down to Los An
geles in sheer alarm to know the real sta
tus of his fight in the southern counties.
The CHASTITY unreality of the ante-nom-
ination claims made for Markham have
inspired his managers with an over
Whelming terror, Their dread Of
the result has been intensified by
his foolish boasts. before the state
central committee of his party as to the
enormous majority with which he would
cross the .Tehachepi mountains. AS one
of the disguised Republican leaders said,
speaking of the faulty with which the
state committee is managing the cam
paign, "Why, in Gods name, do they
not either send him home or write him
out short speech, which he could be
expected to commit to memory"
AS to Markham, this is an exact
description Of the feeling in San Fran
cisco and up north as to the status of his
canvass, in naught extenuated nor in a
whit tinctured with malice.
When we come to Pond the contrast
is striking one. Nominated distinctly
on the ground of his administrative
record, nobody expected any ora
torical graces from him. The
facts that he had distinguished
himself as supervisor and mayor by in
flexible integrity and very pronounce d
executive ability were the sole inspir-
atoms OF his nomination. Truth COM
pels even his political adversaries,
however, to admit that on every public
appearance Mr.. Pond has exhibited an
unexpected happiness and facility of
address and luminousness of ideas
most gratifying to his admirers and
disconcerting to his opponents. He is
a vote maker of exceptional power,
largely by force of his comprehensive
and intelligent presentation of the
issues of the hour. Wherever he has
gone, the Dem ocratic press have been
proud to herald his utterances, they
have attracted the appreciative atten-
ton of the voter everywhere. and his
campaign could not be in better
shape. In San :. Francisco it is
in specially promising condi-
ton. The estimates of his majority
in the metropolitan city range from four
to ten thousand. The most intelligent
Democratic opinion leans to figure
somewhere from seven to nine thousand.
On all hands, and with people of all
parties, it is simply question of how
much San Francisco will give her favor
tie son. To break the force of the whole
sale Republican disaffection to Markham
we are told that there is little discon-
tent with Pond south of Market street.
Admitting this to be the case, it is but a
drop in the bucket compared to the
trooping legions OF Republicans who in
tend to cut the Republican nominee and
vote for his Democratic opponent in the
Bay City. The Democrat who is not
satisfied with the way things have gone
thus far in the campaign is indeed hard
to please.