Los Angeles herald., 1890-09-05

BOWERS FOR CONGRESS.

The meeting of the Republican Con-
gressional Convention at Ventura yester-
day yeventuatedin in the nomination of Hon.
w. w. Bowers, of San Diego, as the can
didate of the Republican party for Con-
gress in the Sixth District. This result
seems to have been brought about by an
implied bargain between the supporters
of Col. Markham and those of w. w.
Bowers, by which the close friends of
the latter were to throw their votes for
the former for Governor, on the condi-
ton that Bowers should be in turn the
Republican nominee for Congress. The
presence of Judge w. F. Fitzgerald, and
of many other Angelef1os who had given
their proxies to delegates at Fresno,
doubtless resulted in this choice. Men
SO eminently influential in the Republi-
can party as Judges Fitzgerald and Car
penter felt that certain obligations had
been incurred to San Diego county that
must be discharged, and hence the NOM
ination of Bowers.
The selection made by the Ventura
convention is both strong and weak.
There are very few dispassionate people
who know the man who would contend
that Bowers is precisely the sort OF indi-
Vidual for such place. And yet it is
scarcely wise to underrate him too
much. He is in no sense a broad-gauge
man. In fact, he comes nearer to the idea
of the Irishman's flea than anything
else. But he has one quality Of the flea
that is not to be despised, and that is
the fea's industry. Any man, and par
ticularly any lady, who has ever tried to
hold down a flea, will know what we
mean. What creatures OF this kind lack
in size they make up in activity.
Is Bowers the weakest or the strong
est man who could have been nominated,
or is he intermediate between those pro-
positions The writer, who has known the
Republican nominee for fully eighteen
years, is puzzled to reply to these pro-
positions. His individual opinion is
that Rowell would have been the most
sagacious nominee of the Republican
party. 1t would have perhaps.teen blum
der, after nominating Markham, to have
nominated Lindley from Los Angeles
county, from Republican point of
view. Too much selfshness in section
often counts for as much in its effects as
a political revolution. The nominee,
under the circumstances, should have
gone to some other county than
Los Angeles. In our opinion, from the
standpoint of strengthening to thegut-
most the Republican ticket it should
have gone to either Dr. .Rowell, of
Fresno, or to Thomas R. Bard, of
Ventura.
That Bowers will be weak in Los Ange-
les county cannot be doubted. If elected,
he will be rabid, uncompromising
San Diego man-for San Diego at all
times and for San Diego in all things.
Ii he should pull up in Washington,
with his ,tireless ways, he would soon
have the average member OF Congress
impressed with the idea that San Diego
was a city of about million inhabitants
and Los Angeles town of somewhere in
the neighborhood of ten or twelve thous-
and. Only the knowledge that Gen.
Vandever was elected over Reel B. Terry
in 1883 by majority of 5000 would have
admitted of the nomination of man like
Bowers.
1t would seem to be an easy thing to
nominate man from Los Angeles who
could readily knock out Bowers. But
the Democratic nominee should be a
very strong man indeed. 1t should not
be forgotten that, San Diego is very
clannish, and that Los Angeles is very
little so. In such regions as Pasadena
and other stray places in the district,
there are a great many Republicans
who will vote their party ticket in
national affairs right or wrong, and to
whom the man is nothing and the party
everything. Bowers will also tell fiat
tering tale to the Los Angeles voters.
Making all allowances, an opportunity
of naming the winning man seems to be
presented to the Democratic Congress
sional Convention which meets at San
Diego on the 10Th inst.