The morning call., 1892-07-27
DEMOCRACY'S TOUGH JOB.
How 1t Proposes to Purify Local
Politics.
Gavin NeNab and Ex-Judge Sullivan Have
Both Taken the Contract and Are
Helping Each Other.

TO be bigger job than the cleansing COM
mittee anticipated. The standards Of purity
flung out by the two wings of the reorgan-
iZers have been dragged through the p0lii-
ical mire until ii is doubtful If soap and
water even will restore their pristine beau
ties. 1t will take something stronger to
renovate the ranks, and in The meantime
the trouble grows apace
The leaders of the two wings-Gavin Nc
Nab and ex-Judge Suliyan-may be Akened
unto a pair of political cats hung across
party cloihesline, clawing away at each
other in the presence Of an admiring con-
stituency. Who shall run the approaching
primaries is the bone of contention. Each
wants to conduct the campaign in the inter-
ests Of ''cl an politics" and in a manner
that will reflect great credit upon bis here
tofore unspotted record as a purifier of
local politics.
At the same time each is trying TO hold
the other up as a follower in the footsteps
of the absent Mr.. Buckley. whom they
united TO down and then fell out in trying
10 settle dispute as 10 which should take
his place and boss the business. and also re-
main pure Both are bathed in spotleSs
purity 10 date. but II each has his way, ac-
cOTdiDg to the other, and succeeds IN carry
ing the day the Cause Of pure government
is dead bird and the city will again be
boss.
A DENIAL.
Each leader denies that he 8Spires to
bOSsism and asserts that he Is working
solely in the interests OF the good aud re-
Specialize element Of Democracy but there
is distressing lack of unanlmity on this
point. RecIiminationS, inspired by jealousy
and the ambition to be the most prominen at
man in the party are banded back and
forth. and as the time Tor election draws
near the breach is percepHely widening.
Each has his innings and then waits for the
other TO play.
They do not speak as they pass by, but
converse freely to interested and dlSiu-
teresled parties. McNab claims that whpC
the reform movement " as hrSt started Sui
livan took no active part IN the cleansing
business until the party had broken away
from Buckley rule and was on the high sea
of success. Then he scrambled aboard and
wants 10 steer the craft himself and land
the party where il will do the Sullivan wing
the most good. This disguised Mr. McNab,
who is not actuated by selfish mJtlves.
There is not job on the whole peninsula
within the province OF The municipal LOyera-
ment hat he would accept under any cOndi-
ton. yet his influence ssueh that the sullivan
IeOple want him 10 stand In and get some
thing nice and fat. Jack Mannix, one of
Sulivan's lieutenants, dropped 10 on Mr..
McNab the other day ana told him that If
he diG not stop kicking he wouldn't get
bean" MI. McNab hauEhtiIy replied that be
didn't want any beans, and that further
more he was not travelling with that klnd oil
cattle.
On the other hand Judge Sullivan asserts
that one Gavin McNab, a clerk, Is jealous of
Mr. SuIliyan's prominence as political
leader in the right direction. and has antag-
oniZed him because he (Sulivan) will not
stoop 10 b0ssism. Mr.. Sullivan does not
make these statements on his own authority
bul Oh what his friends have told him. Ac-
cording 10 these statements McNa6 Is out
in the Interests of Sam Rainey and the Fire
Department, and Is pulling In that direction
with all his might
ONE OF THE ORIGINAL COMMITTEE.
McNab was one of the original committee
o 10 on reorganization. and when tue ring
was first attacked he was extremely bitter
IL his denuncation of Buckley, R,iney,
etc In fact he scored them most unmerci-
fully, and alluded to some of the gentle
boils Gu tlae BODY petite, iof wteiii ti.eeiiii
{ was loudly and enthusiastically Kissed.
Now he has Topped over and become a bOli
on the body polite himself, and is trotting in
the same class with the old-time bosses
In self-delense Mr.. McNab asserts that
be dos not know sam Raluey, and that the
gentleman does not know him. lie is not
out for office, az there is none that he Will
have. The other wing Is after the SpOls,
and some OF them have abrOgalea the defini-
tion OF the word ''TeorganIZa ion. and
Judging from their action, tile definition
must be ''get all the Offices you can" They
have made up slate, including even the
Superior Judges. and having prom iSed every
thing in sight it Will be necessary TO pack
the convention In order 10 carry out con-
tracts.
To accomplish this they wish to name all
election officers, 30 that by buidozing voters
and resOrtlOg 10 other practices they will be
able TO name tic delegates. But the inde-
pendentS claim that bOssism has had its
day. and that they did not DESTROY Buckley
in order 10 set up Sullivan and ManBix at
the old stand. The Sullivan wing claims
that the County Committee should name the
election ofhcers, or that the five County
Committeeman in each Assembly District
should name the officers for their respective
districts.
Tney assert that 10 deny this right IS 10
impUgn The honesty and Observation-Disclosures
OF the county executive committee and that
those obJeciing to this area1e -tfue Buckley
ties and ne FIe>Department; that tie best
way 10 lu,|tne clean ticket Is 10 allow the
Sullivan people TO run the primary and
elect their convention on the ground that
decent Democrats viii be satisfied with this
course. This is the only way TO insure abb
solute purity.
AS the McNab faction is also great
stlekler for decency, II believes that the
only way 10 attain IL is to have Chairman
Watkins appoint five of the most resperted
members of the County Committee to an
prove the names OF all election officers in
order to prevent any disreputable Character
from becoming an officer Of the election and
ha ~