The morning call., 1893-03-12
THE OAKLAND ELECTION.

Tomorrow the people of Oakland will
have an opportunity of showing whether
they can emulate San Francisco In the work
of throwing off the yoke of municipal
ring. Four months ago this city showed
under the nominees of the corrupt party
rings which had for years alternated in the
business of robbing the people. A Nom
Partisan Mayor was elected. and Board of
supervisors was chosen OF whom good
things are expected. This was accomplished
in the face of perfect organization and an
ample supply of money to accomplish the
purpose OF the bosses. 1t is enough to say
that at the neyt election in this city the
working politicians will see the necessity of
reckoning with the people before they make
their nominations.
1t is now Oaklard's turn. In that city
the boss has been the railroad company,
which has worked through the Republican
machine. The chief manipulation used TO
be Henry Nrooman, who was past master
in the art of manipulating men. When he
died his mantle fell on the shoulders of
Dargie ana Gage, and they have seen to it
that the railroad came to no detriment
through the action of the city government
In part reQuital Of free transportation along
the main thoroughfare-a boon which would
not last an hour If the expense Of collecting
fares would not exceed their gross yield
Oakland has always been solidly Re
publican, its members of the Assembly have
been the stanchest friends the railroad had
at Sacramento. and the policy of the
municipal administration has always sub
ordnated the Interests of the people Of
akland to those of the corporation. The
rival interests reached collision in the
waterfront controversy. When that dis
pute got into the courts it became forced
conclusion that the time had come to settle
who was the master of Oakland, the people
or the railroad. Voters will decide the
question tomorrow.
The interests of the people have been in
the hands of & body known as the Citizens
Municipal League; their objective was to
drive the Cages. the De Gollas, the Moffitts
the Dargies out of politics, just as the aim
Of the Non-Pattisans in this city was to
drive Crimmins and Kelly out of politics
here. They propose to try to restore pure
politics and to put stop to the neyer-end-
ing venality which had made Oakland only
second to San Francisco as a sink of cor
ruption. They issued in January last an
excellent platform, of which the leading
planks were resolution requiring the public
business to be conducted on the same prln-
cples as private business, and a resolution
pledgiDg Oakland to use Its water front for
and not against competing railroad. a
good deal of Quiet electioneerlng has been
done among the well-to-do ctizeus, who
have been educated TO regard the railroad
as the natural boss OF the city. How effect
i've this work will prove people will learn
on Tuesday morning. The retormers have
had hard row to hoe. The railroad has
owned Oakland body and soul. Its politics
have been dictated at Fourth and Towns
end. It's public men have been the servants
Of the corporation, aud generally in its pay.
Its citizens have always understood that
their right of suffrage was a sham, and that
the corporation relieved them of the duty
of self-government. They were naturally
inclined to Republicanism. 1t was through
the machinery of the Republican party that
the great monopoly governed them. For
these citizens to now put forward declara-
tion Of independence will call for nerve and
courage. They can make good the declara-
tion if they choose. But success will re-
Quire manhood.
1t would be difficult to exaggerate the
importance to Oakland of a victory of the
Citizens Municipal League. The reason
why that city has not progressed as it
should have done is because it has been
sat upon. 1t ought to be the terminus of at
least two Eastern trunk lines 1t only re-
ceiyes one. and that one declares there
shall never be another. It ought to be a
seat of manufacturing industry; it is not,
because capital Will not take lodgings in a
place where corporate monopoly rules.
Nobody willingly plants his tent under a
despotism. II tomorrow Oakland should
vote the railroad bosses into the ditch where
Kelly and Crmmins lie new life would
spring up. People would feel as the colonies
felt when they had thrown off the British
yoke. Everybody would be embold ened to
do something for improvement and prog
ress The future historian would date the
real life of Oakland from March 13, 1898.