The morning call., 1894-03-29
TIME TO UNLOAD.

The San Jose Record is making a gal
liant fight against the leadership Of Rail-
road Commissioner Rea. Says the Record:
Mr.. Rea has collected about him a lot OF Pill.
ant tools INSCRIPTIONS as himself, men
whose consciences are coated with the slime Of
long array Of political infamies and by their
ala tries 10 control the politics OF the county.
So we'll known are these men and their way OF
doing things that many Republicans OF the city
and county have become dlsgusted and apa-
thetic or positively hostile ana longer support
The party. Last year Republican club OF 900
voters voted against the ticket 10 rebuke Re
publican party corruption. leader who can
not keep his party together and bring ii up 10
the polls in solid rank is a failure. One who
scatters bis party is worse than failure.
James w. Rea has disrupted ana scattered the
Republican party OF this county 10 such n ex-
tent that even the party organ has become dis
cOuTaged ana "damns with faint praise" the
ticket set up by the recent City Conspiracy,
miscalled a convention.
The ofense of which Railroad Com mis-
sioner Rea is charged is becoming some
what too common. A number of un-
scrupulous men form political syndIcat
for the purpose OF controlling the local
government. One wing OF the syndicate
will be called Republican, the other
Democratic. Let which ticket win that
may the syndicats wins. Il throws its
votes about In sucn a way that its nominees
on beth tickets are elected. 1t may not
always get everything in sight, but it con-
centrates its strength on the candidates for
the offices controlling the largest patron
age.
This year political syDdicates will be
mostly Republican In name. 1t is thought
that the Republican party is strong en- ough
to elect any ticket in any of the large
cities it may nominate. Railroad CON-
missioner Rea has got astride the party in
San Jose. Republican journals do not
like Rea, but they do not like to forsske
their party. They know that Rea draws
a salary from the State as Railroad Com
missioner, and they believe that he serves
the Southern Pacific Company. They
know that record of this kind will cost
the party hundreds of votes, but they
think that in this boom year these votes
will not be missed. II the choice is mar
rowed down to the two parties the dissatis-
fed Republicans will in many cases pro-
test loudly and then vote the ticket. There
does not seem to be any other way out of
this unpleasant predicament than 10 nomi.
nate an independent muOlclpal LlcKets y a.
tional politics have only a remote cou-
nection with municipal government. In
the city's service integrity and especial
ability are the most essential quaIifcs-
tions. 1t should make no difference which
party local official acts with so that he
performs his duy to the city. In San
Francisco we have found that it is of
little use to overthrow one machine with
another. The same set of men work to
the top in either case. They want Office
for the patronage 1t gives them. and with
here and there an exception they are in
favor of every proposition that increases
the burden of taxation. 1t is generally
through the control of the city Offices that
men Of the character of Rea get their
standing in State conventions. If the boss
of large county like Santa Clara can
take a solid delegation to a State conven-
tion he can get any reasonable thing he
may ask from the convention. But the
taxpayers of the city are indirectly made
to pay all the expenses of these political
machines.