The San Francisco call., 1895-10-18

candidates claim the victory for their in
dividual men, ard at the present time 1t
would seem that the chances of Lawson
CD, Wilson (R.), Steinman Und. d. and
Hubbard (Citizens' party) are nearly equal.
Hubbard being the standard-bearer of
the Citizens party, backed as he is by the
American Protective Association, who are
making personal house-to-house canvass
in his favor, is supposed to be developing a
strength which is difficult to estimate and
may be hard to overcome.
Steinmans friends are simply standing
by him shoulder to shoulder, and are
fighting hard to increase his strength in
all quarters. 1t is said that he possesses
the backing of the entire Police Depart
ment and their friends, the employees of
the city cemetery, the Fire Department,
the city water works and the gas COM
pany's employees, while it is claimed that
he has many friends IN the machine shops
of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company.
Wilson, the Republican nominee, it is
claimed will receive the bulk of the rail-
road-shop vote and will draw largely on the
Catholic portion of the community, who are
exhibiting considerable anxiety as to the
figure which Hubbard will cut at the polls.
In fact, both the Republican and Inde-
pendent candidates are also betraying
anxiety to learn the progress of the unique
campaign being prosecuted by the Citizens
nominees.
Wilson also possesses the backing of
most of the political bosses, who seem to
have united their forces in favor of the en-
tire Republican ticket.
Frank Rhoads, who for thirty years has
demonstrated his ability to land the nomi-
nees of the Republican party in their de-
sired positions. has again assumed the
leadership, and claims that he is confident
of party success all along the line, with
Wilson at the head.
The first really important victory
achieved by the Little Napoleon as he
is called, was in what has long been known
as the ''Spittoon" convention, held in 1865,
when he assumed the reins of control over
the local Republican factions.
In 1872 when Newton Booth was nomi-
mated for the gubernatorial chair, Rhoads
fully demonstrated his political general
ship by engineering Booths nomination
and subsequent election. Since that time
he has been boss and manager of State,
county and city politics and has been a
member of the Republican State Central
Committee for nearly twenty years. He
also handled Leland Stanford's interests
and is accredited with having materially
assisted in successfully conducting his
battle.
In 1893 a split occurred between the
Little Napoleon" and the railroad COM
pany. The latter having slated J. Brusie
for the Senate. desired Rhonds to forward
his interests, but having already pledged
himself to E. c. Hart for that position
Rhoads refused to accede to their demands
and in the ensuing fight triumphantly
elected his chosen candidate.
In addition to his work as politician,
Rhoads owns an interest in saloon and a
faro bank. He is credited with affording
protection" to the game, which runs al
most the year round, only letting up for a
brief period during the session of each
Grand Jury. Rhoads is one of the best
organizers in the State. He is a pictu-
rescue character in local and State politics,
by many being regarded as the Buckley
OF Sacramento" Like the blind boss of
San francisco, he never aspires to any
political position beyond membership in
the central committee, but is content to
push his favorites to the front and take
chances, like the "dead game sport" that
ne IS, or playing even after the fight has
been won.