The San Francisco call., 1896-05-28
Trying to Get Revenge With
the Help of the Rail-
road.
OLD GRIEVANCES ARE REVIVED
Mint Employees Are Actively Assist.
ing in Preparing Full
Club Rolls.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL, |
NJ Z

al
908 Broadway, May 81.
The weather is of no higher temperature
than the contest between the Democratic
cohorts of Alameda County. The present
fight is an exceedingly pretty one and has
brought out all the iness and tact that the
master politicians who are handling it can
command.
Stripped OF all verbiage and told in
sentence the fight is anything to prevent
W. w. Foote from going as delegate to
Chicago.
There are a hundred or more sidelights
and grievances and personalities thrown
around the central object, but the main
point to be fought out at the primary to
be held in this county on the 5th of June
is whether John Daggett is stronger in
Oakland and its environments than w.
W. Foote. 1t has been called fight be-
tween Prison Director R. NJ. Fitzgerald
and NJ. ]. Laymance, chairman of the
county committee, and a dozen other
cloaks have been thrown over it, but when
bedrock is reached the fight is beIween
Foote and Daggett, both of whom are
anxious to be United States Senator.
1t is the current chapter OF the old Stock
ton convention rumpus of many years
ago, when Foote was on the Railroad Com
mission, and which resulted in Daggett
being read out of the party by his political
opponents. For several years after that
Daggett was lost TO the world politically
while energetically employed in searching
for gold in his Siskiyou mines. While
Daggett was absent from the front Foote
built up an anti-monopoly record which
he has since maintained.
Closely allied with Mr.. Foote through
out has been William d. English and his
friends in Alameda County, including
Postmaster j. J. White, 2. E. Dalton, ex-
Sheriff Mckillican, ex-senator Frank ].
NJ offirt, III. j. Laymance and others.
Supporting Mr.. Daggett are John P.
Irish, John z. Glasscock, r. NJ. Fitzger-
aid and F. a. Fletcher, who is supposed to
be the representative OF Collector Welborn.
Mr.. Foote is candidate for the National
Convention and has a very strong hold on
the political heart of Alameda County's
Democracy. Daggett realized this, and as
soon as he was installed in the Mint he
carried the war into Foote'S district and
bestowed patronage where it would be
most valuable. Even now some of Dag
gett's friends have expressed their inten-
ton to vote for Foote, but as they intend
to couple their support of Foote with that
of John Daggett and John P. Irish their
friendship for w. W. Foote is decidedly
neutral.
The lines are more evenly drawn in the
contest for district delegate. The friends
of Daggett and Irish are advancing Z. NJ.
English are strongly for NJ. ]. Laymance,
who Is chairman of the Democratic County
Commit Although the fight between
Fitzgerald and Laymance Is all that is
heard it is we'll understood that behind it
is the old contest between Foote and Dag
gett.
Mr.. Lavmance's friends control the
Democratic committee, and at a special
meeting held a few evenings ago Z. NJ.
Fitzgerald was put forward by his friends
as a candidate for delegate at large.
Foote's friends declared that the Mint
employees had been working tooth and
nail to beat him, and as a keen fight
was expected there was the biggest County
Committee meeting ever held mere, neces-
stating IN adjournment to larger hall.
The Laymance cohorts mad not been say
ing much, but they had also been working
like Trojans, and when the time came
they presented their programme, which
was adopted by small ma ajority, and they
then put forward as the candidate for
delegate at large w. w. Foote, and he
was elected.
One OF the local grievances against John
Daggetr is that he was rescued from
political obscurity and put in the Mint
solely through the efforts of the late Sem
ator Stanford and as balm for the
wounds he received at the Stockton con-
vention. This report has been zealously
denied by Daggett's friends, but it is
generally believed to be true in this
county, and color is given to its truth by
the fact that his appointment was op-
posed by Congressman James g. Mcguire
and Senator Stephen NJ. White.
AS was only to be expected Superin-
tendent Daggett was anxious to get even
with his political enemies who tempo
rarily secured his repudiation by his
party. The first scalps he wanted were
those OF the Alameda Democratic contin-
gent, notably Foote, English and Moffitt.
Aofrf
ago, when Moff1tt was delegate at-large
from this county to the San Francisco
convent ton. This displeased Daggett and
fight commenced before the assembling
OF the convention to prevent Moffitt being
elected chairman of MS delegation. The
fight was quite exciting and both factions
were at fever heat for some days. Eventu-
ally Moffitt was elected, but the fight did
not end there. Two years have rolled
away and now all the old antagonism has
been revived. Foote'S head ia up, Dag.
gett's scalping-knife is out and the co.
horts are tumbiing over themselves in
their efforts to strengthen their respective
wings.
In the Sixth Ward, which is the banner
Democratic ward, there are six employe!
OF the Mint. All are working to defea
the chances of Foote and Laymance. II
the Third Ward there is an enrolment OF
the club roll of 200, and as there are only
about 300 Democrats in the ward and a.
there are five or six days yet to hear from
there will be very full enrolment, and
consequently very lively fight at tht
primaries.
Daggett certainly has everything hi
own way in the First Ward, and as thi!
is pre-emlnently railroad ward the Foot,
men are making the most of the point in
volved, as Daggetts influence with tn,
railroad is presumed to be potential.
is said that Daggett has block of passe
at tie Mint, and that he has invited n lo
of strolling delegates to Oakland.
w. b. White is the candidate of tn,
Foote wing. He is the son of the post
master and hard fighter. The Daggett
Fitzgerald wing has nominated John Nc
Donald, and he also is actively at work.
The rumor is in circulation that Lay
nance is a mem ber Of the a P. A, but ht
denied this positively this afternoon anc
said it was a canard circulated to create
prejudice against him in certain quarters
Laymance says he is with Foote upon tn,
A. P. A. question and wonders if there car
ho e~ff 10 nU Mr. Ennr.