The San Francisco call., 1896-09-28
AN IMPORTANT MEETING.

ecutive Committee has been called by
slider the local political situation and to
devise ways and means for the promotion
of harmony and the assurance of success
to the Republican ticket in San Francisco.
This will be most important meeting
and the members of the committee who
are present thereat should so consider it
and should deal calmly and impartially
with the questions which will arise. The
thought which should dominate the dis
cussion and control the conclusions of the
committee should of course be how to
best assist and insure local Republican
success. Any plan or proposition which
would further bemuddle and confuse the
existing condition of affairs should be
whom proposed.
The powers of the State Executive Com
mittee will doubtless be the subject of
some discussion. Ii goes without saying
that in matters which Immediately and
directly affect the State or National ticket
this committee has practically the entire
powers of the party organization in its
hands. But in matters which are purely
local, and which only by reflection seem
to i'm pede the success of the State or Ma
tional ticket, it is a grave question of doubt
as 10 how far the power ana duty of the
committee extend. Would it, for ex-
| ample, reach out long arm into Siskiyou
or San Diego counties to harmonize local
factions fighting over petty offices simply
because their conflict might by indirection
affect the vote upon the National ticket
1t would hardly undertake to do so; or, if
| it did it would probably and very properly
limit its action to the giving of strong and
good advice 10 the contestants.
The fact that the State Executive
Committee meets and has it's head
quarters in San Francisco is a purely
fortuitous circumstance, and it would
seem that the same reasoning which
applies to the local discords of the most
distant county applies equally to this City.
Besides, it is not at all certain that fac
tional conflict confined to purely local pol
| itics would affect seriously or iniuri-
ously the National ticket. Both elements
are for Mckinley, and both are srduously
laboring to insure the electoral vote of
California for him. Under the Aus tralian
! ballot system the loyalty of the voter for
the head of the ticket is Influenced very
| little, if as all, by his bias toward the
minor candidates near its foot. In addi-
| ton TO this the existence of local fight
always assures large vote for the party,
because OF the effort of each element to
get its every adherent to the polls. These
! practical facts should be carefully weighed
by the committee in its deliberations to-
| day.
There is another consideration which
should receive the most careful and i'm
partial attention. The State Executive
Committee is part of the regular Re-
publican party organization of California.
Its members are men of large experie nee
IN both local and State politics, and they
and each OF them Will therefore appre.
ciate the prime importance of maintaining
and encouraging regularity in the party
| organization as an Indispensable requisite
to party perpetuity as we'll as success.
OF the two local elements, one represent:
| regularity, the other does not; one sup.
ports and is supported by regular county
committee, the legal and rightful heir o.
that local party organization; the other Is
the heir of nothing, has no history and
can show no better motive for it:
existence than the desire OF few
men to break down the local party and
| upon Its ruins rise to power. The member.
of the State Executive Committee should
most carefully consider both before and a
their meeting to-day whether they ough
to do otherwise than sustain and supper
the regular Republican party OF San Fran
cisco in its effort to maintain the integrit,
of the local party organization, and in it,
action take in the nomination of com
plete local ticket in the Auditorium con
vention.
1t is well to reflect whether a hasty
or incorporate exercise of power by
the State Committee might not Undue.
more discord and confusion into San Fran
cisco politics than at present exists, anC
thereby yet more seriously endanger tht
success OF the National ticket.
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