The San Francisco call., 1896-04-30
The Republican Fifth Congress
sional Committee Listens
to Contests.
WILL SETTLE THINGS TODAY.
Factions in the Thirty.Sevent tn and
Fortieth Make Charges Which
Are Denied.

| this City, and, not getting through with
the hearing of testimony and arguments,
adjourned until 10 A.. NJ. to-day without
passing any judgments or taking any Of
ficial action.
AT the meeting to-day the committee,
which is a canvassing and returning board,
with authority over all contests arising
out of the selection of delegates to The
coming State Convention, will decide the
contests from the Thirty-seyenth, Fortieth
and Forty-irst Assembly districts of San
Francisco, give final judgment in the
County Committee returns OF convention
delegates from Santa Clara and San Mateo
counties and from the seven districts OF
San Francisco lying within the Fifth Con-
gressional district, and issue credentials
to the delegates.
But four of the seven members OF the
committee were present when the meeting
was called to order at IL A. NJ. in the law
Office of John E. Richards in the Crocker
building. The four were James w. Rea,
chairman; John E. Richards, secretary;
Robert Toplltz and Al Stetson.
There were on hand throng of factional
Republicans from the Thirty y-seventh and
Fortieth districts. 1t was decided to hear
the Fortieth District contest first and the
Fortieth District crowd stayed and grew,
while the little army from the Thirty
seventh withdrew to return with REINFORCE
ments in the afternoon.
These contests are wholly confined in
their party significance to their respective
districts and represent no schism or oDpo-
sition extending beyond the question of
district control and recognition among
district elements.
In each case the contestants represent
small minorities, which, before the pri-
maries, refused the measure of representa-
ton on the regular tickets offered them by
the other elements which made up the
regular district delegations to the State
Convention. In each case the contestants
put up opposition tickets which, the con-
testants admit, received comparatively
small minorities of the votes legitimately
cast. The contestants, however, allege, in
each case, that the frauds were perpetrated
by the representatives of the majority
factions in control of the election machin-
cry, and the contests are based on these
charges of fraud rather than on any claim
that the contestants would have received
a majority OF the votes cast, if all had gone
fairly.
In each case the most that is hoped for
is that the Congressional Committee will,
in the belief that frauds were really COM
mitted by somebody, and in the interest OF
harmony, award the contestants portions
of the delegations. The victorious fac
tions naturally oppose with vigor such a
step. In both districts the A. P. A. and
antl-A. P. a. elements cut partial figure
in the alignment of forces.
The Fortieth District is the one repre-
sented in the County Committee by Jesse
L. Marks. who has acted in harmony with
the County Committee and who used his
influence in giving all elements in his dis
trIct as fair division of representation as
could be brought about amlc the exigen.
cies of district politics.
The contestants from this district were
loud and indignant and the regulars were
just as loud and indignant later. The
charges were that repeaters operated all
day in the interest of the regular ticket;
that challenges were ignored and that
generally the regulars, having the inside,
carried things by usual primary election
methods. The gist OF the evidence was
"You did" and 1--WE didn't"
o. W. Winthrop was spokesman for the
contestants. He offered a petition alleg-
ing frauds and asking that the election be
declared void and that the committee ap-
point delegation. He stated that he had
afidavits in support of the charges oil
fraud, and called as witness III. H.
Holmes, who was one of the opposition
candidates for delegate and who acted as
q ohai ilopn Of he lnnx
He said that he saw mum Der Of men
vote three or four times and that the name
of NJ. II. de Young was voted several
times. Other witnesses Tor the con.
| testants gave similar testimony. On cross
examination Holmes admitted that the
opposition polled but ten votes at one
polling place and sixty six at the Other
and the regulars made strong point or
this showing of residual equity.
County Committeeman Jesse Marks
testified at length and with positivenes:
| that the election had been fair, that all
challenges had been allowed and that the
vote was honestly counted. All the charges
| were denied in detail. Holmes and Irving
| of the opposition admitted that at the
| upper end everything was fairly conducted
| and that the alleged frauds were confined
| to the lower end.
Marks was supported by the similar tes
timony of B. d. Pike, John Carson, B. f
Miller, John c. Nobmann, w. L. Cole
Thomas Eager, William Wilkinson and II
| w. Miller of the regular delegates; by
William Klinger, Joseph Peckman, o. G
Hallett and Frank Bauer, election officers
and by other witnesses.
The Fortieth District was taken under
advisement and then the committee tool
/ lunch.
/ The. fight in the Thirty-seventh Distric
Is more bitter and complicated than tha
of the Fortieth, and is decorated witt
more of the picturesqueness of distric
politics. 1t took the committee from t.
$50 P. NJ. to hear what the factions had t,
! offer.
James Alva Watt is the County Commit
teeman from this district, and during tn,
anteprimary skirmishlng made every eff
/ fort to get the faction led by Ed DonDell,
and some others to accept two or thre,
delegates and become sample of harmony
They demanded four delegates or a fight
| and the fight came.
1