The San Francisco call., 1896-03-06
The Fourth District Committee
Will Meet and Organize
at Once.
MEMBERS ON THEIR POLICY
The Victory of John D. Spreckels
Wins Him Many Adherents
and Congratulations.

NSAOAS
last by the votes of seven of the eleven
members of the State Central Committee
representing that district, will meet for or
ganization to-day or tomorrow and will
then proceed to formulate plan for the
primary election for delegates to the State
Convention.
Meantime, the executive committee of
the State Central Committee will hold a
meeting. A call for "an important meet
ing" of the committee to be held at the
rooms of the State Central Committee at 8
P. NJ. to-day, has been issued by Chairman
P. B. Cornwall. The specific purposes OF
the meeting have not been stated, but it
is supposed that some measures relating to
the Fifth and Fourth Congressional
districts will be offered.
The Vaccinations of the railroad politi-
clans are becoming more clearly apparent
in the affairs of the Fourth District espe-
cially. 1t was the railroad influence that
manipulated the underhand proceedings
which resulted in the snap meeting of Sat-
urday night in the private rooms OF
Senator ]. 81. Mahoney In the BALDWIN
Hotel at which, with the aid OF forged
proxy, a Congressional committee pre-
pared beforehand was named as the COM
mittee which should represent the Repub-
licans of the Fourth District, and control
the State interests Of the Republican party
in that district.
This railroad scheme has already re-
ceived its death blow by the revelation OF
the forgery of the proxy OF Gustave Mel
sing, which gave the necessary majority,
and by the attendant revelations of the
tricky manner in which the meeting was
called by Senator Mahoney and Martin
Kelly. and the cut-and-dried programme
which was carried through by vote of
six to four.
A majority of the Republicans of the
City who have no sympathy or patience
with Martin Kelly politics. and who are
not ready to recognize the right OF Martin
Kelly, Senator Mahoney and others of
their type to control the party in the in
terests of the railroad company, have al
ready repudiated as far as they might the
snap proceedings of last Saturday night.
They recognize the legality, fairness and
decency of the meeting and action of a
majority of the State Central Committee
of night before last; the fact that the COM
mittee then created is the only one which
has a legal standing in the party organiza-
ton; that it is representative of the Re-
publicans of the whole district, and that
1t was appointed and will act in the inter-
ests of clean politics, fairness to all Repub-
licans and party harmony.
The disgraceful forgery of Gustave Mel
sings proxy last Saturday night, an un-
scrupulous political trick of the sort sell
dom practiced in planes above the conten-
tions of district primary politics, will not
down. The criminal trick was perpetrated
by men assuming initial control of the
National Republican political interests OF
the Fourth Congressional District. The
fact that the majority necessary for the
appointment of committee was secured
| through this forgery is clear-cut thing
that will remain the chief feature Of the
history of that snap meeting of Saturday
night.
Jacob Shaen, who was induced to attend
| the meeting and vote the proxy of Mr..
| Melsing provided for him, now vigorously
repudiates his share of the proceedings on
| the ground that he voted the proxy inno-
Gently, accepting without knowledge or
question the assertion that it was all right.
| He has since learned of the forgery and
yesterday declared that he was made the
victim of small and dirty political trick,
and that he was innocently made the tool
of others.
The regular Fourth District Congress.
slonal Committee, composed of Nicholas
| Ohlandt, Louis Pockwitz, George Rode,
| c. G. Bemis, r. Rasmussen, +. Arata and
| Henry Lehman. will meet for organiza.
| tion to-day or tomorrow. Yesterday the
| mem bers of the committee received the
| following notice of appointment signed by
Thomas G Duff, chairman of the meeting
| of the members of the State Central Com
| mittee from the Fourth District:
SAN FRANCISCO, March 5, 1896.
| You are hereby notified that at regular
meeting of the members OF the Republican
State Central Committee for the Fourth Con-
| gressional District, held on March 4, 1896 IN
! pursuance OF the resolution of the Republican
| State Central Committee adopted at its regular
meeting on the 29th day OF February, 1896
| for the purpose of selecting the COM
| m1ttee OF seven persons resident in said
| Fourth Congressional District in whom should
be vested the powers and duties provided foI
| in said resolution, you were duly and regularly
| selected and appointed as one OF the said COM
| mlttee OF seven persons and invested with the
| aforesaid powers and duties; and you are fur.
| ther hereby notified that the other members o1
| said committee selected and appointed to act
| and serve as your colleagues thereon are the
| following named gentlemen, VIZ: Louis Pock-
witz, George Rode, G. c. Bemis Il. Rasmussen
| f. Arata and Henry Leferman
c. G. Bemls of this committee, well
| known as leading Montgomery-stre
real estate man, said yesterday that he
| would accept the appointment.
81 consider it an honor to represent the
Republicans in such capacity in year
so full of hope and importance to the
party as this one," he said, 'and | shall
certainly perform. the uuLleS ueVOlVIng
upon me with spirit befitting the office.
III certainly have no doubts about the
| legality and authority of the committee OF
which l am member, and few fair
minded Republicans whose minds and
| consciences rise above the political
methods which have come to be called
Buckley methods could have any such
| doubts. My only interest is to see the
| affairs of the party conducted with fair
| ness, decency and success, and | know
that such is the spirit of this committee.
II shall be very much disappointed if
the committee does not rise little above
the plane of petty political tricks and con-
duct the affairs of the party intrusted to 1t
in a broad, honest and dignified way
which will win the respect and confidence
OF the community and conserve the high
est and best interests of the party"
Louis Pockwitz, another member of the
committee, has not recently been as prom
lnent in political affairs as he was some
years ago when he served several terms as
a ber of the County Committee, but
he is an old, well known and respected
business man and Republican.
II have not conferred with any other
members of the committee" said Mr..
Pockwitz last evening, .'and so can say
nothing as to any action the committee
may be likely to take, but ! will say that