The record-union., 1896-08-16
ARTHUR McEWEN TALKS
ABOUT
SAN FRANCISCO POLITICS.
Troubles of the Political Leaders
War Among the Generals and Soldiers

cooperative understanding with the
Populists, not only as to the electoral
ticket, but as to Congressman, the Re-
publicanS of San francisco are ex-
tremely active in promoting strife
within the party and SO increasing its
chances of defeat. Personal ambitions
are largely responsible for this state
OF things. The supply Of Generals and
Colonels is immense, and nearly every
General and Colonel wants an Office,
and Is therefore jealous of all the other
Generals and Majors. 1t is a peculiar
ity of most of these perfectly selfish
leaders that they have never done any
thing more for the party than to push
themselves forward and raise a row
unless it was plainly understood that
victory meant spoils for themselves.
They stand, as rule, for neither brains
nor character, but only appetite. The
most conspicuous General of them all
is seemingly an exception in the matter
of desiring office, preferring to offer
his friends for places instead of him
self. But this generous General has the
misfortune to be an amateur in politics
and his pre-eminence provokes resent
nlent and revolt among the veterans
list of friends destined for preferment.
General Spreckels aspires-vide the an
acuhcements of the admiring "Call''-to
De a, State leader of the Quay-Platt or
der, but the want of capacity he dis
plays for preserving harmony in the
dty does not encourage the belief that
he will ever rise to the position of COM
mander-in-chfef of the Republican
failure as harmonizer is the bad ad-
vice he gets from his cabinet The
courtiers who surround him are cheru-
BIN and seraphim who continually do
cry that he is great, and that opposi-
ton to his will is proof of a stiff-necked
and rebellious spirit that invites not to
Cancellation, but punishment. The Gen.
eral has hearkened to this crying and
accustomed his nostrils to the sweet
SAVIOR of the incense that is burned by
day and by night under his opulent
nose. So it has come about that when
the General finds anybody disputing
his sovereignty he assumes that the
nalcontent is merely scheming to get
an offer to come into camp. This may
be true enough of such political ad-
venturers as Martin Kelly, Colonel
Kowalsky, jerry Mahoney and fellows
of the baser sort in general but, though
Spreckels is unable 20 realize it, there
really are plenty of Republicans in
San Francisco quite as reputable as
himself who do not think submission to
his will necessary either to their own
er the party's salvation
In the Fourth and Fifth Congression-
a; Districts the situation has become
So involved as to make it certain that
the Republicans will be defeated un-
less the riot act is read to the contend
ing factions by the voice of an author
ity high and stern enough to compel
obedience. In the Fourth thE Spear
wing, recognized by the National Con-
yention and the National Committee,
made a nomination for Congress and
also for Presidential Elector, and Gen.
eral Spreckels, who was not clever
enough to prevent this, went straight
ahead and nominated candidates also,
just as if Spear and his followers did
not exist.
1.-THE folly of this" a Republican
who cares a good deal more for party
interests than he does for either Spreck-
els or Spear said to me, sis only sur
passed by its impudence. John D. is
demonstrating that he needs few men
with good sense to stay with him and
tell him several times a day that he
doesn't know it all and isn't the whole
of the Republican party. We've got
two local organizations now, and a
double ticket in the Fourth Congress
sional District. The General signalized
his ability as a political manager at
the opening Of the campaign, you re-
member, by being fooled into voting
against himself in the State Commit
tee. Now in the Fourth he has had the
nerve, or the stupidity, I don't know
which, to put up a candidate for Con-
gress against the one nominated by the
District Convention which, whatever
else may be said of it, was declared by
the highest authority of the Republican
party to be the properly organized
body under the instructions of the Ma
tional Committee. BY causing his
discredited and rejected delegation to
nominate Dinkelspeil, Spreckels has put
himself in a fix from which he will not
be able to crawl without humiliation.
The National Committee, of which he
is a member can't well ignore his ac-
tion. His enemies will see to it that the
committee shall be fully informed of his
arbitrary and cheeky conduct. To the
committee the election of a Congress-
man is of much more moment than the
pride of the General He has made
his foes a present of a whip that will
be laid on his back without mercy. If
Spreckels possessed proper conception
of the duties of leader he would have
come to an understanding with the op-
position long ago and prevented all this
pulling and hauling. Fancy Stowe or
Higgins allowing such a muddle to oc-
cur, / shouldn't be surprised We're the
General to lose the seat in the National
Committee from which he ousted that
other broad minded statesman and his
ancient enemy, General de Young, now
OF Paris. But whether General Spreck-
els, or General de Young, or General
Anybodyeise. shall be on the National
Committee is trifle to everybody ex-
oept the General Immediately con-
cerned. What is of Importance to the
voters of the party is that any hope of
defeating Mcguire must be relin-
cuished if two Republican candidates
remain in the field-especially two such
candidates as Thomas O'Brien, the
clerk of Judge CampbelPs Police Court
and H. G. w. Dinkelspeil, young man
OF 80 and wholly unknown to the pub
lie. Spreckels viii have to come off his
perch. The party cannot stand imbecile
management, and that is what it is get
ting now. There is demand for the in
tervention Of the national overseers OF
the Republican party that will not be