The record-union., 1896-05-17

gins was boss of the RepuDncan party,
with his headquarters in the loWly Mint
saloon and Chris Buckley BOSS OF the
Democracy, with his headquarters in
his Bush-Street gin-mllI. NOW the
great commanders put up at and hold
court in first-claSs hotels. Rlcn men
used to work through disreputable pro-
fessional politicians; now they DO the
work themselves and save the posses
wages. 1t is rather a new experience
for San Francisco to see mlillonalre
personally doing politics" with office
hours for meeting "the push, heuten-
ants going and coming, and in all ways
toiling as Higgins and Buckley were
wont to toll. There are still some peo-
pie left who do not think with the call
that General SpreckelS possesses
Cameron's or Quay's genius for man
agement but no one who has the least
respect for style can say that 1t doesn't
look better to have the republican
forces commanded by General Spreckels
At the Palace Hotel than had jerry Ma
honey and Martin Kelly won the victory
at the State Convention and established
the seat Of local power in some low
groggery, with Colonel Kowalsky as
legal adviser. Being now boss, Gen
eral Spreckels has deferred sufficiently
to tradition to maintain a saloon con-
nection. But it is a very fine saloon, the
finest in town, where nobody can get
drink, even of beer, without paying two
bits for it. In the afternoon 1t IS not
an unimpresSive sight to see General
Spreckels during party office hours
seated in his easy-chair of state in the
cafe of the Palace calmly smoking
cigar like a common man, and sur
rounded by his serious and differential
staff, chief of which is Colonel Samuel
Millwheel Shortridge, than whom there
is no more majestic public man on this
or any other continent. Were General
Spreckels less devoted to the interests
OF his country, and of a volatile father
than of a grave and philosophical dis
position, he might, instead of immers-
ing himself in the drudgery of politics,
be spinning through the Park on BIZ
cycle, skimming over the sea in yacht,
dancing in the gilded halls of pride and
pleasure, or otherwise disporting him
self as one of the idle rich. The admira-
ton of Colonel Shortridge for his Cen
eral is justified.
Negus McNab, the Menelek of the
local Democracy, though not million
aire, but only a working lawyer, like
wise tents his person and his power in a
hotel, the Occidental. He has no court,
but is present of evenings in the hotel
office to receive petitions, grant par
dons and confer the royal touch on the
lame, halt and blind of politics. If not
a millionaire he is not unconscious of
the uses of the millionaire to a party,
so he offsets the imposing effect of the
wealth and person of General Spreck-
els by pushing young Mr.. Phelan, pluto
crat. college man, art connoisseur and
bon vivant, for Mayor. So it will be
seen that politically San Francisco
moves in the Four Hundred. That our
social elevation will result in better
government remains to be seen.
The Populist Convention, to which the
newspapers of both parties, artfully
bent on conciliating the Kicker, have
given as much space as they did to the
Republican gathering, has impressed
and puzzled the practical politicians of
the city. There are a good many Popu-
lists here, of course, but they are lost
in the crowd. This third party revolt
is essentially a rural movement. 1t is
the unearthly earnestness of the con-
vention that puzzles the politicians.
The offices not being in sight, the enthu-
siasm of the Populists for principle and
their noble indifference to mere policy,
cause the city statesmen to class them
sometimes as cranks, but usually as
frauds-the city statesmen whom cor
rupting experience has taught, in Mac
aulay'S phrase, to regard political vir-
tue as the mere coquetry Of political
prostitution" But the larger men of the
old parties understand the PopulistS,
and fear them. A party which cast
$4,000 votes at the last election, and for
some offices was not very far behind the
Democrats, has reason to be enthusiast
tic, and naturally fills with dread the
breast of the regulation politician.
Though the Populists have no newspa-
per of general circulation in their inter
est, they are going to be heard from in
this campaign
The Democratic State Convention will
meet on June 10th, and hereabout there
is animated discussion of the probable
platform From conversation with the
leading men / learn that there is great
diversity of opinion on the money ques-
tion. The delegates already chosen in
various parts of the State are about
equally divided. half being silver men
and the other half gold men. There is
a strong element in the party in favor
OF straight declaration for the gold
standard and an element, perhaps
stronger, which would initiate the Re
publicans and Populists by declaring for
free coinage of silver Then there are
the international bimetallists, and the
prudent set who would have the plat
form without any financial plank at all
and leave the whole Thing to the Ma
tional Convention. At this writing, l
should say that the silver men are likely
TO prevail.
Though the Democratic newspapers
in this region are silent respecting the
sectarian issue. apparently fearing that
an editorial mentio of the A. +. a.
would be followed by a CONFUSION of
nature, Democrats are not in the least
backward about expressing themselves.
i find no difference of opinion about
what the State Convention should do
and will do. There is TO be an emphatic
pronouncement against the religious
question in politics and a'forthright at
tack on the Republican party for its
association with the A. p. A. When the
convention does that it will be hard
heart indeed that can refuse to bleed for
the Examiner"
Woman suffrage is to. be indorsed.
There is opposition to this, but the lead
ers argue that, Independently altogether
of the right or wrong of the matter, it
would be foolish to array the suffragists