The San Francisco call., 1896-06-06
HOW IT WAS DONE.
The Great Democratic Struggle In Ala
media County Fought and Won.


OAKLAND, CAL, June 5.-The number
of people who drew salaries from the State
to-day, without working for them, and the
mention of the various offices they repre-
sented, is fair indication of the interests
that were involved in to-day's great con-
test in Alameda County.
1t is no longer any use for Superinten-
dent Daggett of the Mint TO deny that he
is interested in Democratic politics on this
side of the bay. Neither is is it of any use
for R. NJ. Fitzgerald to deny that his Office
as Prison Director was not used to help
him in fighting W. W. Foote, and, in
cidentally, NJ. ]. Laymance.
Neither viii it avail anything for Labor
Commissioner Fitzgerald to assert that he
did not use his official influence in help
ing make his brothers. fight.
Ex-Fire Chief Kennedy, who holds down
a stool in the Mint, was one of the busiest
ticket-peddIers in the interest of Robert
Fitzgerald at the Sixth Ward polling
place. George Haggerty, formerly prom
inent Democrat of the Second Ward, and
now. by the grace Of Governor Budd,
storekeeper at San Quentin, was at his ae-
customed place at the North Oakland
booth, working might and main for Prison
Director Fitzgerald.
Cleve Dam, assistant Labor Commits
sioner, left his arduous duties in San
Francisco, and put in the day helping the
fight of his chiefs brother in the Second
Ward. Several other Mint employees, and
possibly other State Prison employees,
were also in the field.
w. W. Foote. W. B. English, w. D. Eng
lish, Frank ]. Motfitt, ex-Sheriff McKilli-
can, Postmaster J. ]. White and their
numerous followers needed nothing to
disguise their motives, and with their
friends contested every possible point in
every ward in the township. 1t was q day
of blood throughout the county. 1t would
be ludicrous to mention harmony in con-
nection with such a struggle. The bitter
est of personal and political feeling pre-
vailed, and whenever an opportunity oc-
CURED to relieve the suppressed feelings of
the combatants by a war of words it was
easily grasped. The interior of some OF
the polling-booths, notably in the Second,
| contention and hasty challenging through
out the entire ten hours the polls were
open.
The late hour-10 o'clock P. Nat which
the call ordered the primaries to close
created much suspicion in the minds of
| those familiar with practical politics in
this county that it was altogether too long
after sunset for the safety of the ballot
| boxes, should the local or imported heel
ersr or ward strikers desire to steal them or
stuff them, or create such disturbance in
the booths that an honest court could not
possibly be made.
/ The fight of the day was located in the
Third Ward. This is the home of w. w.
Foote, Frank Motfitt and J. J. White. 1t
was realized early IN the campaign that if
Moffitt could not carry his ward for Lay
nance his faction could not confidently
look for much support in the other wards.
Open hostilities commenced last night,
when, at a meeting of the ward COM
mitteemen, the rolls were purged and
more than fifty names were stricken off.
Among those thus treated were J. B.
Darlington, editor of the Saturday Press,
which has always been known as a Demo-
cratic weekly. John II. Delehanty, another
well-known Democrat, received like treat
ment. The total enrolment had been 4I2,
and as the vote for Budd was only 1853,
many believed there had been some whole
sale stutfing. The majority of the COM
mitteemen present were Fitzgerald men,
and it is claimed by the Laymance faction
that nine-tenths of those thus stricken
from the roll wese favorable to Foote.
This action on the part of the COM
mittee was resented by many Demo
Gratis, and this morning the following cir
cular, signed by w. B. White, son Of the.
postmaster, was circulated at every house
in the ward:
ITO the Third Ward Democrats: A great
political outrage has been committed in
the Third Ward of the city of Oakland
affecting the primary election to be held
there to-day between the hours of II and
10 o'clock P. NJ.
"a majority of the ward committee.
consisting of William Mullins, Patrick
O'Kane, Lawrence Kehoe and f. a.
Fletcher, are responsible for the overt
act. Mr.. Fletcher is not a member of the
committee, but held the proxy of John j.
Mcdonald, my opponent for State dele
gate. Mr.. Fletcher was spokesman and
leader of the four and during the meeting
was so intense in his antipathy to the in
terest / desire to represent as to refer to
w. w. Foote, with whose support l am
honored, as a 'bulldozer, bully and a
bIackguard'
THE outrage consisted in striking from
the Ioll of voters some fifty or more
names. Doubtless some of them were
properly removed, but fully forty of them
were taken off for no cause other than
the fact that they were the personal
Democratic friends of w. W. Foote, NJ. ].
Laymance and myself.
lG&s Won are not among those removed /