The San Francisco call., 1897-02-01
LOOKING FOR A
PARTY LEADER
Oakland Politicians On the
Horns of the Same +.
Dilemma.
Vicissitudes of a Man Endowed
With a Little Public
Spirit.
Greater Oakland Needs More Than
Territory to Deserve It's
Name. ....
OAKLAND OFFICE san. FRA,yclseo CAII,}l

OAKLAND OFFICE SAM NCIsCo SALIpi
~ - 9JS Broad way, jan. 81.
a very important lesson has been
learned in local politics during the past
few days. When conventions descend to
the level of a farce and delegates have to
make apologies for being present, then
has the dignity of parry politics departed
and the struggle for office depends not
upon the survival OF the htiest but on the
survival OF those VINO prefer influence"
to merit and principle.
q. This state of affairs has been proved to
exist during the past week, SO far as mu-
nicipal politics IS concerned, and the
struggle Tor every Office will be made on
personal rather than on party lines.
This decadenceof party feafty was never
so manifest before, butait is not hard to
find a reason for il. II is due to the lack
of party leaders. With. firm, dislnter-
ested hand at the he N of either of the
three recognized parties all tendency
toward poHucal anarchy could be quickly
dspelled and the wanderers brought back
INTO the fold. This absence of abelead-
ers applies 10 all parties, and there. is not
to-day a political leader in Oakland. Take
the Republicans. George Pardee leads
one element, Fred a. Campbell another,
George de Cola another, while. w. Ii.
Friend, Captain Thomas and others each
has a following, bur not one can. be said
TO be leading the party to-day or 10 con-
troll enough strength TO be certain OF any
thing. 49,. -.: - .-...s .'--.
The Democrats are even worse off.
Eachof its many would be leaders has
following. Warren English, j. r. Gas
cock ana R. NJ. Fitzgerald represent three
different sections OF the party, and yet
not one was interested enough to appear
al. the convention last Thursday night
hf,ix In hot - Ia
headed their ticket with dozen men,
each one stronger than Seth Mann, but
not one would assume the responsibility
OF holding the party together.
The Populists are worse of. than any.
a. a. Bretz has declared that 1t is impos-
slbie to reform politics and has retir d.
Dennlson has lost the grip he acquired
when chosen president of the con-
ventlon last tall, and the mantle seems to
be hanging In tn ar waiting to fall on
any willing shoulders. Mayor DAVE has
no desire 10 be called Popu. ist any
more. Poet Dutton. is going it alone with
The help OF the remnant OF his Bryan
Army and Navy Free silver League, and
R-v. 5. Goodenough and City Attorney
PIersel are the only two actively trying
to bind together the disintegrated party.
Oakland municipal politicians to-day
are ike a. croWd of sailors hauling on
rope with no boatswain's whistle To har-
monte their efforts, and wise is he who
can prophesy the complexion Of the next
Council and Board OF Elucation. ....-...
H. O.. Trowbridge, State Commissioner
TO the Hamburg horticultural Exposition,
which opens next May, meeting with
an experience that. is novel: to him.
Whenever be sets forth the value of such
an opportunity. to a. horticultural State,
sucn: as California, he always hears the
rpsfio bot he triy1 ha
one for him and that he has good
thing" He is rather tired of this, ana
when asked yesterday if he was doing
we'll he made the following reply; 49,
This is the most thankIeSs task ever
undertaken. For three months l have
given all my time to stir up interest in this
great exhibit and it has been a labor of
q love entirely. il l go 10 Hamb burg ex-
/: pect to have my expenses paid but no
more, and still l meet people on every hand
who treat me as though l were an advent
urer planning for some pleasure trip.
- One. man told me that such soft things
as i had were not TO be four every day
- another said ii would be a very pleasant
trip L was arranging for, and another
party said that those having in charge the
State exhibit should certainly pay for the
material 10 exhibit. And this when | am
making terms with railroads to carry ex-
hiblts free and trying to get small sums
penses. II this be the reward for showing
little disinterested public: spirit tnen
many things IN California hitherto OBJ.
scure to me are made plarn."
The cry for Greater Oakland is a good
one. This city needs to be greater in
every sense of the word: 1t needs more.
territory on which to expand and more
greatness OF civic pride, more greatness in
her politics, more greatness in the men
who would mold peoples. opinions, and
more greatness when questions arise con-
cerning the welfare of the municipality
d: T or years Oakland has suffered because
81 he outside world has looked upon 1t as
city. Of cranks-poliGcal and religious.
and OF all petty minded people -
and this idea has been generously circu-
lated by rival cities.
To some extent this b as been deserved,
but with the new era this should all be
changed, and Oakland should be as great
= IN heart as in body. Nobody wants any
more OF Oakland as she has BEEN there
was, IN TACT, too much, of its kind. But
with liberated water front, the certainty
that a com pc ing railroad will soon be
here and desire on the part of thousands
OF people who live IN the OUTLYING dis
:trlcts 10 become an integral portion of
Greater Oakland, thereis hope that, the
indifference and stagnation of the past
may never return, and that this. city may
60 be the merciaI port that nature in
tended her to be.
There is brain, opportunity and wealth
sufficient to- build. Rome; all that is
needed is little true greatness.
70. " STUART w. BooTH.