The San Francisco call., 1897-01-01
NO REGARD PAID
TO INSTRUCTIONS
Alameda Politicians Set the
Precedent of Acting In
dependently.
All Manner of So-Called Pledges
and Principles Are
Ignored.
Several Legislative Candidates ELECTED
in Opposition to the Plat.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALL,
908 Broadway, Dec, 81,

5Uo DTOdQNdy, OcC. Oh.
There is a general feeling of political
emancipation in Alameda County. The
dictates OF different sections OF the same
parties have come to be regarded as carry
ing no weight or imposing no obligation
on the parties whom they would bind.
This feeling had its birth four months
ago when the great. fight occurred over
the manner in which delegates to the
State Republican convention should be
chosen either by appointment of the
various State committeeman or by cleo
tion at primaries. At that time the Hill
born-Frick Congressional primary was in
the distance, and the Hilborn men were
anxious to prevent the laying down of any
precedent that might affect the Congress
sional primary. With this end in view
Guy G. Earle led strong fight against
the other members of the Alameda dele
CATION of the State Central Committee.
On that occasion the National convention
ruled that the order of the State Central
Committee allowing each member to do
as he pleased in the matter of delegates
was perfectly legal. and the anti-primary
delegates were seated at st. Louis.
The action of the State Convention
definitely settled the matter and seated
what was known as the Friend delegation,
and this was considered as forever settling
the questions as TO whether delegates
should be elected at primaries ornot. w.
H. Friend headed the primary faction and
was powerfully backed by ex-Mayor
Pardee and others. At the Hilbotn- -Frick
primary great cry was raised against the
pracuces OF appointing delegates to any
convention, but within few weeks a
great change has come over the primary
advocates.
In three weeks time the same men who
advocated the election of all delegates at
primaries will appoint whole municipal
convention to nominate complete city
ticket. 1t is conceded by many that this,
in the absence of primary law, is per-
haps the better method of the two, but
against these stands the oft-repeated
statements of the primary men at the last
Congressional cam paign. This trim min g
OF political sails 10 different breeZes has
resurrected the factional feeling that it
was thought had died out with Hilborn's S
election, but now that the primary men
are putting in. practice the tactics that
they formerly condemned the breach has
DeeH IcOp0HSOs
1t has often been supposed that the
paragraph in the platform of the Repub-
iican County convention held in Alameda
last September binds the members of the
legislative delegation from this county to
vote for Senator Perkins. This is not the
case; for several OF the candidates who
appeared before their respective district
conventions made their fight on an anti
Perkins pa tform, and prior TO the conven-
tion freely expressed their views, basing
their opposition to Perkins on the fact of
his having violated pledge in the Hill
born-Frick contest.
Apart from this some of the mem bers of
the Alameda delegation always have been
strongly opposed TO convention instruc-
tions and have expressed themselves as
believing that the pledge they made as
individuals when electing their primary
tickets must take precedence over any cut
or dried party programme.
A significant feature of the feeling of
the Alameda delegation was shown few
weeks ago when they met in caucus. AL
though matters of far less mportance
were discussed freely the most important
matter of all, that of indorsiug candi-
date for United States Senator, was not
touched upon, and this omission, which
was no doubt brought about in the inter-
est of harmony, has occasioned much
comment.