The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1897-12-14

to throw discredit upon the regulau
Democracy seems to be one William p
Sullivan, who now holds q clerkship In
the mayors Office at the city hall, and
Senator Sammy Braunhart.
The Democracy of San Francisco wal
programmed last year. A plan Of organ.
ixation or constitution was Their
adopted. This was approved by the
Democratic state committee and after
wards ratified by the Democratic state
convention at Sacramento in June, 1896
Under this plan the governing body OF
the party Is general committee of four
hundred and fifty members, elected al
primaries by the Democratic voters
This general committee Is required to be
chosen every two years. The term Of
the present committee will expire In
April, 1893.
From the membership Of this general
committee campaign committee con-
| sisting of twenty members Is selected
William p. Sullivan was elected chair
man of the general committee in 1896
at the time Of the reorganization of the
party.
Everything went on smoothly until re-
Gently, when Mr.. Sullivan was requested
to call meeting Of the campaign COM
mittee to consider the subject Of the
election of freeholders to frame an or
ganic law for the government Of the
city. Sullivan would not call meeting.
The secretary Of the general commit
tee then called meeting Of the cam
paign committee. Out Of total men,
bership of twenty, fifteen members at
tended. Sullivan did not like the idea
Iaf ho kk.4 Az.
he considered himself the Democratic
party and that everything should be
done to conform to his dictation. He
thereupon issued his decree removing
the campaign committee and appointing
new members thereof.
Sullivan's new campaign committee
then removed the entire general COM
mittee of four hundred and fifty repre-
sentatives, who had been chosen direct
by the voters Of the party at the pri-
mary held In 1896. and who were also
confirmed as members by both the Dem
ocratic state central committee and the
Democratic state convention.
Considering the difficulty, perhaps, of
controlling such a large body as four
hundred and fifty members, their new
general committee was made to consist
Of one hundred and ten.
After Sullivan had announced the re-
moval of the campaign committee and
on September 18th one hundred and fifty
members of the general committee Pc
titioned him in writing to call a meet
ing Of said general body, on Wednesday
evening, September 18th.
Under the plan of reorganization,
meetings Of the general committee can
be called at any time by the chairman
on his own motion. or by fifty members
So, therefore, 1t was not necessary for
one hundred and fifty members to Pc
tition Mr.. Sullivan to call the meeting
referred to. He was requested to do SO
in the interest Of harmony, If such
thing was possible. When the commit
tee waited on him and presented the re-
quest Of one hundred and fifty members
in writing for him to call the meeting,
he was evasive and would give no salts
factory reply.
Finally the secretary of the gen.
eral committee at the written re-
quest of $50 members. called the meet
ing for the evening named. Two hun
dred and forty-five members, major
ity Of the entire body, attended, and the
Office of chairman was declared vacant
by a unanimous vote, and Major p. ].
Harvey was elected to fill the vacancy.
From the foregoing recital of the
facts as they exist, 1t must be apparent
to any reasonable and unprejudiced
mind that the contention of the Sullivan
and Braunhart faction for recognition
as the Democratic party Of San Fran
cisco Is as untenable as 1t Is possible for
anything to be.
1 agree with the Stockton Mail that
they are entitled to no recognition at
the hands of the state central commit
tee.
The course pursued by Mr.. Sullivan
while chairman of the general commit
tee was, to say the least, atrociously
undemocratic, subversive of represent
alive government and repugnant to all
sense of fair play and political honor.
have never heard Of single instance
before where a chairman of a county
committee, at his will and pleasure, at
tempted to remove an executive COM
mittee. I have never heard of an in
stance where an executive committee
attempted to remove an entire county
committee, the MEMBERS of which are
always the direct representatives of the
voters OF the party.
If a chairman has such power, then
the Democracy provides for an arrogant
party boss in every county of the state
Should the Democratic state central
committee be called to sit In judgment
on the San Francisco Democracy, wish
to sound note of warning to the inte-
rior members of that body.
The general committee, now presided
over by Major p. J. Harvey, is beyond
any doubt the legal representative Of
the Democratic voters of San Francisco
1t is the only committee that can show
a continuous existence In accordance
with the plan of reorganization accepted
and promulgated by the Democratic
state central committee itself.
Major Harney's committee is today
recognized as the legal representative
of the Democratic party by the Demo-
cratic board Of election commissioners
of San Francisco, and certainly these
officials. elected by the people of the
city, are better qualified to determine
what committee represents the Democ-
racy of the metropolis than are members
of the state committee residing in the
Representing directly the Democratic
voters of San Francisco on the state
central committee are twenty -one MEM
from the assembly and
three from the congressional districts
of the city. The action of majority OF
these members should guide the men,
bers of the committee from the interior
on all matters pertaining to the bay