The San Francisco call., 1897-11-05
EXPLAINED BY
THOMAS Fitch
Democratic Gains in the
East Due to Boss
ism.
Lessons of the Elections Drawn
by the SilVer-Tongued
Orator.
In Callfcr rnia, He says, Every Re
pub lean Is Independent and
Qualified for Office.
Special Dispatch TO THE CALL

LOS ANGELES Nov. 4.-There was a
large and enthusiastic meeting of the Los
Angeles County Branch Republ lean
League tonight. The occasion was rcn-
dered interesting by the announcement
that Hon. Henry T. Gage would be pres
ent and make an address. Gage is presi-
dent of ne Columbia Club, and reports
have been circulated that the Columbia
was started in opposition to the league.
In fact the rumor has gone so far as to
class the league as Bulla club. while the
Colum bia has been termed Gage or
ganization, and it was stated the TWO
clubs would push Gage and Bulla respect
lively for United States Senator
After the regular business of the league,
VIII CHI included the ad ission of 125 new
em bers, President S. NJ. Haskell intro
duced Mr.. Gage as presid ent of the Column
bia Club. Mr.. Gage said he was not pres
ent 10 make a political speech, but for
far different purposes. In The first place
he wanted to listen to the eloquent words
of the greatest living orator-Tom Fitch
and in the second place to make an ex-
planation.
malignant reports" said Mr.. Gage,
''have been circulated by enemies of Re-
publicanism that the Columbia Club was
started in opposition to the league; that
this splendid club was hostile to the
Columbia I want to say that your pur-
poses are broader than those of the Co
lum bia. Our club is both social and poll
tical. We are organized to elect men end
not to advance any individuals political
interests No active member nf the
Colum bia can be a candidate. We are
ready to assist in the battle ainst the
common enemy whenever you demand it
and we expect like assistance from you.
We are all in perfect unity and the object
of my visit here is to say that we will al
ways / in hands with the Republican
League"
President Haskell introduced the Hon.
Tom Fitch, the "silver-tongued" orator,
who has lately settled in Los Angeles for
life, so he says. Fitch made one OF his
ringing, characteristic speeches, in the
the late Democratic victory in New York
course OF which he gav' the reasons Tor
and the close shave in Ohio. He attrib-
uted the change to bossism, pure and sim
pie. He said:
Every great cause is composed OF
center OF zealots and circumference OF
blunderers. There are people who are IL
IL partly for the cause and partly for in
u
| in boss rule and when that occurs t. e
people invaria bly, defeat the party that is
| boss-ridden. No attempt to prostitute a
| party to individuals can be perm anently
| successful. When Allen G. Thurm an
was defeated for the Senate by CALVIN O..
Brice it disrupted the Dem ocratlc party
in Ohio. When the Democratic party
was in power in California it elected
George Hearst to the Senate and the next
| election II went to defeat. When party
elects good men II is i'm mmeasurably bene-
flied, and shining example is our brainy
| fellow citizen, Stephen NJ White.
Take the late election in Ohio. We
have saved the Governor and l hope we
have saved the Senator, because We eed
Republican Senators. If we have not it
is because Republicans knitted Mark Han
| ma. who would have made good Cabinet
officer, but is notoriously untitled for the
Senate. If we loose it will be because OF
the efforts OF Mr.. Hanna to re-elect him.
self
'In New York the bossism of Tom Platt
did the business. II Platt had dieI six
months ago he would have rendered a
| grand service TO his party. No such con-
dition exists in California. Here every
Republican is independent and is better
| fitted TO I'LL office than any Democrat"
| Mr.. Fitch took occasion 20 deny publ
cation in an evening p per that he was a
candidate for Congress in this district.
| He said he had no aspirations exceps to
see the Republican party successful, and
| he was sure to have that aspiration graft
| fed mex. year.
| The meeting tonight evidenced that
thorough organization, discipline and en-,
thusiasm prevail in the Republican ranks
here