The San Francisco call., 1897-05-12
UNCLE MCKINLEY'S
VAST PETITION
It Resistlessly Grows to Be
the Biggest This City
Ever Got Up.
Twenty-Five Thousand Have AL.
ready Asked the President
to Name Him.
The Postmastership and Slm Backus
Seem Disposed OF bJ Benz e.
cent Fate.

Twenty-Five thousand and odl citizens
OF San Francisco have asked President
Mckinley to make his uncle. Benjamin
Mckinley, Postmaster at San Francisco.
That seems the foreshadow of a beneficent
fate.
But that petition for this avuncular ap-
pointment is gong to be lots bigger than
that. 1t is expected that when the time
for naming the Postmaster that Frank
McCoppin is just now preceding reaches
the President he will find before him
petition from this City bearing 40, 900
names asking for the promotion of the
present efficient superintendent of Station
Postoffice in the Western Addition.
Benja min McKiplev's campaign is a
quiet but a speedy one. When THE CALL
first announced his am bition few days
ago the petitions had received 5000 names.
So many and so active are the friends who
cordially enlisted in his behalf that the
$50 petitions In circulation have since
then received ID, 900 more signatures.
The prophecy is probably true one
that this petition will be the largest one
ever sent to Washington from this City
and the second largest ever got up in the
State, the record being held by one against
ley's friends are finding a very general
popular willingness to see him thus pro-
NOTED in the service in which he has
spent so many years, and as yet no pro-
tests have started audible vibrations.
Though Mr.. Mckinley has led the quiet
life OF good-citiZsnship on the com mon
level, he has become widely acluain ted
during the many years of his life here,
and men of all parties readily sign the Pc
tition, especially when his friends ex plain
that his appointment would not be an
arbitrary piece of plain, ordinary nepot-
ism, because he is familiar with the local
service and its needs. aspired to the office
before his nephew was talked of for Presi-
dent, and has the Mckinley worth, char
acter and ability fitted for the RESPONSE
bility.
There are many local names that sound
big and familiar on the petition, but Mr..
McKinley's ir ends prefer not to mention
names. Four of the mem bers of the Cali
fornla delegation to the National Repub-
Iican Convention have signed. The only
mem bers of the California Congressional
delegation who have any right TO make
their own business of the matter are Sena-
tor Perkins and Congressman Loud, or
perhaps in this case it should be Con
gresham Loud and Senator Perkins. 1t
is not known what they will DO about it,
but many people think that they will
agree to the propriety and fitness of the
appoin ment when they think the matter
over.
All this is worriment to Samuel w.
Backus, who is the only other aspirant
out IN the open. Senator Perkins is sup
posed 10 be Backus' Washington cham
pion, and it is also supposed that may be
Backus doesn't know just what he wants,
and that it might possibly be something
else. That was the case with Mr.. Cham
berlain CT the old Dirigo Club when he
wanted the Postoffice at the same tim e
that Backus did in Harrison times. He
found out that what he really wanted was
a United States Bank com uissionership.
However, Mr.. Backus is quietly circu-
lating a petition, too, they say-mainly
among Grand Army men. The McKin-
leyites learned of this, and have captured
some G. A. r. names themselves. The
appointment is far off, though. for Mr..
McCoppin' S term lasts for another year, and
there is plenty of time for politics and
other developments in the matter. In q
week or two the Mckinley petition, with
about 25. 600 names, will be sent to the
President and copies to Senator Perkins
and Congressman Loud. The getting of
names will continue, and a supplementary
petition will b filed later.