The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-01-10

Municipal Rep lean Politics
Furnish an Expected Sen.
Saton
All Kinds CT Explain ations Being
Made to Account for the
Collapse.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALL,
On0 ID 20 q ,.-n,r Ian O

OAhLAND OFFICE DAN / RANCISCO OAGL,l
908 Broadway, Jan. 8.
The collapse of the com mittee Of TWEEN
ty-one, as predicted in this mornings
CALL, took place to-day, and there IS now
no hope of the members appointing dele
gates to a Republican municipal conven-
ton.
Ever since the committee of twenty one
was named by the City Republican Cen
trail Committee there has been some sus-
picion that there was something hidden
beneath that would not look well IN the
light OF day. The personnel of the APP
pointed committee was such as 10 cause
people to wonder how it was possible that
they should accept the responsibility cast
upon them by the City Central Com mittee,
whom they have fought, tooth and nail,
for four years.
There are many peculiarities about
purely municipal politics existing at this
time. A few months ago the m ain point
at issue between the two factions was
whether delegates to conventions should
be elected at primaries or appointed by
committeeman. George Pardee and w.
b. Friend worked hard and succ- eded N
establishing a principle, which was ratl-
fed at the State convention, that all dele
gates should be elected at primaries.
When, therefore, these same men accepted
the responsib ility of naming a whole Re-
publican convention great surprise was
manifested.
So much opposition has been raised
against the manner of arranging for the
convention proposed by the committee
that at each successive meeting excuses
have been made for not making their
choice public, and after the publication IN
to-day's CALL of the fact that prominent
oil Uer rafuSlno the nlp0p6s
sent 10 them to act as delegates the mat
ter speedily came to crisis, and at the
next meeting it is officially stated that the
appointment plan will be abandoned. The
exact reasons leading up to to-day s climax
are not very clear, and all sorts OF excuses
are being made by the friends of the COM
mittee OF twenty-one for their backGown.
Although politics proverbsally makes
strange bedfellows some OF the compan-
ionships which the plan brought about
could not be tolerated without comment,
even in this city.
An attempt is being made to throw the
onus OF the whole affair on the shoulders
of Democrats who, il is claimed, manipu-
lated the unpopular scheme. This, how
ever, will need considerable zorro boration
before being accepted. The most reason
able conclusion to be arrived at is that
the committee OF. twenty-oue started out
in good faith, and that, having discovered
the unpopularity OF the scheme and its
origin, they have dec .ded to get out of the
fix with as much dignity as possible.
1t is now practically certain that the
Municipal League will be actively revived
and that he cam paign OF next March will
be very similar to that OF two years a.o.
There is no doubt but that John L. Davie
will attempt TO succeed himself as Mayor,
though the nature of the campaign he
may make has not yet been outlined.
During the past few days q citizens
movement has been actively worked up
which will indorse DAVE and which it is
claimed has a large following. Under
present circumstances it does not seem
possible for any party TO put straight
ticket in the field with any confidence that
it will be elected. Had clean campaign
been made by the Republicans snch as
was made by the County Committee last
fall, mil Republican administration
would have gone into the City Hall next
April. as it is there will be so many fac
tions fighting for supremacy that the end
cannot be foretold. Certain it Is that so
far as the city of Oakland is concerned, all
the good work done during the Mckinley
campaign in harmoniZIng the Republican
party has been uDdone.
AS an object lesson of what can be &C.
compllshed by a clean Republican cam
paign on this side of the bay, il may be
mentioned that Alameda's majority of
5000 saved this State to Mckinley, and
with one exception every legislative and
county nominee OF the party last Novem-
Der was elected by large pluralities.