The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-05
WHISPERING"
GAVIN McNAB
TURNED DOWN
His Pals Give Him the
Double Cross.
INSIDE POLITICAL HISTORY
MAYOR PHELAN AND ANDY
LAWRENCE RENEGE.
Forced the Erstwhile Boss to Play
Second Fiddle in the
Local Democratic
Band.
INSIDE POLITICAL HISTORY
MAYOR PHELAN AND ANDY
LAWRENCE RENEGE.

The newest thing in the local Demo-
cratic mix-up is the splendid isola-
ton Of Whispering Gavin McNab.
There was a time not so very long
ago when the Whispering Boss was the
Democratic party of San Francisco.
Though he was great he did not abuse
his greatness, for out of the goodness
of his heart he permitted Mayor Phe-
Ian to live and even went so far as to
permit Andy Lawrence. the political
Pooh Bah of the Examiner, to say nice
things about him in return for an oc-
casional smile or a brief word OF greet
ing. 1t was this kindly trait in his ma
ture that finally brought about his
ruin Had he condemned Phelan and
Lawrence to death he would not now
be skulking in the political backyard
craving an occasional crust from the
hand of the naughty Sammy Braunhart
or running his eyesight gazing at the
dizzy height upon which are perched
the two conspirators who brought about
his undoing.
1t was during the late lamented Dem
ocratic convention at Sacramento that
McNabs hold on the throat of the uni
verse began to slip. He was quick to
notice the first symptoms Of waning
power and in order to delay the fatal
moment for the longest possible time he
sold his political birthright to Lawrence
and Phelan and trusted to the truth of
the old adage about there being honor
among thieves to pull him through to
the end.
1t was a fatal error. There is no
honor among political thieves of the
stripe that stole the organization of the
local Democracy. The Whispering Boss
who had planned and carried out the
hold up, now found himself at the
mercy Of his accomplices and in grave
danger of being overlooked when 1t
came time to make a division of the
spells. And this is exactly what did
occur.
After the McNab- Phelan Purchasers
who comprise the Committee of One
Hundred had resolved themselves into
a nominating convention for the pur-
pose of making themselves candidates
for office, McNab produced list of the
men whom he wished to have noni-
mated for places on the Board of Super
visors A hurried consultation was
held and Phelan and Lawrence decided
to take such action as would finally
convince the Whispering Boss that he
had outlived the period of his political
usefulness. McNab was accordingly
told that under no circumstances would
he be permitted TO hove hand in nam
ing the supervisorial nominees.
Particular reference was made to the
names or John h. Hansen and Charles
Wesley Reed which appeared on Nc
Nab's list of wouldbe Supervisors. The
first is an attorney who shares Offices
with McNab, and the other is a re-
former of much experience and small
success. McNab also wished to have
Eugene Deuprey, who rendered him val
liable assistance in the work of stealing
the control OF the local Democracy, re-
TIM ton fnY 0icf1 ut A
torney, and also to have Thomas Pin
der placed on the ticket as the nominee
for Recorder.
To all of these names and some others
Phelan and Lawrence would not listen.
Then followed a scene that for a time
promised to end in a personal encoun.
ter between the honorable Mayor and
the redoubtable Lawrence on the one
side and the Whispering Boss on the
other. McNab turned loose batch of
his choicest epigrams and in return
Lawrence threatened to cartoon, lam
pooh and spittoon the erstwhile boss
until all the world would laugh him to
scorn.
AS a matter of fact, acting under in
StructiOnS from Lawrence, the art de-
partment of the Examiner did prepare
a cartoon of McNab dressed in kits
and posing in an attitude not exactly
complimentary to a simon pure re-
former. The literary department of
the same paper was also instructed to
prepare an article describing in detail
all of McNabs political deformities, as
we'll as giving prominence to the pur-
ity of the motives of the men who had
been his pals in the hold-up whereby
the Democratic voters of San Francisco
were robbed of the right to have a voice
in conducting the affairs of their
party.
Before the cartoon and the accom-
panying article could reach the public
McNab weakened and signified his re-
luctant consent to take his medicine
and say nothing. And that is why the
cartoon and article did not appear in
the columns of the Examiner. And
that is why the names of Thomas Pin
der, Eugene Deuprey, John H. Hansen
and Charles Weslev eed do not APP
pear on the Democratic ticket And
that is why Gavin McNab the Whis-
pering Boss, is sulking in his tent