The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-17
Republicans Can Rely
on Records.
DR.. DUNN IS TOO TRUTHFUL
THE LAKE DOES NOT AFFECT
OAKLAND'S HEALTH.
Growing Need of Public Parks.
Flattery of Campaign Orators.
a Rebuke Possibly
Deserved.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call,
QAO Ir-nn rr-nrr Oct

Oakland Office San Francisco Call
COS Broadway, Oct, IT,
Some Of the Republican candidates are
evidently laboring under q delusion. In
their speeches throughout the county
they have taken on an apologize mood
though why they should do so is mys-
terry. There is certainly nothing in this
campaign of the party in Alameda Coun-
ty needing an apology. 1t is mistake
to presume that such a necessity exists.
This is the time for an aggressive cam
paign. 1t is time when so little that is
material and so much that is vaporous is
set up in the hope of defeating the Re
publican party that the opposition should
be met firmly and unfiinchingly.
If any candidate has anything TO be
ashamed of in his private life or in his
public capacity he should resign from the
ticket and not go around aplologizing.
Those candidates on the county ticket
who are officeholders certainly have no
need to excuse themselves. Whatever
may have been their political practices
outside their offices is no business of their
political enemies, and there can certainly
be no objection raised to the manner IN
which ofttce-holding candidates have con
Quoted their departments during the past
-FOUR years.
James Barber has nothing TO apologize
for in his conduct of the Tax Collectors
Office. Compared with the scandals of
the office during q previous adm1nistra-
ton Mr.. Barber shines forth as clearly
by comparison as he does by merit. Frank
Jordan, the County Clerk, IS acknowl-
edged from one end Of the county to the
other 10 have been the most efficient and
practical Clerk this county has ever
known. Many of his bttterest political
enemies have acknowledged this fact.
Charles Spear has kept q model Recor-
der's Office, and, like the Clerk 5, every
thing has been at the convenience Of
those whose business takes them delV-
ing into records.
method OF handling property in this coun-
y, and no necessity exists for him to eX-
plain his principles TO anybody-they are
IhOroughlv understood and appreciated.
The other candidates are all stalwart
Republicans, and although they are new
deserving of the fullest support not alone
OF the party but OF all those who hon
estIy desire clean administration
Neither can it be denied that there has
not been that unity Of action and desire
among all the candidates that there
should be and which is absolutely neces-
sary for the complete success Of the en-
tire ticket. There is no such thing as de-
gree in Republcanism- A man is either
Of the party or not of it. The platform
adopted at San Leandro and to which
fealty was pledged by every man VINO
LOYALTY to the principles OF Lincoln down
TO their recent developments by President
Mckinley. No man who accepted that
platform should consider himself better
than any other man. Each is but an IN
Iegral part of the unit, and the failure
of one is the humiliation Oh all. rms
feeling has died out during the past week,
now that the candidates understand each
Others motives better. The great cry of
the dissatisfied element has always been
that men should be elected on account Of
capability and fitness rather than because
of their political affiliations Viewed in
this light there can be 10 argument adj
Vanced why the entire Republican ticket
of this county and State should not be
elected, as DR.. Pardee said at the San
Leandro convention, from Governor to
Constable"
Mayor Thomas certainly did right when
he vetoed the tax levy ordinance. Whether
Lake Merritt shall be dredged in one year
or two, or ten, is matter of small i'm
portance compared to the weightier mat
tiers of public schools, free library, street
improvements and an adequate police and
fire department. Other cities sometimes
enjoy an innocent laugh at Oakland, and
during the past week Oakland has en-
5oyed little joke on itself. The alleged
fact has been heralded far and wide that
Lake Merritt is a detriment to public
health, that 1T threatens the lives of peo-
pie living in its vicinity and that nothing
short of an expenditure of Sos, 800 before
the 30th of June would prove an adequate
relief.
Now comes DR.. ]. P. Dunn, the Health
Officer, who a couple of nights ago
Health, and soIemnly and truthfuliy
states that the death rate in this city is
remarkably low; in fact, that disease is
so well kept in check, and that other
things operate to conserve the public
health to such a marked extent, that
Oakland may truthfully be classed as the
country.
Now, this is very unkind of DR.. Dunn,
because 1t furnishes Mayor Thomas ana
the opponents Of the lake dredging prop
osition with all the argument they need
TO show that the plague of death will not
stalk through this city even should Lake
Merritt not be touched for another year
OF course, If, as It Is said, years of sew
nge are deposited in Lake Merritt. 1t
should be dredged, and sooner or later
viii have TO be dredged. But it cannot
be forgotten that in West Oakland, where
dwell in the same space ten people for
every one that resides around the lake,
4 marsh without any water on it existed
for q quarter of a century, and only a
year ago was It reclaimed. This West
Oakland abomination was not only sew
age but a dumping ground for all the filth
that the scayengers collected, and which
they were permitted to dump within
breathing distance of dwelling houses, un-
til an ordinance not yet three years old
Lake Merritt the conditions are more
favorable, for If the sewage now being
1IeSdily 6IQpLleu INTO a punt wafer poIh
be diverted from their course and con-
nected with other sewers, as the Mayor
suggests. Lake Merritt would certainly
not be polluted any more than 1t is at
present, and owing to its periodical flush
ing, would undoubtedly gradually improve
and the dredging could safely be partly
left for another year, especially as during
this very dry summer Oakland has been
so healthy. A new tax levy ordinance
constructed on these lines will undoubt-
eddy give general satisfaction.
In a few days Oakland will have the
opportunity TO express itself regarding
public parks. For many years-Auditor
Snow says twenty-tWo-there has been an
annual agitation in favor of a public |
play ground. When Oakland was young
1t was all a park and consequently the
necessity for permanently acquiring a |
public domain was not sufficiently press |
ing TO be considered as worthy Of much |
attention. Each year as the city has |
built out in all directions, the parks have |
disappeared, until now long ride is nee |
essary 70 reach a breathing spot While |
It would have been more practical to |
have acquired a vast tract in the neigh |
bOrhOOd of Lake Merritt wears apo fha |