The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-08-29
Oakland Office San Francisco Cali
909 Broadway, Aug. Is.

Oakland Office San Francisco Gail,
908 Broadway, Aug. Is.
:. Two years ago the office holders of Ala
media County subscribed TO a generous
purse to be used in preventing the pas
sage OF an amendment to the County
Government bill This amendment was
framed for the purpose of giving county
officials an assured salary, as they had
for years ben declaring that the amounts
allowed for each Office were so small that
they had left nothing for the head of the
department In view OF the fact that
before every election there are hundreds
OF candidates from which to choose just
thirteen nominees, this statement was re-
garded as a little peculiar. Then some
generous legislator took up the grievance
OF the Office holders and framed a Dill
by which the servants of the people
should be paid fixed salaries Of a nature
very liberal when compared with men OF
equal standing in other walks of life
1t was thought that office holders would
gladly welcome any innovation that
would guarantee them certain generous
salary. But such action only produced
another surprise The same gentlemen
went to Sacramento, worked for weeks
among the legislators trying to prevent
the passage of such a bill and declaring
that the salaries suggested were aito-
gether insufficient. Among those most
interested in trying 10 maintain the ap-
preparation plan rather than the salary
idea were Sheriff White, Henry +. Dali
ton. Frank c. Jordan, Charles Spear ana
Treasurer Sanford. AS White and san
ford were Populists, elected on a plat
form processing all kinds OF economy,
their action created a little surprise,
especially as they Joined in common
cause with their late plutocrauc
brethren. However, the act was passed
and the Office holders came home much
detected.
little experience at Sacramento, and the
public is treated to a third and the great
est surprise OF all; The self,same men
10 a unit, who declared that the salaries
provided for in the new bill were ''insur-
ficient, niggardly and unbecomlng the
dignity OF an office holder in Alameda
County" are all tumbling over each
other in their frantic efforts to convince
. the public that they are the only logical
candidates for office in the county.
1T would seem as If all Alameda County
were running for Office. Sometimes log
ical candidates are heard of, at other
times the veterans demand their share of
representation, again independent candi-
dates who think they can secure enough
support to warrant stronger man In
promising them a place are numerous. In
this county especially there are sometimes
.. those who run for the sole purpose of
having an excuse TO tack their names
and faces on every telegraph post; there
are those who pirate about their services
to: the party and the dear people; there
, are those who boast that they have the
saloon vote, and others who are assured
of the church vote. there are of course
q number who run on all kinds OF
freak excuses; there are sometimes
candidates who go around telling OF the
great. strength OF the fraternal vote that
will be thrown to them; there is always
the incumbent who imagtnes that having
been SO long in office tradition should
:. guarantee him life tenure on his 1ob;
again occasionally is found a man who,
thoroughly respectable and worthy OF
knowing what may be his fate in the
hands of willy politicians Of whose ways
he knows nothing; occasionally there are
candidates who boast Of and place their
strength in the support of the railroad
? and other corporations; also IS to be
found. a number of eX-oft1ce holders, who
make a campaign on their old re- rds,
forgetting to mention why such records
were not Endorsed when they last ap-
peared as suppliantS for public fayorS;
and lastly there is nearly always in Ala
media County a number OF perennial can
didates; always coming forward, never
. are vets, while everybody else face
tiously and truthfully whispers Of them
as "has-beens-"
every time an election comes around, but
this year owing to the war probably, and
to. the general belief that anything pro
fessedly Republican will be given the
glad hand not a single class of office
hunter is missing and the amount of dis
appointment that will eliminate on Sep
TENDER 10 at the County Convention is too
appalling to even dream OF.
There are Just thirteen candidates to be
voted upon by the entire county, and 1
have before me over hundred professed
candidates for these offices. On account
of the amount OF patronage the most ex-
citing race is for the Shrievalty. Up to
date those who consider themselves spe-
cially adapted to fill this high Office are:
VIII Harlow, who disputes with the
ground on which the Sherifs office
staIfds his title to the office, having been
under sheriff for a quarter Of a century;
Oscar Rogers, Alameda's Chief Of Police,
who was given a half promise that IL he
kept quiet four years ago he should be
allowed TO perform a piece" in this cam
paign; Colonel w. H. H. Hussey, who had
one term in the office eight years ago; w.
w. Cameron, once Councilman of Oak
land; George G. Hunt, who formerly was
a stable proprietor and for two years a
deputy under McKillican; Sam Heller,
who says he has a cinch on his aspira-
tons; Louis Schaffer, who was nominated
four years ago, but was knitted at the
election, and probably a few ebon steeds.
The next great struggle is for the honor
of conducting the county's criminal bust
ness for the next four years. District At
torney Shook having announced that he
would like to go to the State Senate at
least four aspirants have appeared for his
place. All are popular and each has
very large following OF warm personal
= friends, and the man is hardly to be found
who will tell you his positive preference
for District Attorney. AS between Jus
=. tice Fred Gift, Justice ]. J.. Allen and
Prosecuting Attorney Harry A. Melvin
there does not appear to be any desire to
take up one more tnan another. All have
good records. and each is what can be
Faithfully called a strong man. The Sec
ond Ward has also put forward John A
Sands for this soffice.
Two of the most interesting fights, dis
tinguished partly by the small number of
combatants, are for the nominations of
Tax Collector and County Clerk. Tax Col
lector Barber, anxious to succeed himself,
has for an opponent Tom NJ. Robinson.
Barber comes from Alameda; Robinson
from the. Fifth Ward. The latter resigned
from the County Committee in favor of a
pronounced Pardee man, so that he could
run for office Alameda wants to name
State Senator as well as one of the coun-
" officers, and Robinson can count on
great support IN his own ward, which
makes guessing between these two men
a risky business.
4. K. Grim Of Berkeley is making
campaign against Recorder Charles Spear
~ the same civ Spear claims majority