The San Francisco call., 1898-02-27
HURLS ITS
 INSULTS AT
 HONEST MEN San Jose Mercury At tacks New Char
 ter Club. Speaks of That Body as a Com bination of
 BlatherSkiteS. Organ of the "Gang" Vitupera- tive in Discussing the
 Campaign.
TRIES TO FOMENT STRIFE.
Efforts to Create Discord in the Organization Fail of Their
 Purpose.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SAN JOSE, Feb. 26.-That the ticket selected by. the New Charter Club Is an exceedingly strong one and virtually invincible is shown by the attitude as- stunned toward it by the Mercury, the acknowledged organ of the gang. While perfectly willing to wound, it dare not strike any one of the gentle men who have been made part of the city ticket by the friends of the new charter and of good government. By reason of the known probity and abil- ity of each and every one of the candidates named the Mer- cury has been forced into a position where it must put up men of straw as a target for it's peculiar style of men daciOuS warfare.
 For the past two days it has devoted columns to vilifying certain individ- uals who have long been lending eff ficient aid to the cause of good govern ment but who have not been nor have sought to be leaders. as the organ of the gang has endeavored to make the people believe It has also brought into the fight the name of at least one person who is not a member of the
 
 thereby hoped to bring discredit on that organization. It has also, by 1n- nuendo and indirection attacked the New Charter Club as a. whole by mak- ing deliberate misstatements concern ing it. But throughout its many col umns of unfair criticism and malicious abuse it has not had the temerity to assail single one of the candidates named by the New Charter Club.
 No one who understands the relations existing between the gang" and the Mercury under its present management is in any degree surprised at the stand the newspaper has taken. Had 1t taken any other course than opposition to the good government movement there would have been cause for Wonderment by the people of San Jose.
 There Is one thing to be said in fa- vor of the Mercury-people always know where 1t will stand when there is an issue up in which the gang is interested. In the course of an article today the gang" organ says:
 Many of the members of the New Charter Club either live in the suburbs or outside of the city"
 This is denied by the president of the club. It is true that three members are not actual residents within the present limits of the city of San Jose, but they hope that under the admin istration Of the officers who will be elected through the efforts of the New Charter Club and kindred organizations there will soon be a Greater San Jose, and that they will be residents within it's boundaries.
 At one point in this same article the feeling of bitter animosity toward the New Charter Club is manifested by a reference to that organization as a combination of political blather- skites."
 The Mercury is doing all in It's power to foment trouble and discord among the members of the New Charter Club and between that organization and oth- CT bodies which are working in co-op eration with 1t, but up to the present time it's efforts are without success and without hope of success. All that it has accomplished has been to impress upon the people at large the strength of the New Charter Club ticket, and to announce to the public that the gang" is "agin it." In all it's vaporings not one word has been said against the honesty or integrity of any individual connected with the New Charter Club.
 Petitions in the interest of the candi- dates of the New Charter Club were placed in circulation to-day. Every candidate, no matter how nominated, must file a petition with the City Clerk at least twenty days before the day of election. It is believed the New Charter Club petitions will be ready, with the necessary number of sigma lures, for filing early next week.
 All citizens who have moved since the last election are being urged by the members of the New Charter Club to reregister before March 12.
 It Is now the general report that the gang" will be back of the following candidates: c. J. Martin, for Mayor; J. w. Cook, for City Clerk; J. N Ew- ing, for City Treasurer; J. D. Miner, for Councilman at-large. Cook and Ewing are incumbents of the respec- tive offices for which they are named