The record-union., 1898-08-18


the fountain head of corruption, has
relations, and intimate relations. with
the men who are knocking at the door
of this convention for admission in the
name of the Democratic party" Gap
plause)
Major Harney-I want to ask the
gentleman! Does he include the Chair
man of the General Committee of the
400 in that charge, of being controlled
by political boss? Do you claim that
P. j. Harvey is controlled by that
man?
Mayor Phelan-Gentlemen Of the
convention, Major Harvey is at the
head of the contesting delegation" (Ap-
plause, cheers and yells.)
Il know that he has been one of our
most redoubtable opponents. I know
that We have gone into the campaign
Tor clean municipal government in San
francisco, and he was not with us.
(Cheers.) l know that, arrayed against
us was this boss and his so-called or
ganization-who was the Republican
boss of their organiation-who are sub
servient to the Southern Pacific Rail
road Company. (Cheers.) And we met
them in fair and open combat and
beat them twice. We gave them an
encore. (Cheers)
Now, if Major Harvey believes that
he speaks for the people of San Fran
cisco, or represents anything here ex-
cept the influences which stand behind
bossism, nurtured by Southern Pacific
money, then 1 am defective in my judg-
ment. (Applause.) I therefore accuse
t Ci nj w a
know. Now, this personal phase of the
contest perhaps cannot be avoided.
Men stand for principles, and some
principles are embodied with men.
There are those whom I am informed
are SO, for one reason or another, are
new recruits They took no part in
those battles during the last two years
whose import was so unmistakable.
They are honorable gentlemen. 1 was
greatly surprised to see them arrayed
on that side, but I can easily under
stand the cause.
There are personal animositieS
which sometimes cloud the mind and,
I am sorry to say, affect the action of
sincere and honest men. Perhaps some
of the men who have borne the brunt
of our battle-some Of our men-are not
personally popular. l know one, who
has a keen tongue, and has been put
by our forces in the forefront Of the
battle. Such men have not been put
on party platforms to decorate and Or
nament them, but the field among those
who are to be sacrificed in order that
our forces may win. They are the men
who storm the redoubts and capture the
stronghold Of the foe. In all such con-
fiicts there must naturally result bad
feeling. There will be acerbity in their
communications; there will be a feel
ing, perhaps, as deep-seated as revenge,
and the great cause for which one man
stands will be lost sight of in the per-
sonality of his antagonist.
Il feel that there is some opposition
on the other side that has come from
personal consideration. / feel that
there are men-new recruits-who, per-
haps, may be spokesmen for the other
side, who are simply blinded by a fam
atical devotion to a principle without
taking any account of practical results.
We are practical MEN, and we wish to
accomplish practical results. We do
not wish to soar in the emporium at
oratory, away up above principles un-
derlying and unfading, and then with
slump fall upon the earth. We wish
to keep close to the earth-deal with
men, and not with stars or with the
eternal verities which are irresponsive.
And what L refer to is this: That
there are some men who say that pri-
mary election is a principle Of Democ-
raey which must not be ignored; that
we must get close down to Yhe prin-
inlo fIa
which exist in San Francisco, that
these men hug fondly the form while
they let the substance escape them
They are devoted to a formula or a
theorem. and their devotion would
carry them, as it has carried them,
into the enemy's camp.
II am told by a delegate from Santa
Clara that their County Conventions,
about to be called together through a
primary, will, no doubt, he said, in his
judgment (and he is we'll informed), be
represented by the henchmen of the
celebrated boss in that unhappy land.
And why? For the reason that we have
no primary law to-day; that there is
no protection for the voter; that there
is no test by which a Democrat can be
known from a Republican under the
! laws and forms that exist. And his
men Will go to those polls, and as a re-
suit Democratic convention will be
dominated by a Republican boss.
Il say we have no primary laws. We
are devoted to the primary system If it
can be given to us in purity. If it can
not be given to US with the safeguards
that surround general election, then
we shall resort to such means as are at
hand to effect a representation in the
convention by the Democratic party.
What was the means at hand? We
saw the State Central Committee-the
supreme power Of the Democracy be-
tween nventions-surrounded by such
conditions in San Francisco as to in
vite the fate that the Democracy would
be betrayed in the house of it's friends,
and we asked that our Democracy
might be preserved - that we might
come up here as freemen and speak for
the great cause for which our platform
and Judge Mcguire will stand. (Cheers
and applause)
What a mockery it would be if the
| boss of that city sent a delegation here,
reeking, as he is, with bribe money OF
| the Gas and Electric Company, Of the
Southern Pacific Company, of the great
| corporations who escape their share OF
| taxation in that city!"
| "a voice suggests: water compa-
nies!')
Why, tell you, on the authority of
one of the first men in this city-a Re-
/ publican-a citizen without peer, who
has relations in a business way with
these corporations. He said: You can
Oot win that hattie Tbpu dfcbYrca