The San Francisco call., 1898-02-03
TRYING TO
 FOOL THE
 PEOPLE Syndicated Press of Los Angeles in a
 Corner. It Sees the Fight for the Water Company Is Already Lost. Would Cloud the Issue Now by Abuse of all True
 Men. FIGHT ON THE MAYOR. T his Line of Warfare Will Fail, for Popular Sentiment Has Been
 Aroused.
Would Cloud the Issue Now by Abuse of all True
 Men.
FIGHT ON THE MAYOR.
T his Line of Warfare Will Fail, for Popular Sentiment Has Been
 Aroused.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

heTalQ ana EXpfSSS, dIe HldhluS d combined effort to divert public atten- tion from the water question and at tract it to the other matters of less vital importance to the people. AS long as the people are as thoroughly on guard as they are right now no move can be made by the tools of the water company in the City Council in the interest of the corporation. The idea is, therefore, to divert the public mind from the consideration of the great issue to other matters which do not involve interests which the syndi- cated press are seeking to protect.
 The Times and Express have opened up bitter campaign on Mayor M. r. Snyder This official has made rec ord on the water question that Is abso- lutely above reproach. He has been bold and outspoken in his condemna- tion of the policy of the syndicated press in doing the bidding of the water company. Almost to man the vo- ters of the city indorse his position. So the Syndicated press has started out, by a policy of misrepresentation to weaken Mayor Snyder before the peo- ple The Herald is an alleged Demo- cratic paper, but it has been repudi- ated by the Democratic city commit
  sented Snyder, but covertly it has stabbed him in the back.
 The people have had their eyes open ed by the revelations given them in The Call as to the local newspaper combination. All three of the papers are now absolutely without influence. They are simply looked upon as water company organs, seeking to protect all tools of the corporation in public office and endeavoring to ruin and besmirch any public officer who takes the side of the people in the water contest.
 The evidence that the water company Is not sincere in it's claim that it is will ing to dispose of its plant to the city continues to accumulate. It is also evil dent that certain members of the City Council are conversant with the scheme by which the corporation proposes to hold on to the city plant after the ex- piration of the lease, and operate it. These Councilmen are lending their aid to cover up the water companys tracks, but the foot prints are already discernible.
 The policy of the corporation is to state that 1t will insist upon every right guaranteed under the contract. If that were all the company could have it without any difficulty what ever. The people are perfectly willing and would in fact be overjoyed to give the company every right the contract calls for, and even more, but the cor poration is seeking to get either two million dollars more than 1t is entitled to, or secure fifty-year renewal of its lease.
 The company Is going ahead and making improvements which are not in any way in conformity with the plans for a municipal water plant on file in the City Engineers office. When told of the fact that the additions being made are not in accordance with the city's plans, the officers of the water company insolently say they are in the water business in this city and do not propose to get out until they are good and ready. This certainly does not look very much as though the corporation proposed to retire on the 22d of next July.
 So far the people have been rendered powerless to do anything by the two thirds majority in the Council, which has voted against all measures tending to deal with the water question in manly and businesslike way. These seven Councilmen have permitted the corporation to treat the city and its authorities with contemptuous indif ference. And this policy has been in dorsed and approved by the combined water company press. Members of the Council have claimed on the streets that they intended to keep their pledges as to municipal ownership, and then have gone into the council cham Der and voted with the water com pany. For this they have been ap- plauded by the Times, Herald and Ex- press, and they are foolish enough to think their constituents have been de- ceived.
 Councilman F. M Nickell is one of these pretenders who has been called down. The storm around Nickell's head has only just commenced to gather. proposition is now on foot to call a meeting of the Democratic and Populist City Central committees and officially declare him a traitor to the people and man who has proved himself false to the pledge upon which he was elected.
 The water company forces in the Council are led and manipulated by Councilman c. H. Toll from the bon ton ward of the city Toll is very shrewd and makes but few false moves, but his position is thoroughly under stood by the people. If he had his say there would not be another move taken in the matter of municipal ownership.
 There is one member of the Council whom nobody can count-either the people or the water company. That is Councilman z. D. Mathus of the Third Ward. He says he is with the people, but he has thus far voted with the water company. There is no tell ing where he is between votes. It keeps the water company lieutenants busy keeping him in line. The pres sure is getting very strong. Mathus is hearing from his constituents, and it is possible he will any day be found on the side of the people in the contest.
 x1~fx- into the contest in deadly earnest, and he is giving aid and advice to the Councilmen and other officials who are struggling to get a victory for the peo- pie. The fact that the prospects are decidedly improved for those who de-