The San Francisco call., 1898-01-26
c. B. Daniels Anxious to Get a Controlling
 Interest.
Superintendent Leach Too Busy to Work Actively in
 Politics.
DAVIS CAMP DOUBTFUL.
A Syndicate of Pardee Men Said to Desire the Interest of MT.
 Leach.

Alameda politicians are now working in wholesale lots So warm has begun the contest over the nomination for Governor on the Republican ticket that the picayunish system of trying to take away each others support one vote at a time has been cast to the winds and an attempt has been made to obtain bodily at one sweep the main strength of one of the candidates in the interest of some one else.
 The bone of contention between the two camps headed by ex-Mayor Davis and Dr. Pardee is the support of Frank A. Leach, Superintendent of the Mint, and his active evening paper, the Oak land Enquirer which has always been a powerful factor in politics across the bay.
 It has been surmised for some time that Superintendent Leach is not at all anxious to make an active canvass or
 indeed do any active work at all in
 the coming State campaign. A few months ago he became forcibly in favor of w. R. Davis for Governor. He in
 dorsed him editorially and gave him substantial assistance in organizing
 his campaign committee. At this tinle
 it was not known definitely that Dr.
 Pardee was coming out as a candidate
 When he did so MT. Leach's position
 was not a comfortable one. He was
 practically the president of a divided house. Frank Leach. to a great ex-
 tent, made Dr. Pardee in politics. He
 took up the non-partisan movement,
 succeeded in electing Pardee, and the ri announcement by pr. Pardee of his
 aspiration MT. Leach has not shown any particular fervor for his candi- date, MT. Davis.
 When Mir. Leach took charge of the
 Mint he took his name from the head of his paper, and his managing editor, A. B. Nye, has since been in active
 control. Mir. Leach has let it be
 known that his new duties take most
 of his time, and that his other private
 interests made it impossible for him to give the necessary attention to his newspaper.
 The promotion of the editor naturally made an opportunity for some one else
 to take his controlling interest in the
 Enquirer, and it was not long before
 offers were in the field.
 George B. Daniels a few weeks ago i showed a desire to secure a controlling interest in the property. He made known his ideas to the management, but so far no deal has been made. The politicians are now guessing why MT. | Daniels, who is a book seller. should
 be desirous of having a controlling in- tereSt in a newspaper that had already | pledged itself to support MT. Davis | The knowing ones tEInk they found an easy solution. George B. Daniels is
 perhaps the warmest and stanchest | friend politically that Dr. Pardee has. | He has appeared in print as an advo- | cate of the doctor and has never lost an opportunity to further Pardee's in- | terests. It was at once declared that
 Daniels has planned the great coup of knocking the foundations from under Mir. Davis support in his own county | and adding a tower of strength to Par | dee's chances.
 pr. Pardee vigorously denied that he | was in any way connected with the | proposed deal, and said that if his. | friends contemplated any such action l 1t was without his Knowledge or sane l tion.
 Politicians outside of Alameda Coun- | ty are busy calling attention to the
 fact that the county across the bay has
 already done pretty well in the mat | ter of Republican patronage, and hint
 that her ambition to name the Gov | ernor is one step too far. The county
 now has the Naval Office, Superintend- | ent of the Mint, United States Sen
 ator, the Congressman from the Third | District and the patronage of the State | University, besides smaller plums and
 this argument is being used to down
 it's aspiration to have the Governor. Leach seems to have graduated from | State into Federal politics, and is now above the small plane occupied by Ala
 meda County. He has been graduating l for twenty-five years, and all this time
 he has been the firm friend and firm | supporter of the aspirations of Joseph | McKenna. The friendship of the two
 began in Solano County years ago. and l has never wavered He has also been
 an ardent supporter of Senator Per 1 kins and with such substantial friend 1 ships MT. Leach does not now want
 to do wheel horse work in Alameda.
 to the friends of w. R. Davis, who re- | lied mostly upon Mir. Leach and his pa-
 per to land their candidate winner. The latest move to try and obtain the | support of the Enquirer is said to be q | syndicate which is contemplating it's
 purchase. This syndicate is supposed | to consist of friends of Mir. Hilborn
 who is anxious to return to Congress: | Assessor Dalton, who wants to sue | ceed himself; County Clerk Jordan
 who is out for another term, and Dr.
 Pardee. The principals, to a man. | strenuously deny they are undertaking
 any such move or know anything
 whatever of such an undertaking. A. B. Nye, managing editor of the Enquirer, said tonight that an effort
 had been made to purchase the paper. | but he did not know what negotiations
 were now pending. "So far as I know
 he said, MT. Daniels was acting more ! in the capacity of broker than in any | particular interest. I think he first | +o he l and then try to find a purchaser for it. [ So far as I know he did not make any
 mention of wanting it to further the | interests of any particular candidate. | Of course when Mir. Leach went into
 the Mint he had to cease his active work on the Enquirer, and this natur- | ally made an opening for some one l else I heard later that there WAS snrna