The San Francisco call., 1898-07-27
His Position in the Democratic and POpulist Parties Still
 in Doubt.
The Statesman's Opinion of His Own Party as Set Forth Over His Own
 Signature.

Since the pinto Populist convention nominated James c. Mcguire for Gov ernor a change seems to have come over the spirit of the Democratic po- litical dream. The good Democrats who have all along professed to see in the little giant" the man O. the hour are beginning to suspect that they have been handed a gold brick by the king of all political bunko sharps.
 The Democrats who have not looked unhndly on the proposition to fuse with the Populists find that the Con- gressman has so manipulated things that the only way in which fusion can be brought about is by the placing of Maguire's name at the head of the Democratic State ticket. Mcguire, be- sides being a statesman and a politi- elan, Is a lawyer, and among lawyers such tricks are classed under the gen. eral head of sharp practice" Sharp practice tricks are not in high favor with honest men, and that is why honest Democrats are scratching their heads and thinking instead of wearing overalls and letting their boards grow in honor of the action taken by the tenderloin portion of the late lamented Populist convention.
 Now that the men who form the bet ter element of the Democratic party have begun to speculate as to the de- gree of their servitude they are mani Testing a disposition to inquire more closely into the character of the man who called the men of the American navy pirates, and who, not so very long ago foreswore allegiance to the party which he now asks to join with the PopuIists in honoring him with the nomination for Governor of the State of California. Not only did Mcguire withdraw from the party, but he called 1t bad names, just as he did the men who, with sampson and Schley and Dewey, have been fighting for the honor and glory of the nation. He said that the Democratic party held wealth as the standard of responsibility; that it was a bidder for the affection of monopolists, and that it ignored the masses He said much more to the same effect and then proceeded to rub 1t in by accusing the party in the fol- lowing language:
 The entire solid area of our great country, including the natural oppor- tunities of all our people-the natural resources without which none of our
 
 elusive property of few thousand alien and domestic landlords, who by virtue of the absolute control which they do thus, as owners, exercise over the only means of living of our land less millions, are robbing the latter continuously of from one-half to four fifthS of the fruits of their labor, and are daily driving them to lower and lower depths of slavery and hapless misery. This is a system of servitude just as complete as chattel slavery and in many respects more atrocious; yet the so-called Democratic party, while claiming to be the friend of the la borer expressly defends this system and bids for the support of those who profit by it. As a self-respecting man I feel justified and bound in honor to withdraw from a party which has fallen to such levels"
 That is what the statesman once thought of the party he now asks to give him the highest office in the State. As the party has not changed since the Congressman penned those bitter words 1t is to be presumed that he has experienced a change of heart consist ent with his ever growing desire to keep his hand in the public purse.