The San Francisco call., 1898-07-30
Politics in Alameda County Rap- idly Arriving at Boiling
 Point.
Stories of the Turning Down. of One
 Pardee by the County Committee. The Present Outlook.

! refusal to accept the mandate of the last l convention and resign by setting up the l claim that man is not candidate for
 office until he has been actually nominat-
 ed and that seeking such nomination does
 not constitute a candidacy unSsr the
 meaning of the resolution. This Is
 rather peculiar logic, but it gives Pardee
 one more vote in the committee.
 Contrary to expectations, William Il. i Friend did not resign the chairmanship 1 of the Third Congressional Republican
 committee at last Wednesdays meeting, and now the friends of Victor H. Met calf are wondering just how deep MT.
 Friend will dip into politics this year. Friend has been Congressman Hilborn' s political manager for years and received as his reward the appointment as Post master of Oakland through the Congress- mans influence, assuming the duties of that office last Sunday. It was definitely stated that Friend would vacate the chairmanship at Wednesdays meeting of the Congressional committee, but he failed to do so, and since then he has given no outward indication of letting go. In view of Friends close relations with Hilborn 1t is claimed by some that his participation In the forthcoming Congress slonal campaign would bring him under the Federal offensive partisan law and thus endanger his position at the head of the local Postoffice.
 Last nights split in the Populist party county committee and the unexpected strength developed in the various Popu- list camps throughout the county has wrought a discouraging effect upon the Buckley -Maguire faction of the Demo cratic party. The failure of the Alameda County fusionistS to deliver their party intact to the Maguires is a sure indica- ton of the Populist sentiment elsewhere, and the 'dwarfed giants' adherents find little in the prospect to grow wildly hilar- ious over. It is certain that the straight out Populists in this county embody the best element of their party and their ef- forts to save the organization from com plete absorption by the Democrats will win back many vacillating members be- fore the Campaign closes.
 The apathy manifested by the Demo- cratS so far Is something unusual, even for this Republican stronghold No move has been made yet toward arranging for the election of delegates to the State convention which is to be held on August
 Is. and the County Committee has not even set a date for its meeting to issue
 call for the primary. The apportion- ment of delegates from Alameda County, as fixed by the State Central Committee. Is forty-three. but the rush of patriots to seize the glory attached to a State del egate is not causing any paralysis of business in these parts.
 The truth Is, Alameda County Demo- crats are as thoroughly disgusted with the union of the Molly Maguires and spells Populists as the better element of the Peoples party are, and until they can see some means of breaking the grasp Of the "artful dodger" on the throat of the Democracy they will not concern themselves to any material extent in the political affairs of the State.
 Con Brosnahan. the chairman of the County Committee, said to-day: "I sup pose We will have to arrange for pri- maries for the election Of delegates to the State convention, but really they seem to have patched things up so thor oughly in San Francisco to their own sat isfaction that there seems to be little or nothing left for us to do.''
 R. M. Fitzgerald has been talked of to some extent for chairman of the State convention In case Governor Budd is un- able to preside. Mir. Fitzgerald has also been connected with the Democratic nom- ination for Congress in this district but ft is doubtful if he would care to give up his law practice to enter the lists.