The San Francisco call., 1898-04-19
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS.

T meeting of the Democratic State Commit A tee Saturday last San Francisco was urged { \ a meeting place for the next State conven- tion on the ground that the party is always lucky when nominates gubernatorial candidate in that city. To practical people this may a curious for locating State convention, yet the facts upon which it is based are unassaable.
 Perhaps holding Democratic conventions in San Francisco has had nothing to do with the election of Democratic Governors, but it is nevertheless fact that every time the party has nominated candidate elsewhere for thirty years 1t has been with sin gle exception defeated.
 During the Civil War period the Democrats were pretty efectually kept of office in California The Union party in successive elections carried the State and the Peoples party-a relic of the Vigilance Com mittee-rued San Francisco. In 1867, however, the Democracy broke the line with Governor Haight who nominated by convention held in this city on June 1o of that year. His opponent, George C. Gorhan, selected at Sacramento Four years later the Democrats, made reckless by success held their convention at Sacramento and renominated Haight He defeated by Newton Booth. In 1875, having apparently learned valuable lesson the State con- venton again assembled at San Francisco. Will liam Irwin nominated and elected. In 1879 fu- sion Democratic convention met at Sacramento. It nominated Hugh J. Genn who defeated In 1883 George Stoneman nominated at San Jose and elected, but when the Democrats nominated E. B. Pond at the place n 1890 they lost the fight In the meantime, however (ISS6), they had won with Washington Bartlett, who nominated in this city The defeat of the San Jose candidate, in the of Haght seemed to have conveyed its lesson for in 1894 the Democratic convention was again held in this city. James H. Budd was nominated and elected
 This record shows that since the Civil War the Democrats have nominated but successful candi- date for Governor outside of this city. It is scarcely a of wonder therefore, that the politicians of that party have grown superstitious the subject of San Francisco gubernatoral candidates Nor does the the place in which conventions are held has some thing to do with the fate of the head of the ticket" Since 1867 the Republicans have elected three Cover nors-Booth, Perkins and Markham. All three were nominated by conventions held at Sacramento
 It IS possible of course, that the Democrats may some time choose a candidate for Governor outside oi this city and win with him at the polls but the prospects if the record of thirty years is put in ev dence, would not seem to be fattering Good iudg- ment, undoubtedly dictates that all Democratic State conventions should be held in this city Local hotel keepers and others who profit by assembages of the unterrled will probably rejoice to know that 1t is un safe to nominate Democratic candidates elsewhere and, if they do their duty in propagating the notion 1t is not unlikely that the politicians of that party will soon settle down the theory that State conyen tions in this city political necessities. It is too bad that Republican candidates have to be nominated at Sacramento. Otherwise we might scare the bosses into holding the conventions of all parties in this city.