The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-17
Journalistic Preacher
DisCredited.
THE EXAMINERS l
CURRY'S ELECTION PROVIDES A
BIT OF RUMoR.
Looking Backward Proves Disastrous
to the Credit of the Third
Street Political Pooh
Bah.

Even so grave a matter as a general
\ election has It's humorous side.
The place where the laugh comes in is
not in the success of one set of candi-
dates and the defeat of the other
though II is true that succes&in politics
as in every other walk Of life tends to
promote good nature-but in the man
ner in which some people, who pose as
the intellectual superiors of their fell
lows, attempt to explain the causes
that brought about the result, and to
draw great moral and political lessons
therefrom- Ordinarily these explana-
tons are taken and considered as ca
lamities not to be averted, but occa-
sionally it so happens that conditions
make 1t possible for the everyday citi-
zen tc catch the oracle without his
mask and-weIl, there is where the
laugh comes in.
The recent election furnished the I'M
usual conditions in the case Of the cleo
ton OF Charles F. Curry to the Office Of
Secretary of State, and the general
public is at the present moment enjoy
ing a broad smile at the expense of the
Examiner. It all came about through
q mistake made by those engaged in
up the vote polIed by the various candi-
A dates for State Offices in the several
' counties. It was thus made to appear
that R. A Thompson. the Democratic
nominee, had been elected by a small
majority over Charles F. Curry, when
as a matter of fact Curry had been
elected by a majority of something over
1000. The supposed election of Thomp-
son, taken in connection with other re-
suits of the election, was taken by the
Examiner and made the subject of an
editorial sermon under the heading,
Great Moral Lessons of the Election. -
The mind of the reader is prepared for
the great moral lesson" by the opening
paragraph:
In the exultation Of the Republicans
over their general success, in the chagTin
of the Democrats over their defeat, the
great moral victories Of the campaign
should not be lost to view The people
rebuked the Democratic leaders for their
cOWardfce and trimming at the time OF
z great national crisis, but this fact has
rendered all the more remarkable and
noteworthy the rebuke Of individual Re
publicans who have not been true to their
public trusts.
After passing judgment on the way in
which the people Of the State voted on
the candidates for Associate Judges OF
the Supreme Court, the journalistic
task master gets down TO the meat Of
his subject as follows:
Then let US look at the case Of Curry,
. the Republican nominee for Secretary
of State His opponent was not man
who had been much in the public view.
He was not a popular idol Yet in an al
most unparalleled Republican year he has
been able 10 defeat Curry before the
people
Again the lesson is plain and the moral
victory encouraging. Curry as County
Clerk Of San Francisco was the reposi-
tory OF public trust He broke his
pledges. He maIadministered the affairs
of his Office. He was recklessly extrava-
giant, Criminally careless. Even the jury
box was not sacred in his hands.
SO the people resented the effort to give
this unfaithfuI servant a higher place.
They said in so many words: I'VE will
punish dishonesty in Office so that future
conventions will not attempt to force
upon US men who have betrayed the in
terests Of the public" The defeat Of
Curry has elevated the tone Of California
politics.
Now, here's howdy-do. Curry was
not defeated; therefore, if the Ex-
aminer's line of argument is taken as
a basis Of reasoning, the tone Of Cali
fornia politics has not been elevated.
The so many words in which the
Examiner declared the people punished
dishonesty and warned future conven-
tons were never spoken; therefore, ac-
cording TO the Examiner, the people
Kept mum when they should, by their
acts, have spoken $50 many words. 4"
Having failed Ito elevate California
politics" by the election of Thompson,
it is fair to presume that we have not
refrigerated, but are still plodding
along in the same old rut of political
depravitiy that must, if what the Ex-
aminer says is true, have marked the
period of the State administration I'M
der Governor Budd. 1t is very funny,
this great moral lesson"
It is in the closing paragraph OF his
sermon that the journalistic preacher
makes his greatest hit He says:
The voters Of California have given no
tice to the politicians that they demand
honesty in Office and a spotless Supreme
Court. Surely if the politicians are wise
they will heed the notice and profit by the
warning.
To which set of politicians is refer
ence made? If the Examiner means to
say that it is to the Democratic poll
ticians that notice has been served,
then it was Judge Mcguire and the
other members of the fusion following
who went down TO defeat because the
Examiner had not warned them in time
that the voters of the State would de
mand honesty in Office and a spotless
Supreme Court" If reference is made
to politicians of Republican faith it is
not apparent why any warning" is
needed. The laugh seems to be on the
Examiner.