The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-21

When James D. Pheian, the 'he1tlns
Mayor of San Francisco, connived at
the crime by which WIdber looted the
city treasury through his derehction or
duty, incompetence was the worst that
was charged against him. In his de-
tense of ward colonization on the part
of his henchmen there is something
worse than incompetence-he dello-
erately indorses a fraud against the
ballot.
The Call has shown that Byington.
Bartlett, Cutie and Deasy have regis
tered as voters in wards other than
those in which they live. Eugene P.
Murphy also registered in the Ninth
Ward when he lived in the Eleventh,
but his heart failed him and he threw
up the nomination and went back
home"
When Murphy weakened 1t became
necessary to get some one else to I'LL
the place. and as there is no Democrat
In the whole of the Ninth Ward with
whom Boss Phelan cares to associate,
Charles Gildea of 1920 Mission street
was advised" to move down to 400
Sixth t-temporariIy-and qualify
by registering from there. Gildea
moved and registered, but he, like By
retains his home at the old place and
is living dual existence living a lie
in the Ninth Ward while he has his
home at 1920 Mission street.
At 1920 Mission 1t is said that Gildea
still lives there. his morning paper is
still delivered at 1920 Mission and a
light may be seen burning in his room
at 1920 Mission every night
According TO the published state
ments of PheIan and the Examiner,
the accepted Democratic organ, these
changes of residence were temporary"
According TO the Political Code of the
State temporary residence does not
give the necessary qualifications to en-
title a man to vote. According to the
best legal opinion disqualification as
voter disQualifies as a candidate, and
It matters not whether the man at
tempts 10 vote or not, for a man to be
eligible as a candidate must be a quail
fed voter.
This. then, is the position of Lewis
F. Byington Lewis de F. Bartlett, Jere-
miah Deasy, Isadore Cutie and Charles
GiIdea: They have Illegally registered
in wards other than those in which
they live; they dare not attempt to vote
for fear they will be compelled TO swear
that they have permanently changed
their residence; they are not legal
voters of the city and county of San
Francisco and consequently are not
eligible for office In the city and county
Of San Francisco
The question Of the location Of a
mans home was never more tersely
specified than by 10 Hamilton, ex-At-
torney General of the State, when he
said: Home is whar Betsy and the
babies live" Not one of these men
took Betsy and the babies" with him
when he moved from luxurious home
to the cramped quarters Of cheap
clearinghouse, and while all may not be
so fortunate as to have Betsy and
babies" they have their little house
hold gods, their lares and penates, their
books and little comforts that every
man, be he married or single, accumu-
lates about him in the place he calls
'home"
So much for the catspaws which we're
to be used in raking political chestnuts
from the fire for Monkey Phelan. They
have transgressed the election laws of
the State, and as the Grand Jury Is in
session it is for that body to say what
investigation shall be made into the
matter.
Phelan has used these men to further
his own ends. Thanking God that he
IS not like other men he decides that
there is no Democrat in the Third,
Fifth, Seventh, Ninth or Tenth wards
who is honest enough or fit to sit in
council with him. In order to get just
the kind Of men he wants he sends five
men from the aristocratic portions of
the city to lord it over the residents Of
those wards and then asks the men
whom he condemns to vote for his
henchmen. He doffs his silk hat, kid
gloves and fine raiment, and, dressed in
old clothes, a SLOUGH hat and with bare
hands, goes down among the working
men and tells them how he loves the
sons of toiI'-and then he Quarrels with
the gas company because 1t pays its
workmen $40 a month, saying that SIS
is enough for a laborer.
Then the subsidized Bulletin, the
paper which has done more to keep
down wages than any other influence on
the coast, brays loudly in commenda-
ton of Phelan because he condescends
TO shake hands with a workingman.
The puerile Examiner meets the
charge Of fraud against Phelan and