The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-31
. HELAN, RAINEY & CO.. Polit-
| )lcal Purists. Kid Glove and
/ Silk Hat Politics a Speciality.

4
Such is the sign that Mayor Phelan
would hang in front of his Office door
to attract the notice and secure the
political patronage of the honest voters
of San Francisco.
The news that Mr.. Phelan had opened
negotiations with Sam Rainey, Major
Harney and the men whom he has for
so long denounced as the rogues,
scoundrels cutthroats and black
guards of the local Democracy, came
as a decided shock to the few good citi-
zens Of this city who have persisted in
! closing their eyes to the failings Of the
youthful but wealthy Mayor and have
been willing to accept his pretensions
+ of personal purity as gospel truth. Now
that the mask has fallen and revealed
the supposed political purist to be only
a poor, miserable political shyster, who
prefers dishonor to defeat, and who is
willing to betray those who have sup
ported him and to barter the patron
age of the various departments of the
city government for the votes of the
men whom he has spat upon and re-
viled, there is feeling akin to con-
sternation among the .men-aad there
ose many e0l 5henl---gv{so nave believed
that the youthful and aristocratic
Mayor was honest from inclination and
not from necessity.
The members of the Non-Partisan
convention-or most of them-who held
PheIan up as the white angel of
political purity, the personifcatiOn of
public virtue and tn bright and shin
ing light of Official cleanliness, are ask
ing each other how far they have been
committed by Phelan's act in casting
discretion and past pretensions to the
winds to become an humble slave beg
ging for a smile q word, a vote at the
hands of Sam Rainey-an- willing and
anxious to EXCHANGE for the smile or
the kindly word or the uch-needed
vote pledges to the people and the
prospective spoiIs Of his office. 1t was
this same Non-Partisan convention
that indorsed the nominations made by
Phelan through his nominating conven-
tion com osed of the members of his
Committee of One Hundred-or at least
those of them who We're candidates for
patronage offices. 1t is this patronage
that Phelan rs using as a bribe to in
duce Rainey ct al. TO come to his arms
and be to him as brother. Can it be
possible that the good. the pure and the
upright Mr.. Phelan sought the indOrse-
ment Of the Non-Partisan convention
for these seekers after patronage Of
fees, having in mind desire to thus
enhance the value of the goods that he
intended later to barter for the en-
braces of Sam Rainey?
There was once an honest burglar
who had never killed his guards and
escaped from the penitentiary, because
he had never been caught and sent to
prison. There are those who, in the
light of recent events. are asking them
selves If it is not true that Mr.. Phelan
has never before-so far as is known
dabbled in political corruption, because
it has not been necessary for him to
do so.
Once upon a time there was a white
swan that posed as an object of beauty
and purity upon the surface of a calm
and peaceful mill pond But the pond
went dry, leaving nothing but an ex-
panse Of black mud, and the swan, in
stead of seeking the fountain from
which the pure water that once filed
the pond had come. fought with the
swine for the worms that lay beneath
the midland seemed to like the job.
The friends of Mr.. Phelan have said