The San Francisco call., 1898-05-16
PULPIT AND
 HORSE RACING The Fabiola Contention Is Now but a
 Memory. Seeking Office Is Worse Than Dodging Shells Off
 Havana.
Remarkable Change of Front in the Attitude of Some Pol
 iticians.
Oakland omce San Francisco Call.

sos Broadway, May b.
 It is said that Oakland, as a rule, does not take anything very seriously, any great length of time. IT this were not true, the Fabiola controversy might last indefinitely, for it opens up a field for discussion compared to which the origin of the contention is as nothing. That pr. Dille's remarks were very pointed is true, and there are many who believe as he does. The ladies of Fabiola also enjoy the confidence and esteem of the commit nifty and are also influential. To harmon ize the two would be to bring about that which evangelists have strived for nearly 2000 years-the concession of society iD its somewhat restricted sense to the practice of the doctrine which ultimately became known as PuritaniSln, but which at An tioch, in the days of Paul, was known as christian.
 There is no fear that the struggle be- tween those who condemn horse.racing and it's attributes and those who believe that in the exercise of charity the end justifies the means, will be long-liYed referred to in history in the same spirit as will be the water rate scandal, the waterfront riots, Dr. Wendte's sensation about euthanasia and similar thlhgs which have stirred Oakland in the past
 Dr. Dille is right-"Abstain from all appearance of evil.''
 Fabiula ladies are rfght-"And the greatest of these is charity"
 DOQRlnS bullets ana Sn6llS OIL A4Oi U would be heaven compared to this. Such was the expression of county oface- holder this week And if about dozen others had cried amen in chorus they could all have told the truth.
 This is truly crucial period Tor the professional politicians. A man can make many mistakes in four years, ana many have been made All kinds or enmlueS have been aroused, but the victims nave only one hope of satisfaction. They can wait till the primaries come around anu then they can draw their bowie-knIVeS and cut and slash to their hearts con- tent. This is what many are now oQiing. have a push or pull in their respective precincts, are now gIOrylng Tn the amount of dlsGomtlture they nope they can cause; use Everybody with a kick has to be placated by the man who would hold on to his office, and placating in a dry summer IS a very expensive pastime. It has ruined many men, and will ruin more before November. Still, it has to be donei and whether the argument be oral, physical or of some other nature. 1t is alike drain on the resources of the off1ce-seeker and office-holder.
 There can be no pleasant camping vacation far from the dusty, hot streets where men do politics; no deer-stalking in Oregon; no Haunting defiance in the face of the enemy; for the struggle for political existence is on, and he who wavers is surely lost. And many who will not waYer will be lost just as surely In fact, politics in Alameda County is bigger field for gambling than the Emery vile track.
 In spite of all the narrowing expert ences of the office-hunters, there is much that is really funny. If the poor victims Of this craze would pause a moment in their mad career and laugh at themselves, they would feel better for the diversion. Just thirteen months ago, no longer, there were weeping and wailing in the Capitol at Sacramento by the men who knew how office in Alameda County. 4 bill was in- troduced, the effect of which would be to fix salaries for the officials instead of al lowing big appropriations as at present. The funny part of the matter was the presumption shown by the incumbents that they evidently considered their jobs as theirs for eternity. Under what other consideration would they have f1ocked to Sacramento to raise such a howl and to declare that the proposed system of pay ment would surely send the officials to the poorhouse The arguments made were heartrending and would have brought tears to the eyes of anybody but Cali fornian legislator.
 Now behold the spectacle, and applaud the 6iscernment of the Californian legis- latOr. All those office-holderS who plead ed at Sacrs mento, without a single eXcep- ton, are risking their necks, their for tunes, and in scme instances their repu- tations in their efforts to secure certain condemnation to the poorhouse at the hands of the electors. And they go about shaking hands and smiling as warmly and conscientiously as though the prospect of a term of office offered decent living for four years
 Senator F. s. Stratton has drawn very fine distinction between the last Senate and the Assembly. The difference is, in ferentially, that between men who pay their bills and do not fear garnishment and attachments, and those who, from some cause or other, live in dread of be- ing made to disgorge. Senator Stratton $ views are entertained in a letter to the Merchants Exchange, referring to a bill for which the exchange worked hard last year. He says:
 ''The bill permitting salaries of public officials to be attached ought to be passed at the next session of the Legisla- ture, and l hope that you will not lose sight of the matter on your part. We had measure went through there on its .ner-
 II have no doubt of a favorable result next time, and by amending the bill so that 1t will exempt the salaries of mem bers of the Legislature and attaches I sition. A great many in the Assembly opposed the measure on this ground, and the complaint in that regard can be easily removed without any detriment to the law as a whole.
 What is Republican club and what is a piece club, and can both exist as one organization? This question is being asked frequently just now, and with good req son. Tn this county are Smith Repub- ihson and Jones the same. What does this mean? It suggests that the Repub- lican part of the club dies if the personal part of 1t Is beaten at the primaries. No one can have any objection to Pardee | club, or Davis club, or Barker club, l have no more need of hero worship; but 1 how about the personal Republican clubs? On what lines will they work after the l primaries? Will their Republicanism van |