The San Francisco call., 1898-02-23
HE IS. BUT 4
 CREATURE OF
 THE GANG Animus of the San Jose Officials Vi-
 tuperatiOn. Paved the Way for Press Onslaughts on Honest
 Men. Part of a Programme Which His Masters Have Mapped
 Out.
FOUR CAUSTIC REPLIES.
Citizens Whom the Councilman Assailed Hold Him Up to Public
 ScOrn.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

''''
 . SAN JOSE, Feb. 22.-On every side to-day are heard words of pity and contempt for Councilman Noting. Every citizen sees in his effort of last night only the fulfillment of a task forced upon him by his political mas ters. the leaders of the gang" No one is inclined to hold him personally re- sponsible for his vile utterances before the Council.
 It is clearly perceived that his foul ebullition was not in any sense a spon- taneous expression, but that it was part of a preconcerted plan of cam paign It is common talk that his little piece was delivered not only to be- smirch, if possible, some of the men opposed to gang rule, but to afford the organs of the corruptionists a pretext for coming into the fight against the New Charter Club and good govern ment The matter which Noting in jected into the Scully affair last night was entirely foreign to the subject un- der discussion.
 That it was the object of the gang leaders to make an opening for their newspaper packers was shown by the attitude of the Mercury this morning. In the course of a double-leaded edi- torial two-thirds of a column long the unseemly course of Nolting is strongly fndorsed, and the New Charter Club is condemned by indirection. The main organ of the gang has evidently not the courage to attack it openly. Further along this editorial has the following lnsidious suggestion:
 The City Central committees of the Re ( <Jublican and Democratic parties have re- fused to join in the convention for the nomination of a single ticket for tne mu- nicipal offices. The citizens of an Jose now demand thaI those committees agree to call a convention for the nomination from the two parties, the delegates to comprise only citizens of recognized in tegrity whose motives cannot be called in question.
 No citizen of intelligence Is deceived by this, for the single reason that the committees of both parties are known to be carried in the pockets of the bosses. Anything manipulated by them would, therefore. be by the gang, of the gang and fer the gang.
 This suggestion is in line with the known policy of the corruptionists. Everything possible will be done to SDllI IHe NOlG dIlO Sap lIlt SlIcISlIl Ol the supporters of the reform move ment. If the proposed Democratic Republican fusion ticket becomes an accomplished fact, the next move of the gang will be to put ostensibly in dependent candidates in the field. In this will lie the greatest danger to the cause of good government. There is only one way to overcome it. Every sincere seeker for municipal reform must refuse to run independently and must cast his vote for the New Char ter Club ticket, from top to bottom.
 The men most directly assailed be- fore the Council make answer to the attacks on them through the columns of The Call. W. B. Hardys reply is as follows:
 The political cesspool of spite and vile abuse of small-bore ward politicians last night overfiowed in the Council chamber through the mouth of Councilman Nolt- ing and as might have been expected those citizens who in their endeavor to suppress the nuisance had come in closest contact with it's cause were the first to have their garments soiled with the foul stream. The disreputable cabal of San Jose political tricksters, of which Coun- cilnfan Nolting is conspicuous member, has been so long exempt from punish Inent as to believe retributive justice to exist only in the imagination. The pub liC treasury, III the OI tnlS clique, is the spells to be apportioned among those whose only means of sup port is derived from that source.
 Supplies of all kinds were purchased, labor performed and contracts entered into by members of the city government in direct violation of the city charter. At last, to prevent the total bankruptcy of the city treasury, a vigilance com mittee was formed to interrose the strong arm of the law in defense of the people, to stay the wholesale plunder of these miscreants. This committed. com posed of some of the largest property holders and best-known citizens in San Jose, employed myself and other attor- neys to institute leeal proceedings to set aside certain alleged contracts that were about to be made by the Common Coun- cil and this employment is the fmme- diate cause of the hostility of Council man Noting to me. 1 commend to him the fable of the viper gnawing the file, and advise him that the vigilance com mittee has resolved to remain in session until his term of office expires and he has been relegated to that obscurity which awaits all petty ward politicians of his class and calfber