The San Francisco call., 1899-10-10
CAMPAIGN IS
OPENING ON
PARTY LINES
Phelan's Utterances
on the Question.
METROPOLITAN HALL SPEECH
RECORD PRESERVED FOR sPE-
CIAL USE AT THIS TIME.
On August 4 of This Year the
Mayor Was a Red-Hot
Democratic Parti-
san.
METROPOLITAN HALL SPEECH
RECORD PRESERVED FOR SPE-
CIAL USE AT THIS TIME.

The Democrats are alarmed at the sug-
gestion that party liues should be drawn
in this municipal campaign. A subsidized
evening journal is making a ridiculous
show of Itself in demanding that Repub-
licans should support Mayor Phelan. The
Mayor himself is so indignant that he de-
nounces Horace Davis as a traitor to the
charter for encouraging Republicans to
maintain party lines in this contest.
Voters of San Francisco-Republican
as we'll as Democrats-will remember that
there was a big mass meeting at Metro
politan Hall on the evening Of August A.
four days prior TO the primary election
Mayor Phelan was advertised to speak
and The Call fancied that it would be a
good plan To have an accomplished stem
ographer take down word for word every
thing that the voluble young statesman
might utter on that occasion. a record
IS Something that ought to be kept, and
q newspaper office is d good place 10 Keep
IL. Having kept the record, me an IS
in DOsftion to show positively that Mayor
Phelan IS the man who established party
lines IN this municipal campaign, and his
evening paper may apologize lor MN as
il gets ready, If he does not anticipate
the amend and apologize for himself; IN
the course of his speech at Metropolitan
Hall Mayor Phelan said:
The Democrats have set the pace in
this town to build Ii up and make 1t what
il should be They have given the policy
10 the city We went to Sacramento you
remember, in order 10 get party control
whatever may have been the faults of
the Committee Of One Hundred, l have a
very great affection for it, because, WhiIe
il did not represent all the districts Oh the
citv il was composed of men who tried TO
do right and whose acts were IN part m
dorsed by the people OF TINS city; ana
they gave US that policy and tnat pat
form. But now there is no way or gong,
even if we desired to do so, to the state
Central Committee or to the Sacramento
convention and asking for authority 10
sneak in the name OF the Democratlc
partv We have to go TO the polls, ana
We have to get control OF the conVen-
ton.
Eve have to get control Of the con-
vention, I say-and control is very
harsh word-in the interest of good
government and decency; not that
any man should have control to con-
fer favors on his friends, but control
in order that that policy may be per-
petuated and the Democratic party
made the instrument and the agency
of good government in San Fran
cisco.
"Now. that ballot law adopted by
the last Legislature magazines enoE-
mously the. Importance of party con-
ventions. We all have to be party
men now. We have TO carry out re-
forms within the party. We all have
TO be party politicians; we can't be
independent and go before the people
and say we will do thus and so. We
have to get behind the party and
make it the instrument and the
agency of our work"
The alarm in Democratic political circles
Is caused by a close analysis of the vote
by which Mayor Phelan defeated Charles
l.. Patton for Mayor. lne analysis shows
that If the regularly accredited Repub-
lican precincts had given Mr.. Patton the
party vote Phelan would have been de-
feated The present signs point 10 the
conclusion that Horace Davis Will get the
full Republican vote of every precinct in
San Francisco.
Since the last election Phelan has pub
lfcIy proclaimed: WE ALL HAVE TO
BE PARTY POLITICIANS WE CAN'T
BE INDEPENDENT AND GO BEFORE
THE PEOPLE AND SAY WE Will
Do THUS AND so. WE HAVE TO GET
BEHIND THE PARTY
Horace Davis is clean, capable and true.
Under his leadership the Republican party
can be the instrument aud agency Of good
government In San Francisco.
Jasper Mcdonald chairman Of the
Democratic committee. has not cOmplet-
ed the selection of forty members at
tee. He may announce the names to-