The San Francisco call., 1899-10-08
Protests Against His Nomina-
ton Filed With the Mayor.
Di8affectiOn in the Local Party at the
Domination Of PheIan Develops Into
Ugly Charges,

1HE local Democracy was in
trance Yesterday. The roar and
rowdyisrn Of the closing scenes OF
the municipal convention were stlI
in the ears of the delegates and
they We're wondering how IL happened
and what Il was all about. Upon one
point. however, many OF theM HaH
reached an emphatic conclusion. j Ihey
gre determined If possible to have MAJOR
Dennis Geary dragged from the ticket
The opposition 10 the Democratic holll4-
nee for County Clerk IS bitter. The dis
affected delegates are circulating all sorts
Of stories and insist that for the sake OF
The rest Of the ticket Geary should be
compelled to retire. He was stubboFnly
fought in and out Of the convention, ana
now that he has snatched the victory ol
a nomination from his enemies they are
more than ever determined to make MS
political horizon a gloomy one.
Major Geary is political eNpedient lie
was nominated for County Clerk not Tor
anv qualifications which he may possess,
but for certain vote-pOssessing elements
which he IS supposed to represent When
his name was first suggested by mayor
PheIan and Gavin McNab there was
howl OF indignant protest. which the
Mavor and AlcNab ignored. Petitions
were sent 10 Mayor Phelan, but they were
Of no avail. Democrats, seeking nothing
and asking nothing but the success Of
their party, pleaded against the nomlna-
lion Of Geary. But Mayor Phelan would
not listen. His friends argued with MN,
but to no purpose. He had settled upon
Geary and his word was law.
The Mayor, as prime manlpulator OF
the affairs of the local Democracy, con-
tended that the slate as arranged was
sadly deficient in two respects. AS a vote
inducing instrument 1t was deIectiye IN
two particulars, which his Honor, in his
political wisdom, determined to corfecI.
He prides himself upon his political abn-
ity and he arrived at conclusion, salts
factory to himself, that a Jew and a mill
tary man should be placed upon the mu-
nicipal ticket as vote catchers. S5eary
was the military man chosen and Mayor
Phelan and McNab slated him for the
nomination of County Clerk.
The news of this arrangement was no
sooner circulated than protests began TO
arrive at headquarters. The objections
were rot made in behalf Of any other
candidate although there were several.
The ObjeCtOTs presented themselves as
Democrats to Mayor Phelan and pleaded
that Geary's record would not bear in
speCtiOn, and that any decent man would
be acceptable TO them.
One of the first to file a protest was
Martin W. Fleming, who was supporter
of VI. c.. Haley, but for no selfish pur-
pose. Fleming had been Chief Deputy
County Clerk under Haley, but now he
SEEKS no public office and will accept
none. Knowing GeaTy well, Fleming went
personally to Colonel William r. Sulh-
van, the secretary Of Mayor Phelan. and
protested against the nomination OF
Geary. Not satisfied with this, Fleming
sent a letter of protest to Mayor Phelan
and gave what he believed to, be good
reasons why Geary should not be placed
upon the municipal ticket.
AS Democrat and a citizen" said
Mr. Fleming yesterday, Il protested in
person to Colonel Sullivan and in writ
irg 10 Mayor Phelan against the nomi-
nation of Major Geary. l was In favor
Of no particular candidate for County
Clerk. Brown, Baldwin, Haley or any
other decent man would have been &C
Ceptahle to me, for my only interest in
the matter was a desire to see nominated
a good, clean ticket. 1 objected there>
fore to the nomination Of Major Geary
because of my knowledge and estimate
Of his character. My protests We're ig-
nored."
Mr. Fleming was not by any means the
last of the Democrats to plead with
Mayor Phelan not to force Geary upon
the convention. On Thursday last Mau-
nent younger men Of the Democratic con-
vention, called upon Mayor Phelan mad
gave his Honor an insight into Geary's
career as an insurance agent. Loewen-
stein begged Phelan for the sake of the
local Democracy not to nominate the
major. The. pleading fell upon deaf ears,
and on Friday night Geary was still the
slated candidate for County Clerk.
Mayor Phelan was in the convention
hall, and again Loewenstein and his
friends begged that Geary be withdrawn.
They insisted that his nomination would
be a serious injury to the entire ticket.
But the Mayor was obdurate. He had
placed Geary on the slate and there he
would remain. The Mayor stood in the
wings o9 the stage and met the obiectors
DR.. Washington Dodge, the nominee for
Assessor, pleaded with the Mayor to lis
ten to reason Loewenstein threatened to
take the stage and tell what he knew
1sidor Cutie voiced his protest. Franklin
K. Lane, City and County Attorney
begged. but it was all to no purpose, and