The San Francisco call., 1899-10-26
ABOUT STRAIGHT TICKETS.

M R. BRITTON is being somewhat overworked
~ in the Democratic campaign The Mayor
started out by assuming personal response
bity for denouncing Horace Davis traitor and
the Republican party for treason to the charter.
When it seemed necessary to the personal comfort
OF Mr. Brtton TO make him feel at home in his de-
sertion to the Democracy Mr.. Phean hit upon the
plan OF using him as witness against the Republican
party. SO, in the Thirty-ninth Assembly District,
Mr.. Phelan said: 4 will not say Republicans are
antagonistic to the charter but Mr. Britton is man
OF honor and he says So" He puts Mr.. Britton in
the position OF turning States evidence and uses him
in that capacity. 1t saying OF Burr that
passed into an axiom at the bar that 'the meanest
rascal always turns States evidence" If Mr.. Phelan
choose to put Mr. Britton in that position it is his
affair, not ours Mr.. Brtton suffered himself to be
nominated as Republican candidate for Supervisor,
and after waiting until effect would be given his
dcclination and announcement of his support OF
Phelan he did both.
Now Mr. Phelan in every speech praises Britton
as the grand old man." but abuses the Republican
party which desired to put this grand old person on
the Board of Supervisors. If Mr.. Britton is really the
virgin personality described by Mr. Phelan, nothing
is proved except the desire of the Republican party
to nominate men of that kind when they chose him.
Il goes without saying that any other nominee OF
the Republican party who will join Mr.. Phelan in
irlploring Democrats to vote their ticket straight
and Republicans to bolt theirs will receive the same
ascription of purity and high character that is be-
slowed on Mr. Britton But all this would be only
additional proof that the Republican party was &C
tuated by no other purpose than the nomination OF
men who would best the people by the fautess
administration of the charter and the law
There would be much merit in Mr.. Phelans pro-
fcsson to Republicans of non-partsanship if Mr..
Britton had remained on the Republican ticket and
Mr. Phean had daily and nightly eulogized him and
asked people to vote for him. Mr.. Britton was
neither more nor less grand old when the Re
publcans nominated him than he is now. But the
Phelan vision was never clarified to his merits until
he joined the Phean standard The Republicans are
now accused OF treason to the charter. Did they
show it when they nominated Brtton9 The fact IS
that in making up their ticket the Republicans
sought and found candidates supposed TO be just
such good citizens as Mr. Phelan describes Brtton 70
be and nominated him among the rest in con-
genial company That he chose to desert it is his
affair His former associates have seen no reason to
alter their estimate OF him. except such reason as
Mr. Phelan has supplied by declaring it would have
been treason the charter to have voted for him
Republican candidate for Supervisor
The other Republican candidates chosen as Mr.
Britton was and for the same reasons and with the
same unbroken purpose. just as worthy as he
was, no more no less. II he or Mr.. Phelan can give
to Republicans a reason for boiling the ticket of
convention that was modelled upon the exact char
acter now ascribed to Britton by Phelan we would
like to hear it