The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-04
a WORD TO REPUBLICANS.

1
zon. Everything done by the Republican party,
where it has power to do affects it for good or
i'll everywhere 1t won in last years elections by a
margin so narrow establish practical equality
OF chances for 1900 That equality is TO be changed
to balance for against the party during the next
twelve months. The change will be wrought by the
it makes OF its stewardship TO its masters, the
people Every party act in municipal, State and ma
tional administration will go to Judgment Every
member OF the party has its late in his hands. The
natural growth of and prevailing business
prosperity will not offset acts OF folly and crime in
tie official ranks OF the party power 1t is history
that the Democratic party has secured popular
majority for Presidential candidate who was in
dorsed by Tammany. The misrule of New York City
By that potent organization has been made known IN
every OF the country Its disregard OF decency
its blindness 10 public and private morality its brutal
OF power have been to the party to which
it processes allegiance.
When Tilden nominated against its opposition,
and against fight carried by John Kelly the floor
OF the national convention, and renewed in the State
o. New FORK by every form OF treachery and boiling
he carried popular majority, and narrowly missed
being President through decision OF the Electoral
Commission.
Cleveland was nominated in 1884 against Tam
many, which deserted him in the campaign and Sc
cretly threw its vote to General Butler. But he
elected against the strongest the country had TO
oppose him.
He was renoninated in 1888 against Tammany, and
its treachery in New York lost him that State and de-
feated him In 1892 the Chicago convention was held
until o'clock in the morning by the Tammany fight
against Cleveland, and its most persuasive and I'M
FASHIONED orator held the stage down to the rolcal
OF States to pour out Tammanys embttered hatred
md
umphantly elected because, in General Bragg's terse
aphorism the people loved him for the enemies he
had made
This history proves that even the Democracy re-
volt against chicane corruption and ndecency
mitted by local organization in their party name
Let no man deceive himself by believing that Repub-
llcans less nice in their preference for what IS
clean and upright and in their aversion 10 what is
low brutal and treacherous. With Quay in a Grim
ina court and Dan Burns exchanging cells in three
jas for seat in the Senate with betrayal OF the hon
est hope and aront to the selirespect and pride OF
the people the Republican party will go into the cam
paign OF 1900 morally handicapped and likely loser
We are painfully aware that it IS said in California
that The Call by standing against the evil influences
that seek to control the party and by doing what it
can to install decent regard for public opinion in
the party councils rs making Democratic politics.
but We deny the hard impeachment. Every Repub
lican in private lie public Office, who degrades his
party by ndorsng corruption, by eecting dis
graced, ignorant and unfit man TO the Senate, by dis
appointing the generous confidence OF the people,
making Democratic politics, not The Call
Every Republican WHO does, or indorses in others,
that which affronts decency and offends ceanness,
which cannot be defended by any self-respecting
or newspaper, is making Democratic politics. The
Call
Every Republican paper which IS silent while OF
lenses are committed and makes offenders feel safe
through failure TO expose them, is making Demo
cratic politics, not The Call
Can any man in the party conjure more powerful
aid to Democracy than the sale OF the Senatorship
than the election OF Burns, than the beginning OF
legislative session by an act for which no right rea-
son can be given, for which no apology can be con-
struced, Tor which the party must hang its head in
shame?
We desired to see this State administration which
is in power by such hearty vote OF confidence, sue
cessful along the lines that appeal to the sentiment
which trusted it and gave it public authority We
hope to the Governor, in his powerful and dign
fed Office the trustee OF the best sentiment among
the people, following that light and leading which
they believed themselves to be following when they
gratihed his ambition. We hope TO see the Repub-
can government OF California look over the heads OF
greed and grudge in the crowds that are se-seeking
the capital the patient, trusting, conhding and
worthy people OF the State who want no Office but
can give it and take it away at the baot-box, and
among them make Republican politics for Caor-
MA and the nation in 1900 and forevermore.