The San Francisco call., 1899-03-06
THE ASSESSOR
WOULD Be THE
CITY'S MAYOR
But Mr.. Dodge Has
His Troubles.
AMBITION AND PATRONAGE
A HUNGRY BRIGADE SHARP.
EMS LONG KNIVES.
The Doctor Makes the First Move In
the Local Campaign, but the
Examiners Patronage
Makes Trouble.

The local Democratic barometer
is displaying to all competent poll
tical forecasters signs of the COM
ing storm which will begin gath
ering strength in a very perceptible
way within twenty-four hours after the
adjournment of the Legislature. 1ne
'polLes" are anticipating an exceptionally
hot local campaign this year, owing to
the new charter, which will go into effect
on January l under the administration of
a new set OF officials, to be elected on
November I.
With the new order OF things the
Mayors Office viii at once assume trans
cendant Importance to every practical
politician interested in municipal patron
age, and this Office will be the political
storm center from the start.
1t is only among the local Democracy
that prospective candidates for Mayor can
yet to be seen to loom. Phelan Will be
candidate, as everybody knows, and a
great portion of the Democracy will be
out TO defeat his nomination Hundreds
of the boys vaguely turn TO Colonel J. F.
Smith as a possible Moses, but nobody
knows whether or not he Will be back in
time or whether he would accept a nomi-
nation If he could get it.
According to general local Democratic
/ information there is only one candidate
who Is thus early laying underground
wires to capture the nomination, and that
man is Assessor Dodge, who happens to
be the subject of more political gossip and
adverse criticism just now than any other
officer of the municipality. Mr.. Dodge is
laying for the big nomination. Charles
Wesley Reed is his biggest Warwick, and
he has some assistant Warwicks in the
! persons of DR.. Ragan, Gavin McNab. Ed
ward Godchaux and others who are cred
tied among the practical Democratic poll
ticians with directing the distribution Of
the main portion of his patronage,
amounting TO forty-two deputies and
about 100 extra men. AS Mr.. Dodge was
the only Democrat elected to a diSpensa-
ton Of any. good patronage the entire
local army Of place hunters have turned
their hungry eyes on the Assessors office
and Mr.. Dodge has been having a most
exciting experience.
It was a great and wise Democratic
| leader who once said that If man gave
one man place he made one Migrate and
nine enemies, and the talk about Mr..
Assessor Dodge is finding his road to
! fame beset with thorns. The thorns are
! all over the tenderloin and all over South
of-Market.. The disposition, Of the As
SCISSOR patronage Is discussed far more in
! certain wide circles than the policy of ex-
pansion: One thorn that Mr. Dodge has
been pricked with is Major Harvey, Har-
/ Dor Commissioner, and chairman Of one
/ faction of the local Democracy. Mr..
/ Harney and his friends are Whetting long
| knives for Dodge, because he refused to
( honor some patronage drafts drawn by
the Examiner.
Late in the recent campaign the Ex-
/ aminer secured a conference of party
/ leaders with view to getting the beaten
Raineyites to stand i, in and support the
4 the Examiner promised one-third of the
! local patronage to the Ra1ney wing as the
! price. Chairman Harvey, Secretary Nc
Govern and some others of the $50 agreed
! to the proposition. but meeting of the
! whole committee on the proposition broke
up in a great row, and only eighty.9ne
nominated by the Committee of One
Hundred.
When the election was over Mr.. Dodge
was called upon by the Examiner to rec
| ognize the bargain and did so. The Ex-
! aminer allowed Harvey SIX deputies and
| fifteen extras, and Dodge, 1T is said told
| Harvey to send in his list and 1t would
be all right. Harney's list included Secre-
! tary John F. McGovern, who had long
| done valiant work for the Rainey organi-
zation; S. T. Kohlman and George A
! Love, two other local war horses. The
other three were John G. Fitzgerald, late
of the Sheriff's office; John Bennett, from
the Recorders office, and Tom Clark
formerly of the Street Department. The
last three were appointed and the He m first
charge that the three appointed got there
| only through other influences.
Recently Harvey went out 10 the Asses
sor's Office TO see about the three that
were turned down, but got no satisfaction
| The upshot was an exchange OF hot Ian
| guage and as Harvey left he is reported
! to have said to Dodge:
you have gone back on your word AL
! agreements between us are off and just
! remember that I am still in politics
Thus Harvey. McGovern and their friends
have no further use for Dodge or for Nc
Nab. Reed. ct al, to whose influence the
! turning down is partly charged.
Harry" Zemansky was slated for ar
Important deputyship and was downed, il
! is said because he was q friend of Max
Popper. The only failure that Charles
| Wesley Reed has scored on Assessor
| patronage is said to be in the case OF
IT T.arryi5 Conlon, the robust young hero OF
MANY a Buckley primary In the Twenty.
eighth. Reed recommended Larry. and
when he asked about it later Mr.: Dodge
fs reported to have said: why, Mr.
Reed. / am surprised at your making