The San Francisco call., 1899-07-20

~ HE controversy for possession of
the Democratic works is bring
ing to the front politicians of
high and low degree. Rainey
and Lawrence are arm in arm,
politically speaking, and Jimmie Phe-
Ian is agitated and alarmed at the
sight Of the Examiner -Rainey combine.
Jaspar Mcdonald. chairman Of the
Democratic Committee of one Hun
drad hardly knows what to think OF
the Lawrence Rainey fellowship. The
one hundred pIace-seekers who denied
their authority to boss the party in
the city Of san Francisco from the
State Central Committee supposed
that they had letters patent on Mayor
Phelan, hence their surprise and
Chagrin to find Lawrence and RaIney
advertising the Mayor as a special at
traction and assuming management OF
the Phelan political future.
In days not long gone the Examiner
held up Rainey to public scorn as an
odfous boss and ballOt-boX suffer. He
was placed so low down in the scale
of depravity that he was cartooned
along with y. n. Burns
A great change has come over the
spirit Of Lawrence. Rainey is now re
garded as Sanity Sam, and his in
Spiring presence IS daily demanded 10
arrange the details Of the approach
Ing municipal campaign. sam IS IN the
saddle and Phelan must ride behind
# he wants TO go along with the push.
One who cares to study the dim past
NAV always find interesting old things
in the Examiner. Back in 1892 Rainey
was denounced in that journal as
heeler and ruffian. on october . IoSz
the Examiner propOunded this inquiry:
Are the voters willing to see
the election decided by having
the names of thousands of i'm
aginary men put on the register
and their names voted by a
few hundred FOUNDERS under the
orders of Kelly, Crimmins and
Rainey?
october -. 1892. four days later, the
Examiner had not changed its tone. 1t
then said:
The Election Commissioners
know that the gang has neither
authority or reputation. They
know that it represents nothing
but Sam Rainey and his efforts
to carry enough Democratic
votes away from the Democratic
party to elect the plug-ugly
ticket and give Crimmins and
Kelly the city to plunder.
The commissioners have no
more right 20 declare the
Rainey-Long gang of political
highbinders to be the Demo-
cratic party of the city than
they have to pick up any con-
vict in Quentin and give him
the right to name the candidates
and officers of the organization.
A cartoon went with the outburst Of
rage. Five dangling ropes, each with
g hangman's moose, were pictured over
this text: IAN EXASPERATED
COMMUNITY MAY RESORT TO
EXTREME MEASURES"
1t was therein suggested that the
people should hang the Election Com
missioners for recognizing the Rainey
heelers.
Many changes have taken place
since 1892 when Rainey was so bad,
and the Examiner so good. 1t is now
the fact that they are together. Per
haps Rainey has ascended the road of
purity and reform TO meet Lawrence
a the summit, or perhaps the Exam
iuer has gone down the grade of pO-
litical depravity to meet Rainey at the
bottom.
In October, 1894 the Examiner and
Rainey were wide apart in politics.
Rainey was then CartoOned as a ballot
box suffer in the house Of Dan Burns
the taXidermist. Later on the same
year Rainey and Burns were cartOoned
as wild beasts in a cage, where Hunt
ington, the trainer, repOsed. Rainey
was the tiger and Burns the lion.
Speaking Of deXterity in the stuffng
Cf votes, the Examiner paid this COM
p,iment to the Incompatible genius of
j,ainey:
The rolls have been stuffed as
Buckley in his boldest days and
n the height of his power
never dared TO stuff them.
A note Of alarm was once sounded
Ly the Examiner. Here is the note:
THE CITY IS IN DANGER FROM
THE THUG RAINEY."
The present Sam Rainey. who is do
ing pure politics in company with A
NJ Lawrence, Is the same Sam Rainey
that the Examiner referred to in 1892
and 1894. The Call has investigated
the subject and found that the big boss
is the same old Sam that graduated
from the Buckley Institute Of HeeIers.
He has simply changed his location
from the st. George stables to the Ex-
aminer office.
z