The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-01
REPUBLICANS SHOULD REFLECT.

THE CALL is battling for the integrity and the
future of Republicanism in California
II is not far cry backward to the beginning
of the last campaign, forward to the opening OF
the next Looking backward, every man IN the party
recalls the fear of defeat that hung over the opening
DAYS of the last fight The fusion OF all opposing
elements presented imposing front and most
powerful and threatening line OF battle When the
shock of conflict came, The Call did its full Repub-
lican duty and rallied the party ticket all of the
elements in the State which look its welfare prog
ress and purity of reputation We did not then pre-
tend, nor do we now make claim that honor and
honesty are the peculiar characteristics of all Re-
publicans and that their oppostes to be found
only in the opposition But we did and do claim
that upon the public issues presented the Republican
party represented the average aspirations and prln-
cpes of the best citizenship and therefore the party
won. 1t triumphed because the best citizenship felt
that it would not need to be closely watched and
tended in power, to keep it in line with those aspira-
tons, as the fusion party would require.
We here record our deep and lasting protest
against the claim that the party owed its success to
the designs and devices of any boss bosses. That
such around watching the chances OF the battle
we do not deny They were followers of both camps,
but our fight gained no vote by their presence or
their practices 1t was won because the people were
WIFI us W lIlSIll TIC Ndll duulCSSSu AoSlA AL
ceaseess urging, as it addresses itself now.
When bad faith, corruption and immortality ap-
peared at Sacramento regardless of the effect upon
itself this paper took to purge the party Of
evil, and those have prevailed, against more
opposition than we like to see. We unable to
conceive how any party expect to gain strength
by shetering and protecting the classes against which
we have been doing battle. Does not every Repub-
lcan know that his party raises itself in public estl-
nation by running them out of it2
Do Wright and his defenders represent California
Republcanism? II so, God help the party, for man
won't, and it can depend only on that divine mercy
which is extended to sinners.
In the Legislature few fret and fume and call
names and utter strange cries about us They for
get that they in representative POSITION that
they there to feed their greeds grudges or
use position OF public authority to carry out their
personal aims. They there to uprightly dis
charge their high public duties as to honor
the party that passed those duties to them. Can any
of these say with his conscience that he is doing this
in supporting unfit men for the Senate, in defending
the discredited and dsmounted Speaker or in doing
any of the nasty things which occupy them, to the
exclusion of the things required by the people and
honorable to the State?
We would have much preferred to have been spared
the doing of what has been necessary to expose and
punish the chief betrayer OF his public trust 1t is the
first case in American politics where party news
paper has been instrumental in elevating to
Legislative Speakership, believing in his honor and
in fortnight has been instrumental in deposing him
from his office upon knowledge of his dishonor 1t
was no pleasure for us to make this public admission
that we had been deceived, that confidence had
been betrayed but it was duty his career
OF betrayal that he be disarmed of the power OF
treachery to others
II another paper had assumed this duty and had
discharged it well, it would not have waited mo-
ment for the backing and approval of The Call, as
we sure we have not lacked the support of all
right thinking citizens of all parties
We plead again with this Republican Legislature
to obey its highest of duty, and to all officers
chosen by the party to stand for the best service and
with the best aspirations of the people, and the favor
of California will not cease nor its shining face be
averted from the party of Lincoln and Mckinley.