The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-05-03
UNCERTAINTY
RULES AMONG
THE DEMOCRACY
Anxious About Gen.
trail Committee.
HEENEY PROTEST A MENACE
WILL BE FELT IN THE COMING
FIGHT.
Chris Buckley Said to be in the
Saddle Ready to Do Queer
Things With the Pri-
mary Law.

All good Democratic eyes are turned to-
ward the meeting of the executive COM
mittee of the State Central Committee
which will be held in the California Ho-
tel tomorrow night. On the face of it
there is nothing of Importance to come
before the meeting-ony the appeal of
Heeney from the action of the committee
of one hundred in making itself the mu-
nicipal convention of San Francisco; but
an attempt will be made to have this ap-
peal the basis of the downfall of the Phe-
Ian body and it's final exit from local
politics. The Heeney appeal has been be-
fore the executive committee since the
last campaign and has dragged an uncer-
tain existence through several sessions,
but the political pot is simmering for the
coming fight for city government and the
old case will be made TO do duty in earn
est.
The Democratic campaign has hardly
opened. There are no definite combina-
lions made and no factions in the field,
but quiet work is going on all the time,
and it is a safe prediction that before
May is we'll on It's way across the calen-
dar there will be plenty doing in the
Democratic haunts.
Already talk of district clubs is being
heard and several of the districts are
fitted out in this respect even this early
In the campaign. Buckley, too, is re-
and made himself ready for something to
turn up, and the committee of one hun
dred is emerging from its Information and
is thinking of primaries under the new
law and basketful of other things which
SO far can only be guessed at.
The primaries are the main object of
the purists, however, and through them
much is hoped to be gained. The present
plan is to put through a blanket ticket
and corral everything in sight, though
that means If the new law and the old
friends will only stand for it.
Under the new law everybody votes at
every one else's primary; delegates are
named from the districts, the precincts
or at large, just as the appointing power
sees fit, and the committee of one hun
dred has come TO the conclusion that at
large is good enough for them. The idea
is to have the names of all the delegates
to the municipal convention printed upon
a slip and made ready for the willing
tees friends vote the slip by passing it
on the primary ticket in strict accord
ance with the law, but hardly with Dem
ocratic principles.
The delegates will not be selected to
represent any particular district; they
will be taken from anywhere there Is a
man who is willing to do the right thing
from committee standpoint District
lines and precinct lines will play no part
in the selection, and the proceedings of
the last election, where the banner Dem
ocratic district. received two delegates
and the banner Republican district re-
celVed seventeen delegates to the Demo-
cratic convention, will be repeated
The new primary law will cut the most
prominent figure in the coming campaign.
for it is something untried and not viewed
without suspicion. The election at Stock
ton only recently called attention TO the
first loophole, and there is no telling how
many more will appear before the local
politicians have had their swing at 1t.
In Stockton it was found that one side
had no contest. Its delegates We're per
fectly safe, and so the surplus vote was
used to dabble in the politics of the other
side, to the great qualification of the
bosses and the chagrin of the party med
died with.
In pursuance of the new law. the Elec.
ton Commission has issued certain orders
to govern the coming primary and among
them is the following
Each political party, as aforesaid shall file
with the Board of Election Commissioners on
or before July s, 1899, its petition authenti-
Gated by its chairman and secretary setting
forth: The name of the party; that the petit
ton is authenticated by the proper officer
of the party committee; that it is the inten-
ton of such party to hold q local convention
for the purpose of making nominations of can
didates for city and county offices to be voted
for on Tuesday, November T. 1899 in ac-
cordance with Section l. Chapter Q Article XI
upon the official primary election ballot The
petition must specify in detail the apportion-
ment of delegates whether at large or nv
Assembly districts. or by primary election pre-
cincts, or by combinations thereof for the bro
posed convention. The petition must be Veri-
ned by the proper officers of the party, before
officer authorized TO administer oaths
The clause allowing the apportionment
of delegates at large Is where the blanket