The San Francisco call., 1899-07-26
THE. POLITICAL SITUATION.

THE displayed page in the Examiner in which it
savagely attacked Christopher Buckley is the
introduction to controversy that may have
useful results. The blind leader who seeks to
rally his forces for struggle with his former asso-
ciates may be justly amenabe to the charges ormu-
lated against him. But he explains contradicts and
retorts with pithiness and with force that must
have pierced the Examiners cutice and filled its pro-
prietor and its editor with bitter evaporation.
The Call has stomach for the details of these
malignant controversies between resuscitaed bosses
Against the entire boss system and against the brood
of corruptionists that represents the Huntington
nopoly in all its phases, it has uniformly protested
and with fair measure OF success. Within the Re-
publican organization the independence and the char
acter of its voters have been fully vndicated Eighteen
Republican clubs have been organized and their ranks
are being filled by the best material in the party
This is the pointed application of the representative
system to local politics that the primary law was
intended to secure 1t was complete defeat of the
blanket proposition which is the only step toward the
revival of bosssm that the Republican side, has
been attempted during the preliminary movements for
the approaching campaign. The aid of the Central
Republican Club to insure the selection of unassail
able delegates to the municipal convention has
been rejected but the contrary is strictly in line
with the very practical reform, of which such clear
evidences have been already furnished. II Mr.. T. U.
Dodge correctly reported in yesterdays Exam
liner, he has very grossly and unnecessarily miscon-
ceved the situation
But the local attack of the Examiner Christie
pher Buckley, in OF its aspects, deserves notice
Was it real or only diversion? Buckley alone was
the subject OF the local vituperation of the fusion
organ. What OF Raney and the forces allied with
him? Why they not assaied? This must neces-
Sarily mean that, If there is genuine fight on hand
between the two bosses, the sympathy and the inu-
ence OF the Examiner with against the
other. The result is that the newspaper, which has
appropriated Mayor Phelan and Assessor Dodge rs
its patron saints, is working the boss system And
this view harr1onizes with the local methods adopted
by the fusion Democracy last year and which it is
proposed to perpetuate. The assertion of his
individuality has filled the hat of Mayor Phelan
during his entire political career In 1893 the fusion
clubs and forces OF every kd ranged under his
banner and transacted their party business almost ex-
clusively in his Recently separate Phean clubs
have been formed in different parts of the city The
Democratic County Committee is an olgarchv
divested OF any truly representative character. No
matter what sentimental declarations may be edito-
rally expressed in the Examiner the acts of the
fusion Democracy, from which that paper sep
arate ITSELF inconsistent with any true and inde
pendent selection of convention or of candidates
and identity the party with the worst and most dan
gerous form OF bossism.
The weak k-hearted criticism of Rainey by the Ex-
aminer, in which it compliments that dead light of
politics upon his practical wisdom in withdrawing
from any effort at manipulation will deceive nobody
Whether the raid Buckley is sincere or hypocrit-
ca, but for the editorial comment to which have
alluded Rainey was left in peace The opinion of
the public on the relations between him and the Ex-
aminer, and through that medium, with the spotless
Mayor and the immaculate Assessor will remain un-
changed.
Municipality, unless folly Unexpectedly regans in1u-
in the councils of the party, this is Republican
year The Call demands that all the pledges of the
last few weeks be fulfilled and that both in its con-
vention and in its ticket the Republican organization
establish new and wholesome precedent in San
Francisco