The record-union., 1899-02-14
THE RIGHT OF LEADERSHIP.


States Senator who are aspiring to
leadership, and the Hon. George c.
Perkins-by the Christening wrath of
God Senator from California-are sep
arately, collectively and specifically
addressed
The first great and indispensable
qualification for leadership is the ca
pacity to combine and direct a follow
ing He who cannot organize behind
himself successful following has
proven himself incapable of the exer-
else of leadership. He is not leader
who leads his party to defeat, or who
leads a faction of his party to that re-
suit.
candidate for United States Sena-
tor loses his right to be the choice Of
his party as soon as it is fairly DEM
onstrated that he cannot be elected. To
persist in his candidacy after the dem
onstration Of this fact is simply to be-
tray the party and to leave it naked
to its enemies. No man is entitled to
the office Of United States Senator at
the hands Of the Republican party in
the present contingency who is unable
to demonstrate that he is the choice Of
the Representatives of the party in
fair party council. AS soon as he fails
to demonstrate this, he abdicates party
leadership and becomes the bastard
le'ider of political guerrillas.
The selfish spirit Of the deadlock has
never been more clearly exposed than
In an interview with Colonel John p.
Jackson relating to the position of SEN
ator Perkins in this contest. Speaking
to representative of the Examiner
Colonel Jackson said:
My position is simply that of
friend Of Senator Perkins. His follow
ing recognizes that it is for his interest
to have a Senator from the south this
time, SO that the geographical situation
would not be inimical to him at the next
election of a Senator. We went to
Grant on this account simply because
he seemed to have the most votes, but
if Mr.. Bulla, or any other southern man
can get the prize. we shall not cry
over the result
1t has been known that this was the
selfish, sordid, unpatriotic and unparti-
san spirit of Senator Perkins, but it
was believed to be inconceivable that
any man would be found who was
stupid enough to make that confession
on behalf of the Senator.
Here is a declaration that Senator
Perkins does not care a straw for the
State of California or the manner in
which it shall be represented in the
Senate Of the United States. He de-
sires simply to defeat any Republican,
living north of Tehachapi in the inter-
est of his infinitely small personality
and his diminutive ambition to occupy
a position for which he possesses no
personal qualifications whatever.
yellow dog from the south, rather
than statesman from the north is
the declaration Of Colonel John p Jack
son. I'VE went to Grant on this ac-
account" says Jackson, because he
seemed to have the most votes, and if
Mr.. BulIa, or any other southern man,
can get the prize, shall not cry over
the result" Any southern man in the
interest of Perkins against any north
ern man whose election might by the
remotest possibility defeat the future
Senatorial aspirations Of an immeasur-
ably sTnall-minded politician.
Senator Perkins occupies a leadership
of the Republican party, and yet by
this confession he does not entertain
the slightest regard for it's rights or
itstinterests. He is not concerning him
self as to how California shall be rep
resented in the Senate. He is not for
Mr.. Grant because he believes Mr.
Grant to possess qualifications for the
great office to which he aspires. I'VE
went to Grant" says Jackson, because
hel seemed to have the most votes; and
by the same logic they would have gone
to a Chinaman or a yellow dog.
The question arises now: Who stands
among what is vauntingly called the
Grant phalanx, not because he be-
1ieves Grant to be fit for the Office of
United States Senator. but because he
wants to subserve the future political
interests of George C. Perkins? Who
among the Grant followers is willing to
confess that he is voting for Bulla or
any other Southern man, that George
c. Perkins may not have rival in the
Northern portion of the State when the
question of his own successor is before
the people?
The spirit of this declaration is at one
with the entire spirit of this Senatorial
deadlock. We repeat, no man is en-
titled to a position of leadership unless
he can demonstrate that he has the
one supreme quality of leadership abil-
tty to combine the following.
The Republican party is in the pres
ence of a great opportunity. For the
first time in the history Of this nation
the current questions of craftsmanship
involve In their solution the entire fu-
ture Of the Pacific Coast States and
Territories OF our country. At last we
have a Pacific Coast question so broad
~ and so distinctly drawn that our in
terests in the solution are unmistaka-
bic. In the last campaign the Repub-
1ican party presented issues as broad
as State and national life and the peo-
pie Of California conferred upon It VIC
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