The San Francisco call., 1901-11-07
THE DEFEAT OF WELLS.

N N
M wreck of the Republican machine. That which
expected to be Republican walkover
has turned out to be veritable retreat from Mos
cow Not only has the head Of the ticket falen but
most of the other candidates have fallen with him.
Virtually the machine has been broken to pieces, and
the aspirants for Office who relied upon it carry
them through are scattered like the passengers of
wrecked automobile.
To intelligent students of politics this result Of
the campaign is not unexpected. From the first it
was predicted by The Call and by other authorities
that had made study of the political situation and
the temper of the people. Every step taken by the
bosses who controlled the machine tended to destruc
ton Where they did not act like knaves they acted
like fools. In not one single important proceeding
from the time they began till they nominated ticket
for Supervisors that the head of the ticket condemned
did they act with sagacity decency. If they
had deliberately tried to wreck the machine they
could not have gone about it more successfully than
they did
In the first place the bosses called in the State Cen
trail Committee the Federal brigade and the State ad
ministration to help them dominate local politics
When, through the aid of the State Central Commit
tee, given in a so fagranty unfair that the
very henchmen laughed It. the bosses obtained con-
troll of the local machinery of the party they placed
it in the hands of two Democratic railroad bosses
w. F. Herrin and Jere Burke. Those two men,
neither of whom was ever a Republican, proceeded
TO virtually dictate the nominees of the Republican
party Such domination would in itself have dis
gusted many Republicans, but when it was perceived
that the nominations in the interest of the cor
poratons rather than of the city, the disgust became
general, and the defeat of the ticket was assured
By the vote on Tuesday the rank and file of the Re-
publican party, the independent sef-respectng mem
bers of the organization, called Burns Lynch Kelly
Crimmins and the rest of the gang to accounting
Those men, by their affiliations and alliances with GER
tain Democratic bosses such as Sam Rainey man
aged to carry the Republican primaries by voting the
whole push of both parties for the candidates of the
bosses. Having gained control of the convention
they turned 1t to the corporation bosses II
the Democratic attorney for the Southern Pacific
Company, for the Spring Valley Water Company and
the Market-street Railway Company who really named
the leading candidates on the Republican ticket The
result was the breaking away from the party of the
large independent Republican vote that elected
Schmitz.
The members of the State Central Committee who
assisted the bosses in carrying out their schemes can
study with profit the result of their trickerv They
suied themselves by doing dirty work and they did
it for nothing They put upon the party the shame Of
Herrn's domination, and the result is defeat
The interference in the fight of the Federal nush
headed by Collector John c. Lynch, is sufficiently
notorious TO merit special reference Lynch converted
his Federal office into political bureau He not
only himself neglected his official duties to do noI;
tics, but he required his subordinates to be equally
indifferent to the work they are emploved to ner-
form. Frequently persons having business at the Col
lector's Office would find no one there to wait unon
them. Lynch even went far as to bring his denu-
ties from the interior TO take part in the fight for Her
rms men, Such ofenses too serious to be lightly
passed over II is the duty OF Senators Perkins and
Bard to take notice of them and have Lynch removed
Nor should there be any delay in doing So The man
IS utterly unfit for the Office He does not even trv
TO fit himself for it All public interests demand his
removal