The San Francisco call., 1901-11-01

OPTICIANS whose judgment Is
not warped by prejudice or party
~ enthusiasm assert that the race
ii for Mayor is between Tobtn and
Schmitz. At Republican head
quarters the opinion is expressed that the
contest will be close between Wells and
Schmitz At Democratic headquarters the
statement is advanced that Tobin is in the
lead and Schnitz is next. All the politi-
clans recognize the danger of Schmitz' S
election. There Is no certainty that the
danger would be diminished by the with
drawaI of Wells from the field, for in that
event partisan Republicans, having no
party candidate to support, would resent
the withdrawal by transferring their sup
port to Schmitz, who is a Republican, a
Native Son and a director Of the Repub-
hcan Primary League
The only safe course for Republican
business men and property owners to pur-
sue is to come out frankly and openly for
TObin, young man whose record in the
Board OF Supervisors is commendable.
Moreover, he has positive opinions regard
ing the management of municipal affairs.
and he has the courage to define his atti-
tude on questions of franchise and public
order, which deeply concern the people
of San Francisco.
The conservative elements Of the me-
tropOlis should unite to prevent the elec-
ton of a class candidate, especially as the
meeting declared in effect that If he were
elected Mayor the police should not be
used to protect merchants in the transac-
the wheels of commercial Industry shall
not move when the strikers and agitators
resolve to tie up the town. SchmitZ in
effect announces that ne Will take orders
from the Caseys and the Furuseths- The
business men of San Francisco do not
want man for Mayor who will disregard
law and justice to catch the applause OF
la b0r aQif0tOrS
Party issues cut no figure in this cam
paign, and even if party issues were In
volved the partisans could find no real
Republican ticket to support. The ticket
put forth by the bogus Republican con-
Vention was made up from top to bottom
by W. F. Herrin, noted If not a notori-
Burns, Johnny Lynch, Jere Burke and
Max Goldberg. No party obligation to
support such ticket exists.
There are several good reasons why
many workingmen, merchants, property
owners and taxpayers generally cannot be
persuaded to lend their support to Wells.
In the first place, the workingmen, me
chanicS and labOrerS who are not in the
ranks of the Union Labor party will not
tolerate Wells, because he is on record as
an opponent of the eight-hour principle.
The liquor dealers and corner grocery
merchants repudiate Wells because he is
on record as an advocate of high license.
Property-owners and residents of the
Mission district will not support Wells
because he has declared against compell-
ing the Southern Pacific to remove the
tracks at the Mission. Improvement
clubs throughout the city are opposed TO
Wells They cannot get from him any
statement of his intentions respecting
public improvements. Independent, anti
boss Republicans cannot be persuaded to
support Wells because he derived his
nomination from the bosses, and because
he now turns to the bosses for advice
and counsel.
The other night citizens Of the Forty
first District attended a Wells meeting,
expecting that the nominee would declare