The San Francisco call., 1905-02-21
.SYMMES FAVORS
VOTERS LEAGUE
Would Expose All the Bad
in Lives of Candidates
Seeking a Public Office
CHICAGO AN EXAMPLE
Speaker Urges Churches to
Take Active Part in Work
of Making Politics Purer

Civic Duty" was the subject pre-
sented yesterday by Frank ]. Symmes,
president of the Merchants Associa-
ton, before the Methodist Minister'S
Association at Epworth Hail.. The
Rev. F. A. Keast presided and the hall
was crowded.
Symmes urged that all good citi-
Zens must go to the polls and vote for
the best men. In this connection he
pointed out that the worst elements of
/ the city never neglect to cast their
votes, and while doing so they voted
not alone for themselves, but cast
votes for others
He described the corruption at the
last August primary election and gave
Fairfax Wheelan and the Merchants
Association praise for the part they
I had played in detecting and exposing
fraudulent voting. Then he told of the
good joke the Election Commission
thought 1t was playing when it called
upon representative men, men of af-
) falrs, to do service at the booths. The
result OF their presence was obvious.
AT the general election the very fact
that such men were at the booths had
its influence and the frauds and con-
ton were not repeated
The matter of selecting proper men
for civic positions was one which need
ed the prompt attention of the people
and as safeguard against the nom
ipation of men unworthy to represent
the citizens of this community Symmes
urged the adoption in San Francisco
of The Voters League" which, he
said, had proved of infinite value in
/; Chicago in that it had purged the
municipal government of numerous
men unworthy position of trust.
He told of the complete exposures
made by the league. 1t gave candi-
| dates for office full credit for honesty
or otherwise.
EXPOSES SHADY ACTS.
1t revealed In its printed pamphlet
Whatever shady or rascally act was
associated with any candidate for Of
flee, telling the voter plainly that such
man was unfit to receive support. If
man was a thief he was called a
thief, If a boodler he was so designated
in plain English.
There had been an attempt on the
part of candidates thus exposed to
charge the league with libel, but with
out success. Symmes expressed his
confidence that such a league in San
Francisco would be of advantage, for
of the aSpirants for office before them.
He was of opinion that there was room
here for more organizations in the in
tereSt of good government besides the
Merchants Association, and in advo-
eating this he gave credit to the vari-
Gus clubs which were formed for just
such a purpose.
Symmes then told of the safety sta4
tions and other public conveniences
which had been erected by the Mer-
chants Association, just to show the
city what the city could do. There
were those in the administration who
did not approve of the Merchants As
sociation. 1t had imposed upon itself
the duty to prevent frauds at elections
while other matters of interest to city
government were under consideration.
The association supported civil service
principles; it had an attorney at Sac
ramento in the interests of good gov
ernment; the liquor question was re-
ceiving its consideration, and if the
Liquor Dealers Association could in
fiuence candidates with the promise
that it controls 10000 then surely
citizens organization could come out,
he thought, and pledge candidates
that it could commit $4,000 voters to
the best interests of the people. He
believed that a man preferred the sup
port of the better element. The
churches, he considered, ought to or
ganize societies and take care of the
next election. Symmes warned his
hearers that they must get busy by
the next three months"
ADVISES BRETHREN.
In the discussion which followed
the Rev. A. c. Bane called upon his
hearers to rally to the support of the
Merchants Association and help in
the cause of good government.
The Christian church convention
committee, DR.. w. M. White chair
man, received a notification from the
East last night announcing the ac-
ceptance of the railroad rate from ST.
Louis and Chicago to San Francisco,
which is one first-class fare for the
round trip. 1t was also said that
there is strong desire on the part of
delegates and their friends to visit
San Francisco next August, and while
there will not be quite SO large gath
ering here as would have been the
case had. the rate been the same as re-
quested, still the convention commit
tee may expect and arrange for
large attendance.
The Union Evangelical Committee
met in the Y. M. C. A auditorium
yesterday afternoon. Bishop John
Hamilton, D. D., LID, in the chair.
to consider a great evangelical revival
in San Francisco, conducted by DIR.
Wilbur Chapman and his staff. 1t
was resolved that the general COM
mittee, composed of every clergyman
and one layman of the various de-
nominations, agree to the movement
and that the general committee ap-
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