Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-17
HOPE FOR DEMOCRACY

The San Francisco correspondent Of
the Sacramento Bee confirms, with
plentiful detail, the report that Ruef
and Schmitz are actively preparing to
enter upon California politics. And
they are a power which the Republican
party must reckon with, for this worthy
pair have but single ambition. which
is Of course the preferment of Ruef
and Schmitz to the detriment or re-
gardless Of the interests Of any pollt-
lcal organization.
We gather from the Bees correspon-
dent that the Ruef campaign is already
mapped out and that Ruef has thrown
his union labor forces into the field
for the evident purpose Of securing
delegates to the Republican state con-
vention from outside Of San Francisco.
He will himself attend to the San
Francisco primaries and see that only
Ruef-Schmitz men are chosen. With
the more or less scattering votes and
a possibility Of holding a majority In
the convention, Ruef hopes to either
nominate Schmitz or dictate a weak
nomination, in which latter event he
will bolt, as usual, and set UP a Schmitz
Union Labor ticket, expecting thereby
to slip into state power between the
two old party organizations.
This is precisely what The Herald
has predicted he would do, and it is
now confirmed by the San Francisco
correspondent referred to. 1t simply
means that Ruef has the Republican
party in California by the throat and
he intends to either rule It or throttle
it-and he doesn't care which. What
are the honest, intelligent, decent Re-
publicans Of California going to do
about it?
Also, what is the Democratic party
going to do about it? II the honest
people of this state turn for hope and
encouragement to the Democrats, what
are the Democrats going to offer them7
Certainly not a state ticket named by
the purlieus of San Francisco? Surely
not a set of men set up by the Hearst
gang of yellow kids and the Municipal
Ownership party? II so, Ruef and
schmitz may go at once to making
their inauguration clothes.
The Democratic party of California
is presented this year with splendid
opportunity. Gen. Grant used to say
that the Democrats could "always be
depended on to kick the pail over when
ftill oP mil liz %,
that he was not a prophet. The Cali
fornia Democratic pail is full. Don't
kick it over. Prepare, instead, for the
of the cleanest, best known
and most eminent men within the
party on the state ticket. Have a ticket
so strong that honest Republicans may
see the difference batween the two or
three sets of candidates that will be
and be glad of the oppor-
tuntty to vote for clean men, who will
be an honor to the great state of
California.
The situation is one that appeals
to the best elements in both parties.
1t would be a political crime to con-
front the people of this state with a
bad set of nominees by all the parties
and give no chance for reform or even
for the salvation of the states good
name. A duty devolves, therefore, upon
the Democratic party of California
which it must meet with all the in
telligence and patriotism of which It
Is capable or be lost in the muck and
nire of Ruefism or Hearstism. Whether
any candidates are chosen from Los
Angeles is immaterial. The main fact
s that they must be the best obtain
able material within the party. With
hat and vigorous campaign, the hope
or Democratic victory will be large.