The San Francisco call., 1906-08-24
Pardee and Gllett [ Happy
Democrats Shy Of the League
Bienfield and Dodge
Start a Guessing
Contest.
BY Thomas B. Sullivan.

a mad progress toward success. 1t Is
only five days old and has issued five
proclamations 1t has called a State
convention and won't wait for the
worn-out. old-line parties to place
their candidates in the field, but will
rush itself to the front and dictate all
things political. Meanwhile the DEM
ocrats wear a broad grin. The league
hasn't made anybody mad, and in that
is its essential weakness. It is a very
serious thing to be considered a joke
in politics, and the league is undoubt
edly in that unfortunate predicament.
1t is understood that Mr.. Dwyer has
ordered five tons of paper and ten
barrels of ink with which to make the
inky way of the political youngster
into success. Every precautien is be-
ing taken TO keep the membership roll
Of the league a profound secret No
one IS allowed to see it-not because of
betraying the statesmen who en-
rolled themselves, but to protect the
public from guessing the names OF
those that did not.
on September 6, at Oakland, the
league will meet in convention There
will be no bosses and very few dele
gates. The process of nominating
William H. Afford for Governor will
be seriously conducted, although it
has been suggested that perhaps DR.
C. C. O'Donnen might be the man. He
certainly has been faithful to no party
has acknowledged no political boss
and practically viii indulge any of the
political vagaries of the father of the
league.
REFUSE TO BE REFORMED.
When the league ticket is in the field
the statesmen who are doing Hearst
politics will rest from their labors un-
til somebody shows his head Then
they Will crachei it. This is where the
local Democracy feels the rub. The
fellows who went into the burned dis
tricts and fought the good fight don't
want Hearst to swallow the rewards
They don't want to be reformed and
the Hearst proclamation that every
thing in the body polite is rotten does
not meet with their approval.
They decline to be read out of the
Democratic party. They are still on
friendly terms with the old lady and
insist at least upon having the privi-
.ege of leaving the organization or re-
naming with it by virtue of their own
actions. If the spirit of reformation
continues they fear Hearst may assume
sacerdotal functions and start a new
religion.
To all of this the astute Dwyer smiles
and makes soothing reply. If the local
Democracy puts up good men the
league will indorse them. Only strong
men are to be indorsed and if they win
at the polls the league will claim the
credit OF the victory. This is sup
posed to be an easy way to make sue
cessful politics.
STRUGGLE ON IN EARNEST.
The struggle to organize the local
Democratic organization has com
menced in earnest. The opposition
forces declare that McNab will have
To- he
though he is grooming William A.
Kelly for the position of chairman.
The outsiders have not yet settled upon
their candidate for the same place. Nc
Nab simply says that the regular or
ganization will take charge of the con-
vention as it has done for the last ten
years and will also organize the State
convention at Santa Cruz.
Local politicians are making an en-
deavor to discover the exact standing
of Colonel Bienfeld, one of the con-
fdential political advisers of Assessor
Dodge. Bienfield was victorious in the
ruins of the Forty-second District Af-
ter a series of journeys among the of
fees of the Mayor, Ruef and the Su-
pervisors. Bienfleld obtained eight dele
gates from Ruef and scored his great
triumph. Now the politicians are won
dering If he is a Ruefite, a Dodgeite or
a satellite of the Mayor.
Ruefs depression into the Demo-
cratic camp to defeat Judge Lawlor' s
ambition to succeed himself on the
Superior bench is playing havoc with
the boss in the interior of the State.
Country delegations do not like that
sort Of thing and they have some very
definite notions of what is and what is
not political morality.
INTERIOR AGAINST RUFF.
~.
plotted the outrageous tactics of Ruef
in this city and have commented in
language none too complimentary upon
his methods. The result has been a
general movement to ignore Ruef and
his Republican delegation as far as
possible
II this were done Ruef might find
himself very seriously handicapped and
he is taking measures to neutralize the
effect of the Campaign being made
against him. Democrats throughout
the state are as matter of course
adding what fuel they can to the fire of
discomfort.
In the Democratic State Convention
II is practically settled that Afford
will make a losing fight for the guber-
material nomination. He has fallen in
the house OF his friends. The purpose
of the independence League to nomi-
nate him, take all the credit OF placing
him in the field and then throw him to
the Democratic convention for it's in
dorsement. has put him out of the run
ming. 1t is certainty that the State
convention will not play second fiddle
TO the league and anybody with terri
tory enough to flirt with Hearsts Pc
culiar politicai youngster will find him
self out of favor with the great band
of the unterrified.