Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-04
Mr.. BELL ANSWERS
ALL ACCUSATIONS
Democratic Nominee Plain Courageous,
Manly Statement Concerning Labor and
Ruef and Gillett
BY Theodore A. Bell.

| shall not permit myself to be be-
trayed into resentment or anger by the
mendacious attacks made Upon me by
the local Gilett organ. 1t is said that
you should answer a fool with his own
folly, but 1 shall violate this time
honored precept by meeting the issue
in decency and good temper.
The Gillett organ charges that my
nomination at the hands of labor de-
mands my defeat. To poisoned par
tisan mind this may appear true, but
to an enlightened intelligence the in
dorsement of union labor cannot be
considered prejudlcial to my cause.
In the same breath that the Gillett
organ condemns me it lauds Langdon,
who a year ago was nominated and
elected by the unions of San Fran
cisco. According to this organs logic
as applied to my case, Langdon could
be nothing less than a fiend after be-
| ing elected by organized labor. Let
me ask the organ a few questions.
Why has it no rebuke for the man
who was nominated at Santa Cruz only
| through a combination between the
| Southern Pacific, Ruef and Schmitz,
]
and Schmitz, in case of Glllett's elec-
ton, are to control the water front
patronage in San Francisco, through
the appointment of two out of three
harbor commissioners?
GiIlett Is Silent
Doesn't the Gillett organ know this
| to be true and that Gillett and his
friends have not dared to deny the
deal, because the proof is overwhelm-
| ing? Why doesn't the organ persuade
Gillett to dismiss Ruef from his cam
paign committee? Ruef is still re-
tained as one of the twenty-five man.
ayers and advisers of Gillett. In my
case the Gillett organs logic proceeds
as follows:
Bell has been nominated by the un-
ions of California. In San Francisco
the unions have elected Schmitz three
times as mayor. Ruef is the special
counsel for the mayor and takes an
active part in politics there. There
fore If Bell is elected he will be sub
servient to Ruef. Yet the organ is
so dull of comprehension, or so warped
party passion that it cannot reason
that if Gillett was nominated by Ruef
after a division of the spoils that,
therefore, upon Gillett's head and not
mine should be poured the walls of the
organs wrath.
The Gillett organ is not acting in
good faith toward it's readers. 1t can
not be ignorant of the fact that if Ruef
is permitted to control the water front
patronage at San Francisco this will
go a long way toward perpetuating
Ruefism in that city.
Nothing to Do with Ruef
The charge that Ruef is in any way
connected with my candidacy is alb
surdly false. Not only is it false but
4 1a,bn on tincr tho lia do
so willfully, knowingly and malicious
ly. While my home is but forty-five
miles from San Francisco L have met
Ruef but once in my life and that
was through a casual introduction to
him in a San Francisco restaurant
about a year and half ago.
/ have not seen Mayor Schmitz for
probably three years; when 1 met him
last at a fraternal meeting in Oak
land. 1 solemnly repeat that 1 have
never communicated with either Ruef
or Schmitz, directly or indirectly, con-
cerning my fight for governor.
Both of them opposed my nomina-
ton by organized labor. for one of the
terms OF the Santa Cruz compact was
that Ruef and Schmitz would do their
utmost to prevent labor from indorsing
the Democratic nominee.
Labor UnfavorabIe to GiIIett
They kept their word with Gillett
and Herrin, so far as they could, and
strenuously opposed my nomination,
but without avail.
1t will be recalled that before any
conventions were held the American
Federation of Labor decided to take
part in the politics of each state. Here
in California Gillett was not looked
upon with favor because he had been
unfriendly toward labor while in con-
gress. Langdon was regarded as the
Y~vAS1~ G ~