Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-27
TR|CKERY, SAY
MATHEWS MEN
BAD FEELING ENGENDERED IN
REPUBLICAN CAMP
Friends Of City Attorney Declare That
McLachIan Was Favored In Early
Call for Congressional
Convention

Although the supporters OF w. p.
Mathews strongly resent what they
consider an effort on the part Of the
Republican congressional committee to
take the city attorney at a disadvan-
tage In his race for the nomination for
representative in congress from this
district they say they will accept the
conditions forced upon them and re-
main In the fight to the end.
They declare that Notwithstanding
the fact that they were promised fair
play, the call which has been issued by
the committee clearly has been framed
In the interest OF Congressman Nc
Lachlan and with the design of shut
ting off all opposition to his efforts to
secure denomination.
A good deal of feeling has been
stirred up between the friends of the
two opposing candidates for the con-
gressional nomination as a result of the
fixing of August 2 as the date for hold
ing the primary elections in the pre-
cincts outside of Los Angeles and Pasa-
dena. This leaves only a week for
active campaigning In those districts,
and 1t admittedly throws a good many
difficulties in the way of Mr.. Mathews.
Fair Play Promised
Referring to this provision of the call,
one of the men prominently identified
with the Mathews campaign said yes
terday:
when Mr.. Mathews announced his
candidacy for the congressional nomin-
alton he stated that all he wanted was
fair play. The supporters of Congress
man McLachlan were quick to make
the promise that so far as they were
concerned he should have fair play, but
in view of the call which the con-
gressional committee has issued 1t is
evident that these promises were not
made in good faith. Calling the pri-
mary elections for August in the pre-
cincts outside of Los Angeles and Pas
adena looks like trick in the interest
of Mr.. McLachlan, and the excuse that
the committee was obliged to choose
this date in order to avoid conflicting
with the primaries for the county con-
vention is absurd.
ut is not true, as claimed by some Of
Mr.. McLachlan's friends, that Mr..
Mathews has been candidate before
the people for several weeks, and conse-
quently that he has had plenty of time
to organize his campaign. He did not
decide to become candidate until a |
short time ago, and 1t was clearly i'm
possible for him to begin an active cam
paigi until the call was issued by the
committee.
HE could not organize his forces or
do anything in the way of effective
work until he knew the date of the |
The issuance of a call Is |
looked upon as the signal for
the opening of campaign, but in this
case the call limits the campaign IN the
outside precincts to one week.
"rhe McLachlan forces have been
aligned all over the district for some
time. but it was manifestly impossible
for any opposition candidate to enter
the field until he was Informed of the |
provisions of the call. The fixing of the |
date for the primaries being In the |
hands of Mr.. McLachlan's friends, 1t |
was an easy task for them to arrange |
things in a way to cause trouble for Mr..
Mathews, and they have taken full ad-
of their opportunity.
Afraid of Mixing Fights
another thing we object to is the
mixing up of county and congressional
affairs. The call provides that candi-
iates for delegates to the congressional
shall be nominated by as
sembly district caucuses in Los An
geles and Pasadena. the caucuses being |
of the caucus delegates to the
convection. The assembly dis
trict caucuseS are to meet August 13,
and in addition to nominating a list of
for delegates to the state
shall nominate candidates
or delegates to the congressional con-
,ention.
Just why it should be deemed neces-
,ary to mix up state, county and con-
,ressional affairs in this way is rather
liff1cult to figure out. Delegates to the
county convention usually have a large
number of fights of their own on their
lands, and these fights are likely to be
carried into the congressional cam
oaign under the plan provided for by
he call. Furthermore, this scheme will
serve the selection of delegates to the
instead of to the people them
Ielves. The primar.- election law makes
10 provision for such caucuses, and the
act that they are provided for in the
nittee indi .ates an intention to place 1t
within the power Of one set of dele
rates to manipulate the two conVen-
ions.
Notwithstanding the hanicaps which
iaye been placed upon us. we will re-
main in the fight, and we expect to win.
We realize fully that the machine has
IN advantage in having been in a posi-
ion to organize its forces long tefore
he call was issued, but we believe the
majority of the voters in this district
ire opposed to that kind of olitics and
will express their disapproval of it at
he polls"
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