The San Francisco call., 1907-01-22

vide that no vote cast independently
/ or irregularly shall be counted for 2
/ person whose name is printed on the
/ ballot or the face of the machine. Ir-
/ regularly was too big a word for Bel
shaw and the fangs of the bill were
pulled by the substitution of blank
column. The purpose of the bill is TO
prevent an elector getting in two votes
for one person by voting the ballot and
again for the same candidate by writ
Ing his name in the blank column
What its effect might have been had
the word irregularly been left in, can
only be guessed at
Another of Leavitt's bills authorizes
the Supervisors to employ only one in
spector and one judge in voting ma
chine districts. The avowed purpose of
the bill is economy. But it's effect
might easily be the manipulation of the
machine and the defeat of the will of
the electorate. The present law pro-
vides for two inspectors and two judges
OF elections, selected from the different
political parties.
The Leavitt bill, while it might af-
feet money saving, would also put
the Supervisors in a position to Abso-
lutely handle the vote of any precinct
by the simple device of careful Sc
lection Of plant Judge and inspector
Of the one desired political faith. This
bill is I'm for a troublesome session of
the committee and probably destined
not to get to the Senate for enactment
or rejection. However honest its pur-
pose may have been, enacted it would
deprive the decent citizens OF San
Francisco of their last hope of an hon
est election. Leavitt recognizes the
force OF argument against his bill and
says he viii not attempt TO force it
until IL has been freely discussed by
the whole committee
DR.. Chester Rowell of Fresno Re
publican Of note and publisher Of the
Fresno Republican, is in Sacramento to
take charge OF marshaling the legis-
lative forces relied upon to save Fresno
County intact from the assaults OF the
impetuous Mcguire, who proposes to
take 1890 square miles of Fresno
County's territory and tack il onto his
own little Kings County. Magaire and
his friends claim they have the Fresno
people whipped to a fine stiff cream.
Assemblyman W. F. Chandler. who has
the other end of the struggle, says
there is nothing TO ii; that Mcguire is
having a nice time jollying himself
The surface indications are that neither
side is confident of the outcome of
what promises to be one of the prettiest
fights OF the session.
The people around the Coalinga and
the Fresno County oil fields. with prop
erty assessed at $3,500.000. are sore
over the treatment accorded them by
both Republicans and Democrats at
Fresno trip to the county seat in
wolves a three or four days journey,
through Kings and Tulare counties,
while IL is claimed they could go 10
Hanford. the Kings County seat. and
return in a single day The Fresno
people are not yisibiy impressed with
the political needs of the Coalinga
people. but they are impressed with
the desirability of hanging onto a slice
Of territory that pays one-tenth OF the
taxes in one of the biggest counties in
the State.
Unable to swing his own committee
for a favorable report on his bill pro-
viding for a change OF Judges on an
affidavit Of prejudice by a party; ad-
vised that the Governor is opposed to
the passage Of such a bill, and after
crossing his own trail on ii twice
Grove J.. johnson is in a fine temper
over the measure he fathered and
which IL enacted would enable Schmltz
and Ruef to take their cases from
Judge Dunno and re-enact the farcical
of the last six weeks
He has at no time had the temerity
to deny that If enacted rs bill would
affect the San Francisco cases. but he
does strenuously resent the persistence
Of the newspaper in calling attention
to his bill. Still underlying the meas
ure would accomplish just what the
press charged 1t would. Johnson vents |
his spleen by bowling that any man /
Or newspaper who asserts directly or
indirectly that the bill was inspired |
by Ruef. Schmitz or any Of the attor- |
1eys connected with their case, ma
iciously, deliberately and knowingly /
les. Johnsons assertion may fasten 1
he falsehood. but to date he has failed /
% disclose the origin of the measure.
In this connection il is worthy of
notice that w. r. Leeds OF Los Angeles, /
1 member of the judiciary committee, /