The San Francisco call., 1908-07-25
'PUSH" METHODSDO
NOT SECURE VOTES
Large Registration InsureS VIC
tory for Decent Repub-
Leans in Primary
Frantic Efforts of Herrin Men
Fail TO Aid Cause of
Railroad

the people and bad for push" pOliti-
clans is a recognized axiom Inc
push" registers for every primary as
a matter Of course; it is only when the
independent voters are unusually
aroused that they muster in eXtraordi-
nary numbers at the registrars oflce.
Hence a big registration is sign that
the people are interested enough 10 de-
sire a say in the primary.
This year the registration has broken
all records, reaching a total, eXtraordl-
nary for primary election. OF some
where near $4,000. OF this registration
1000 or thereabouts was added TO the
roll on the closing day.
When $4,000 voters signify their in
1ention Of taking part in primary
there is only one thinkable outcome In
the present election, since the greater
part OF the registration is republican,
that outcome viii be the defeat OF the
IIerrin machine and the triumph Of the
Lincoln Roosevelt league.
While they read and understand the
handwriting on the wall, the push
politicians who are making Herrin's
fight viii not acknowledge it. They
are claiming that the large registra-
tion is due to their efforts; that it was
their friends men friendly to push
politics and Herrinism, who registered
in such large numbers; and that, con-
sequently, they are going to win the
primary.
ACTIVITY OF THE "PUSH"
These claims are plausible. Anybody
who stayed around the registrars OF
fee during the closing days OF regis
tratioh would have been struck by the
remarkable activity Of the push" poll
ticians. They took many voters 10 be
registered, men they knew well and
called by their nicknames. 1t is true
most Of these men looked like unde-
sirable citizens, but they all registered
and they all have votes.
After seeing 'Budgy" Nelson haul
ing men from the beach in carryalls,
Sam King herding dope fends and
other unfOrtunates from the Barbary
coast, Tom Finn carrying others from
the water front in buggies and Fred
Eggers chaperoning his friends from
the Market street cut" one might
think that the push" was overwhelm-
ingly in the ascendency and that the
good citizens We're sleeping while the
bad were making sure of the primary.
But in this matter OF registration.
as IN Others. appearances are deceptive.
There were 1000 men registered
Wednesday, the closing day. OF these
1000, how many were registered owing
10 the efforts of the push? The fol-
lowing figures, prepared by politician
who knows the push politicians and
who stayed at the registrars Office
all day, answer the question:
Budgy Nelson, z; Tom Finn, - Tim
Sullivan, z; Dominic Beban, 80; Sam
King. a; Tom O'Neill. 10; Walter
Macauley. 10. Total 81. =
out or 1000 registered the COM
bined efforts OF these push" poll
ticians were responsible for only 81.
On the preceding day the same men
managed 10 register about lis, in
cluding some is or 20 brought in by
Fred Eggers.
NELSON IS REMINDED
Like Banquo's oft quoted ghost
'Budgy' Nelson's vote for Harrison
Gray Otis viii not down. When the
alleged union labor man cast his vote
in the Sacramento convention for the
arch enemy of orgnaized workingmen
every man with a union card learned
of it next morning. Since then the
vote has been denounced by many Ia
Dor organizations.
This worried Nelson. but only dur
ing the last few days has he beer
genuinely exercised over his lapse
That vote has risen to plague him
right at home, in his own forty fifth
district
Cards forcibly reminding the union
men Of the forty-fifth that Nelson voted
for Otis are being circulated through :
out the district. The forty-f1 fifth is a
strong union labor district and the
cards are having their effect There
is no way for Nelson 10 counteract
them, for they state only the truth.
That vote for Otis will do more than
any single thing to beat Nelson in the
forty-afth. But there are other indica-
tiOns that the little senator is losing
his strength. Nelson has been working
hard, getting his friends in the district
registered. His work in the county
ri f.7fa Al,
this political labor. But Nelson has
lost instead Of gaining.
Between 800 and 400 men who regis
tered as republicans last time to please
Nelson have this time returned 70 their
own party and will figure in the prf-
mary as democrats. This change is
due to two things: Partly TO Nelson's
growing unpopularity and partly to the
stiff fight which Luke Fay and Virgil
Garibaldi are makingg in the forty
fifth against the McNab forces.
GOING WELL FOR LEAGUE
Things are going badly in the thirty.
third district, from the push" view.
point. and very well from the Lincoln.
Roosevelt league aspect. A scrap be.
tween the leaders of the push" forces
threatens TO lose them the district
while the leaguers. with a strong club
OF enthusiastic workers, are pressing
them hard.
The trouble arises over the assembly
nomination. Paul Fratessa was the
last assemblyman and he wants to &c
back TO Sacramento. But the orders
from Johnny" Lynch do not mention
his name, so Paul is sore. At the same
time either Lynch or some other rep.
resentative of Herrin has made a mis-.
take, for the nomination has beer
promised 10 two men-Harry Osgood
who used TO be a Chinatown guide, anc
John T. Pidwell. who delivered Z
eulogy OF NJ II. de Young at the Sac.
ramento convention. When these two
found that the same nomination hat
been promised to both they fell out
Fratessa made a third to the souabble
and there is anything but harmony il
the district.
Mamie" Strauss viii assemble tn,
push" of the forty-fourth at al
Kearny street tonight and form som,
sort Of club TO give the league battle
Strauss is seriously considering the ad
visibility OF running for the assembly
and will announce his candidacy a.
soon as be thinks his election a sur,
thing.
FOR DEMOCRATIC RALLY
The nomination of william ]. Bryal