The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-04-16
CITIES OF STATE
TO HEAR THE WORD
Voters Will Be Arrayed on Side
of People by Speakers
of Prominence


sues TO be decided at the primaries
May and to arouse the people to
strike death blow to the Southern Ia
cific's political bureau. While the
navy of the country is assembling on
California's shores as assurance OF pro-
lection from enemies without, the LIN
coin Roosevelt league will be marshal
ing its forces to protect the state from
the enemies within. About May hang
issues as certain for the salvation or
the republic as is the mighty array or
warships that has reached CALIFORNIA;
welcoming gates So with a tremen-
dous earnestness the battle Is TO De
fought from the platform in behalf OF
a free people and to cast out the polit-
ical devils.
In six cities is the oratory to begin
simultaneously next Monday night. 1t
is to continue throughout the week aasd
eliminate with a big mass melting N
this city Saturday night, April ID
Every speaker in the field will be au-
thorized with the powers of organizer
and during the spare hours of the day
he will actively proselyte for members
of the organized movement In pehai1
of good government.
DEVLIN TO BEGIN FIRING
Frank r. Devlin OF Vallejo, state
president of the league, will begin hos
tilities on Monday night at Bakers
field. He will proceed nothward
through the valley, through a section
where the league is already thoroughly
organized. 1t is aimed, however. to
stir the people and to urge all repub-
licans to do their duty on primary day.
From Bakersfield, Devlin will go to
Tulare, where he will speak Tuesday
evening, the 21st. Wednesday, the
22d, he will address the Lincoln Roose-
welt club at Hanford in the afternoon.
There will be big rally In Fresno
Thursday evening. the 23d, which will
be addressed by Devlin and former
Mayor W. r. Davis OF Oakland. The
following night they will speak at
Visalia IL the tentative plans can be
carried out.
Former Mayor Davis and Chester H
Rowell will address meeting in Sac
ramento tonight. Rowell then will
carry the war into the northern part
of the state, opening at Chico Mon
day night. He will then go to Marys
Vile and other points in the Sacra-
mento valley.
State Senator Charles NJ Belshaw
of Contra Costa will speak in Stockton
Monday night and at other points dur
ing the week.
Former Mayor Davis will go to
Santa Cruz to open the campaign from
that angle Monday night The next
night he will speak in Watsonville the
home of Lieutenant Governor Porter.
whose power there as a stanch dele
cation deliverer for the machine is
now ebbing away. Davis will then
proceed to Fresno to join Devlin.
The campaign in Modesto. MERGED,
MADEIRA and other points of the upper
San Joaquin valley is in the hands OF
A NJ Drew and George w. Jones Of
Fresno. Dates had not been definitely
\
that Monday nights meeting would be
held at Modesto and that the campaign
would close Saturday evening at Dos
Palos.
Charles s. Wheeler of this city will
devote three nights to Alameda county,
at Oakland. Alameda and Berkeley. The
speech making will be continued the
following week and until the very eve
of the struggle at the primaries.
ANY business that good government
is going to hurt ought to be closed up.
We've got to cut out graft in business.
We've got to stop asking public officials
for favors that were not entitled to.
No man has the right to ask in the
name of friendship what he would not
dare to ask as his right. After all, the
people get the government they want.
They are responsible when there is
-
est government they'll get it," =
Speaking at the weekly luncheon Of
the Lincoln Roosevelt league which was
held in Tait's yesterday, Senator
Charles NJ. Belshaw Of Contra Costa
struck in these words the keynote of
an address that dealt keenly with local
conditions The speaker delivered
some home thrusts at the evils which
have debauched the politics of this
state, and pointed to the Lincoln
Roosevelt league as the organizati
which holds the hope of all future bet
terment.
There was large gathering of MEM
bers of the league to hear the state
senator. who was listened to with great
attention, and when he concluded, his
declarations received the Endorsement
of his hearers in rounds of enthusiastic
applause.
GLAD OF AWAKENING
"I am glad to see that you citizens of
San Francisco have at last awakened to
your plight is the way Belshaw be-
gan. You have never allowed out
siders to do your business for you, but
you have allowed them to do your poll
tics. You have had nothing to say
about candidates; you have just gone to
the polls and voted. I am glad you are
going to take a hand for yourself here
after"
Continuing in this strain, Belshaw
denounced the bosses, the men who
make a business of politics and who are
in 1t for what they can get.
The boss is not inspired by good
government" he said. He has his own
selfish ends in view and he wants jobs
to pass around among the boys"
The speaker then told how in his first
experience of public office he had re-
fused to do the bidding of the political
boss of his county.
From that day. Ia years ago. the
political boss of my county has had ii
in for me-" he declared. He has been
trying to shelve me ever since"
From this bit of personal history to
the interference Of the Southern Pacific
in politics was but step, so BeIshaw
explained his position as to corpora
lions that go into politics, ending with
the emphatic and significant statement:
The Southern Pacific dislikes me be-
cause / won't take orders"
PRIMARIES ARE REMEDY
For the corruption which has fol-
lowed the railroads domination of poll
tics Senator Belshaw finds a sufficient
remedy in well conducted primaries
But to conduct primaries properly. he
insisted, all good citizens must make