The San Francisco call., 1908-07-12
HERRIN NOW FINDS
MUTINY IN MACHINE
Adherents of Boss Mutter in
Ranks and Make Demands
on Leader
Lieutenants Balk at Perkins
and Forecast Defeat for
Harriman'S Man


ing out among his own followers.
With the Lincoln Roosevelt republican
league driving him TO frantic endeaVors
to build defenses in front, he is ind
ing behind him a muttering IN his
ranks. The power of the despot being
menaced there are at once demands
upon him from his emboldened sub
jects. They see the straits he is in and
are quick to take advantage.
Already there has been an emphatic
demand upon Herrin that he shall not
re-elect United States Senator Perkins
1t has not been the usual thing for the
men Of the railroad machine to go to
the great boss and tell him what they
wanted, but rather TO go TO him and
find out what he wanted. His authority
has been so absolute that it was rarely,
II ever, questioned.
But with the "old man" in dire need
the faithful" are developing symptoms
Of self-assertiveness, and that in the
unreasoning fashion of the man who
has escaped from serfdom. Not only
is the attack of the Lincoln Roosevelt
league breaking down the power of
HerTin and his machine from without
but it is encouraging the disruption of
his forces within.
BALK AT PERKINS
Two Of the machine lieutenants have
boldly told their corporation leader that
they would have none of Perkins. They
came from the south, and have, here
tofore, been rated as among Herrin's
stanchest men.
We won't stand for Perkins, and if
YOU do we can't help you,' was the
statement of the mutineers. And if
you do stand for Perkins, they added,
you will see the state swept by the
Lincoln Roosevelt league"
Had it not been for the league Her
rim in all probability would have
thrown Perkins overheard this year
The fact, however, that George A.
Knight, as chaArman of the state con-
vention. appointed a state executive
committee with every member pledged
TO give boosting hand TO Perkins
makes it appear that 1t was deemed
necessary by the railroad to accept the
senior senator again. To make a
change would be swapping horses in
midstream with the enemy pressing
hard.
II the revolt il the machine camp
against Perkins Should spread, as is not
at all improbable that it Will, there is
no telling what the outcome would be.
1t would not be unprecedented to see
some vicious double crossing, not even
Of the senator whose federal brigade
was the bulwark of the machines
strength in the struggle with the Lin
coln-Roosevelt league last May.
LYNCH HOLDS SACK
Of less magnitude but of equal sig
nidcance are the Indications of rebellion
in this city. Bank Commissioner John
Lynch has been put on the job to quell
the mutineers with a good sized sack
at his disposal and the state administra-
tion ready to cooperate by caring for
men who are in need of jobs.
That the worst case of demand for
recognition should arise from State
Senator Eddie Wolfe's district is in
dicative of how serious are the difficult
ties encountered. Instead of responding
to orders with that eager aIacrity
which means bounding hope that some
day reward will come, some of the men
of the district are holding back and in
sisting on terms. Former Assembly
man Jones of the thirty-seventh district
is among the rebellious machinists, and
his case has been one Of the hardest
nuts for Lynch to crack.
The railroad machine wants to re-
elect Eddie Wolfe at all cost. He is
clever in the game of legislation and
has always been of inestimable service
TO Herrin. He will be needed in the
senate next winter and so important
does the Southern Pacific regard him
that his headquarters for the campaign
have already been opened at Haight and
Fillmore streets, great banner pro-
claiming the fact to the public.
Wolfe formerly lived in the thirty
eighth assembly district. By an un-
wXitten law it has been established
that the senator shall come alternately
from the thirty seventh and thirty
eighth. To conform to this requirement
Wolfe broke up his home in the thirty
eighth a short time ago and moved to
the thirty-seventh to establish his resi-
dence there.
TAKES ALONG GANG
This imitation of the nomadic tactics
of George A Knight was not offensive
until Wolfe began to organize clubs ia
the thirty-seventh in behalf of his can
didacy. Then it transpired that he had
brought his old thirty eighth gang,
as the Jones crowd terms the senator S
following, to run things at the meet
ings in the thirty-seventh. The thirty
eighth gang" has not changed resi-
dence. as has its leader, but it is walk
of only a few blocks over into the
thirty-seventh to fill the meeting halls
with shouts for Eddie"
This use of the thirty-eighth district
friends by the senator to control things
in the thirty-seventh was resented by
the macnlne men OF the laLLer QlStrlcl
and was the beginning OF the disaffec-
ton. The breach has been widening
and now the programmes of the thir-
ty-seventh are demanding that Wolfe
shall not have word to say about the
election of the delegates that the ma
chine will put up there.
TELL WOLFE ~HANDS OFF,
The senator insists that he shalf have
the framing Of the primary ticket in
Sorder that he can have direct control
OF the delegates. Jones and his coll
leagues say no most emphatically. They
assert that Wolfe should be content
with bossing the thirty eighth district
and should not try to NEEDLE in the
thirty-seventh. They have even made
formal demand that Wolfe shall keep
hands of among his new neighbors,
whom he would boss instead of pro-
pitiate
The tight has grown somewhat Bit
ter and Lynch is confronted with diff
fcult situation The machine needs
Jones and his, associates. II their re-
volt is allowed to avail them anything
there is danger that others In other
districts will likewise seize the oppor-
tunity and assume independent atti-
tudes. There is danger that revolt OF
the machine men themselves against
/ the bosses may spread and the whole
organization be left in a much weak
ened state to resist the aggressions OF