The San Francisco call., 1908-08-09
RECORDOF
WOLFE IS
NOT GOOD
Eddie" Mouthpiece of Rail-
road, Foe of Direct Pri-
mary Measure
Duplicity of Senator During the
Last Session of the
Legislature
Promises to Champion Rights Of
People and Knifes Bill in
Secret Caucus
Real Record of Man Who
Seeks Reelection in Inter-
ests of Herrin Machine
By George Van Smith

Senator Eddie" Wolfe's effort to
prevent the submission of a direct pri-
mary election constitutional amend
ment is a part OF the record" on
which Wolfe says he stands, and upon
which he demands denomination and
reelection at the hands OF the repub-
icans of the thirty-seventh and thirty
eighth assembly districts, comprising
the twenty-frst senatorial district
The Herrin machine is making a
desperate effort to recapture the thir-
ty-seventh and thirty-eighth- The
election Of Herrin's delegates in either
means the denomination OF Herrin's
congressman, Red" Hayes. Defeat in
the thirty-seventh means that Herrin
viii lose the valuable services OF Ed
die" Wolfe. which have been at the
command Of the master OF the South
ern Pacific machine for Il years
Wolfe. backed by Postmaster Arthur
c. Fisk and FiSk's push. captained
by his man Gallagher. Tim Sullivan.
Benny Levy and Fritz Gercke. county
committeeman who broke their pledges
10 the republicans OF the district, Abe
Ruef and Abe Ruef's ex-sherin. Tom
O'Neeil. and rolls Of machine money Is
working night and day to recapture the
district which repudiated him and his
supporters at the May primaries
EVADES HIS ~RECORD7
Wolfe gravely enough announces
that he stands upon his record" He
demands denomination and reelection
because Of that record Wolfe has
record. In his discussions or that rec
ord he has contented himself with an
nouncements that it exists. He never
digs deep into il for the edihcatiOn OF
the republicans OF the thirty-seventh
and thirty-eighth whose support he
tearfully demands The amusing fea-
ture of Wolfe'S insistence upon the fact
that he has q record is his inferential
suggestion that some OF the republicans
OF his district may have forgotten that
record None has forgotten that for
IL years Eddie Wolfe has been one OF
the most adroit servants OF the ma
chine in the state senate During the
major portion OF that Il years Wolfe
has been Herrin's chief spokesman on
the floor Of the senate. His services IN
that capacity and in committees were
so eminently satisfactory 20 the rail-
road boss that Wolfe was made presi-
dent pro tenn and floor leader OF the
Southern Pacific company's band In the
upper house OF the legislature
WOLFE WELL REWARDED
In addition to the honors heaped upon
him by his elevation to the post OF
railroad mouthpiece on the senate foor
and in caucuses, Wolfe has received
many choice cuts from the machine
pie table
When there were special commission
appofntments to be made Wolfe was
there or thereabouts. At the conclu-
sion Of the last extra session Wolfe
was named as a member OF the carpet
bag bank investigating committee.
When the last regular session adjourned
Wolfe had a job on the special COM
mittee appointed TO investigate the
harbors OF the state. Both jobs were
supposed to be honorary when they
were created Both were rich
in undeveloped possibilities for a
trained legislator. And In addition 10
the possibilities the state night be In
duced TO compensate the members OF
those commissions for their valuable
time. If so accomplished q legislator
as Wolfe were returned to the senate
Never since he became president pro
tenn OF the legislature was Wolfe at q
loss for the right ruling when the ma
chine was in a tight place When War
rem Porter. presiding officer OF the last
senate found difficulty in marshaling
the gang through an especially DIM
cult situation Eddie was at his side.
OPPOSED DIRECT PRIMARY
Those are elements OF his record
that Eddie" does not discuss from the
platform Nor does Eddie" ever dis
cuss his direct primary record He
has one. He exerted his best EFFORT
to prevent the redemption OF the re-
publican platform pledge for the enact
ment OF a direct primary election law
He did not do II IN the open. but IL
other machine senators had not had more
regard for their personal and party
pledges than had Wolfe there would be
no direct primary amendment propo-
sition on the ballot. which viii be
voted AT the general election IN No
vember.
The republican state convention IN
1906 pledged the republican party TO
the enactment OF direct primary legfs-