Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-03
SEE AN EFFORT
TO DOWN BELL
NATHAN COLE DECLARED ALLY
OF M'NAB
IS DEMOCRATIC HousEcLEANINe
TO STOP?
Many Los Angeles Friends OF New
Leader Think They See Cause
for Alarm In sltu-
alton

Is the housecleaning IN tne Deiho
cratic party, so vigorously begun at
the Fresno state convention, to be IN
terrupted?
This is a question that many Los An
geles Democrats fear may have to pc
answered in the affirmative II WHAT
they deem evidences multiply. :.
The latest of these evidences was
the interview with Nathan Cole Jr.,
delegate at large from Southern Call
fornia to the national convention az
Denver, printed in The Herald yester-
day morning. Some of the leaders mere
lave believed for long time that Cole
and the McNab element had WORKING
understanding, but now they say Mr;
Coles interview settles this Deyonu
question. and in the future the element
of the party that regards Theodore X;
Bell as its leader must regard Coie anu
McNab interests as synonymous.
Members of the Los Angeles delega-
tion who would not regard Cole ana MS
allies--Mayor Harper, /. b. Dockweiler'
Milton X. Young and others-as friendly
to the McNab machine had their eyes
opened at the Fresno convention. Mr..
Cole has maintained that his business
there was largely pacificator and that
his efforts were directed to securing
Bryan instructions and harmony.
Those who say they know his sentiment
declare he was opposed to Bell ana tne
expulsion of Goings. In his interview
Yesterday he declared this action of the
convention "precipitate" and without
full possession of the facts, Tney
quote him as saying further that the
convention had no power TO expei 60
ings. who had been regularly elected
without challenge.
Machine Big Four
Rut In Coles selection by McNab as
delegate at large and then as national
committeeman the Bell supporters
think they see palpable purpose to ce-
ment the union between the San Fran
cisco. Oakland, Sacramento and Los
Angeles machine organizations ana
that McNab, Cole, Fitzgerald and Tom
Fox are the big four working out the
new machine. That this machine IN
tends to attempt the defeat OF Judge
John f. Raker for chairman OF
the state committee is also believed,
and the friends of the reform element,
the one that made 1t possible to kick
Goings and Morris out of the Demo-
cratic party. are being urged In all
parts of the south to stand firm for MS
election. 1t has been industriously cir
culated from San Francisco that Judge
Raker, being a candidate for reelection
in Modoc county. twill not have time"
to be state chairman and that an
other must be chosen. These reports
are regarded as efforts to disintegrate
the Bell strength in the state commit
tee and make possible division that
might result in some one else than
Raker. The lighting Judge of Modoc'
is not popular with the McNab element
because he believes in Christening the
Democratic party with fire, II neces-
sary. Like Bell he is young. aggres-
sive, clean and free.
Bryan's Representative?
Los Angeles friends of Bell think
Nathan Coles open alignment for the
past month has been wholly anti-Bell
except when he made pretense OF sup
port for Bell at Fresno in order not to
ieopardize his chances as delegate at
large. Mr.. Cole, they say, always car
ries himself as an accredited represen-
tatiye of Bryan In California with
duty to perform in Bryan's name, put
they say they always find this duty
in some way necessitating Coles per-
sonal advancement. There are some
direct responsibility for the state giving
its vote to Bryan. In fact. many be-
lieye that neither McNab nor Bell, or
both. could have prevented Instructions
at the Fresno convention.
Assuring themselves that they are
right in the premises the Bell support
ers here say that coalition of McNab,
Fitzgerald. Fox and Cole means that
mischief may be anticipated in Demo-
cratic state politics from now on with
the purpose to subvert the plain intent
of the overwhelming majority at the
Fresno convention. That miscnier
means that there will be an attempt to
discredit Bell at the state convention in
August and this, thoy say, cannot be
without running the party with the
people. The people will trust to Bells
guidance while they would shun NC
Nab's they say, and under Belrs
guidance the party may nope TOT tnou-
sands of Republican and independent
votes that McNab would repress
Result of Antagonlsm
From all their conclusions these Bell
men believe that the hostility to the
new leader is because of his enmity to
railroad politics, and they assume that
this hostility must have, at least. the
sympathy of the railroad machine. The
Herrin bureau, finding that the Lin
coln-Roosevelt league may dispossess
IL of control or minimize its control
of the Republican party Is naturally
anxious to frame up control or the
Democratic party In its interests. Ii
the "big four" named are not In SYM
pathy with the s. p. machine, 1t is ar
gued that their efforts are bringing the
same result as II they were.
Accordingly they are in communica-
tion with Bells friends In other parts
OF the state alarming them that a mis-
chievous revolt is on foot, and as
result 1t is likely candidate against
Cole for national committeeman Is not
unlikely. Many are favoring former
chairman Timothy Spellacy Of Los An
geles. but Mr.. Spellacy is out of the
city and may not answer. Az any rate,
they promise to give Mr.. Cole an oppor-
tunity to vote for some one other than
~. ha haa f1r0niSe0 he WOULD