Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-05
PRIMARY VOTING
IN LOS ANGELES
ELECTION OF STATE DELE
GATES IS ON TODAY
FoUR-SiDED FIGHT IN TWO OLD
PARTIES
Whichever Wins Will Have Largest
Delegation in State Convention.
Bell Heads Opposition to
McNab

All California votes at a primary
election today for delegates to the state
conventions of the leading political
parties. Under the law only cities of
certain population are within the man
date of the law, but the other dis
tricts have been provided with pri-
maries informally by the party or
ganizations either for today or for
later dates.
The law applies to only Los Angeles
and Pasadena In Los Angeles county
and consequently those are the only
places where legal primaries are be-
ing conducted. Those in the other dis
thicts are party affairs. But in the
cities named every qualified voter has
the right to cast his vote as a member
of whatever party he affiliates with.
The polls are to open at o'clock in
the morning and are to remain open
until o'clock in the evening, except
in the country districts where the
hours will be from IL noon to o'clock.
That there will be a heavy vote cast
in Los Angeles Is indicated by total
registration of nearly 10000, which is
almost double what 1t was two years
ago. While some of this great increase
Is due to the rapid increase In popula-
ton. there is no doubt that the indis
yidual political conscience Is aroused
and that a large per cent of the in
crease is due to the agitation of the
political organizations that oppose rail-
road domination. A very heavy vote
Is expected on this account
Any voter who is registered, whether
he registered this year or earlier, who
has not changed his residence with
out again registering, is entitled to
vote at the primaries.
Four-cornered Fight
The situation in both the old parties
seems analogous. In the Democratic
party the Democratic league is oppos-
ing the continuance of the Southern
Pacific potency in the party manage
ment and the league is finding bitter
hostility from those who term them
selves regulars but who are best
known up and down the streets as
"the push" The league selected Its
candidates with special thought as to
their character and party standing;
while the regulars selected the ward
workers and petty bosses who have
brought reproach on the party at every
turn.
In the Republican ranks the Lincoln
Roosevelt league has built up an or
ganization all over the state and, AIDED
by a number of newspapers, mas
drawn together great strength against
the regular Republicans. The regu-
lars are managed by the Southern Pa
cific railroad bureau and there is lit
tie pretense Of independence.
WHICH, VI tic lOui -SOt hOASN AoHs
wins will not only have the selection
of the delegates to Chicago and Dem
yer, but also the election of new
state central committee, and this COM
mittee will remain in power until 1slo.
when 1t will be reorganized for the
gubernatoriai campaign.
The State Slate
According to advices from ''up state"
there will be two elements in organic
ing the state convention. One VIII De
headed by Gavin McNab, the San
Francisco boss, and his element VIII
be opposed by that headed by Theo-
dore A. Bell of Napa. former candi-
date for governor. The test OF
strength will probably be on the cleo
McNab slate provides for the choice Of
Nicholas Bowden of San Jose,
Southern Pacific attorney, for the
craftsmanship, while Bell and his al
lies are supporting the candidacy or
T. o. Toland of Ventura. In this fight
league and the push" the league be-
ing against the McNab influence.
whichever wins, Los Angeles delega-
tion will have the largest in the con-
vention for its candidate.
Strange as 1t may seem. McNab
heads his slate for delegates at large
to Denver with Bell. This is said to
he because he realized that Bell would
be nominated anyhow. and he headed
his slate with him to make 1t easy for
bob" Fitzgerald of Oakland to slip
through as another delegate at large.
The McNab slate also includes Nc
Guire of San Francisco, but the fourth
place is left open for the Endorsement
OF the Los Angeles delegation or for
trading. 1t is this Endorsement that
Nathan Cole, Jr., is fighting for in Los
Angeles and his success depends who'll
Iy on a push" victory today. If the
Democratic league should control the
delegation it will elect its candidate
from among a dozen we'll known DEM
ocrats of the CITY.
Chairman Timothy Spellacy of the
state committee returned from Bakers
field last night. He reports the senti-
ment for the Endorsement of a Bryan
delegation to Denver as nearly unani-
nous. and also says the Democrats OF
the middle section are aroused and
enterinr the campaign with the firm
conviction that this is Democratic
year. Mr.. Spellacy is one of the
stanchest friends of Bryan. and is also
an antagonist of Southern Pacific |