The San Francisco call., 1908-12-05
MAYOR DENOUNCFS
MCKANNAY'S FOES
Taylor Would Rather Be Called
Freak" Than Take Orders
From Machine
Democratic Organization May
FrOth, but Republican Sec
retary Will Stay
By George Van Smith


Quite regardless Of the rufied feel
tngs Of organization democracy, Harry
- Mckannay, republican, viii remain
with Mayor Taylor as his trusted pri-
Vate secretary and viii be consulted
. by Mayor Taylor as long as Mayor Tay-
.lor is mayor And. more than THAI
Mayor Taylor VIII not do partisan poll
tics and win not take orders from or
gahized democracy or organized any
thing else. These things Mayor Taylor
: told me yesterday.
Harry McKannay is not a political
boss. He has not attacked men put
forward for appointment by the demo
cratic machine. BE has recommended
70 Mayor Taylor men whom he knew
and whom he believed Mayor Taylor
and the people Of San Francisco could
trust He has refused to be a party TO
turning the citys payroll over to the
democratic machine. And he denies
that the democratic machine has a
patent right upon the politics OF San
EEancisco. These things Harry Nc
II annay, private secretary to Mayor
. TaElor, told me yesterday.
ADMITS BEING POLITICAL FREAK
Mayor Taylor cheerfuly admits that
IN the opinion Of the regular organiza-
'tion democracy he is a political freak
And he declares emphatically that as
long as that opinion is the result OF
his refusal to take orders from or
gsnized democracy or anybody else,
he would not have it changed.
Let II be understood that 1 do not
spply the term freak" to Mayor Tay-
.I0r- That was his own graphic de-
scription OF the regard in which he
IS held by professional politicians when
= discussing democracy's howl about his
unwillingness to attach its regulars to
good jobs and its charge that his sec
retary. Harry 3IcKannay, is the real
power behind the municipal throne.
= Mayor Taylor resents vigorously both
sthe charge that Secretary McKannay is
the determining factor in his selections
!. spectful- Buttons which the machine
gnen substituted for McKannay's real
name during the campaign Of 1907
DEFENDS McKANNAY
. Referring TO the organization charge
that McKannay dictated his appoint
.ments. Mayor Taylor said:
1T is absolutely false. 1t is out
~rageous 10 attempt 10 ridicule so good a
man as Mr.. McKannay. san Francisco
is fortunate TO secure the services of so
good a man. He is honest, competent,
reliable. I repOse In him the fullest
trust 7 rely upon him. But take no
any other man. Mr.. McKannay had no
more 20 do with the appointment of
Nj Deasy than you had I know they
think I am a political freak But 1 do
not purpose TO be false to my trust 10
change that opinion i am proud OF II.
3 Il am not member OF the San Fran
. cisco democratic club or any other
democratic club / viii not do partisan
politics in this Office. 1 am not a poll
ician. I told the people of San Fran
cisco before they elected me that /
would not DO partisan politics. They
believed me They elected me. I am
no mans man. I wear no mans collar.
! did not ask what were Mr.. McKan-
nays partisan Affiliations. 1 did not
care.
WILL NOT TAKE ORDERS
7 wanted a secretary. I have one.
I trust him and he viii stay with me.
7 am mayor. For what seemed to them
10 be sufficient reason the people Of
san Francisco selected me. I am and
have always been glad to receive advice
and suggestions from competent and
proper persons. orders I will take
from none"
The machine democrats do not like
me- said McKannay, because I will
not take their program and use what
influence ] may have to turn the results
ocratic victory
They are putting things upon me
. because they have not been able to get
everything in the way of municipal
place. When the nonpartisaD ticket was
made up they angled for and got all
the places that carried any patronage.
They got the sheriff, the recorder, the
assessor. They got everything. I want
no personal controversy with them or
with any one, but after getting all the
patronage places on the ticket. which
was elected by citizens who rose above
party, they strove for everything else
Ia a manner which apparently put
every man who voted their ticket in
the attitude OF a job chaser.
DEMOCRATIC JOB CHAsERs
The good government league people
stood back and waited to be asked for
advice or suggestions, and the demo-
cratic leaders seized that brief oppor-
tunity TO inform me that since the good
government league was not hunting
Jobs II would be the proper thing to
turn the places over to the democratic
Organization.
Il did refuse to be a party to that.
I am not a politician and I am not a
boss. I did nothing to prevent the
appointment OF T. I. Fitzpatrick to the
police bench In fact, his name was
hever mentioned by me TO the mayor In
any way. I owe il to Mayor Taylor. my
ehief, and to San Francisco to give
The mayor the benefit OF my knowledge
~ men have recommended good men
10 him That is my duty. The machine
democrats think they have the only
patent right on the politics of San
Francisco. and politics to them means
Jobs I disagree with them. I am not
A 5oh chaser"